With its back planted firmly against the proverbial wall versus defending 3A champion Conway Springs, the Hutchinson Trinity offense converted, not one but two fourth-and-forever situations in Saturday’s second round of the Kansas high school football playoffs.
The ending result was an improbable 33-28 win over the Cardinals.
Hutchinson Trinity quarterback Derek Racette hooked up with Michael Mesh in both circumstances to carry the Celtics to the quarterfinals against Norton on Friday. On the final drive’s first set of downs, Racette hit Mesh on a crossing route along the sideline as the junior receiver kept his feet in bounds while getting hit, to keep the drive alive after converting on 4th-and-22.
Then on the second set of downs, a well-defended Mesh reeled in a Racette aerial on a fade route as the junior signal-caller was getting hit, to overcome a 4th-and-33 dilemma. While Racette was lying on his back, after releasing the ball, Mesh finished off the Cardinals by racing the additional 30 yards for a 77-yard score after two Conway Springs defenders collided and fell during the game-clinching score.
“It’s a big accomplishment,” Hutchinson Trinity head coach Sean Racette said of ending the Cardinals' 17-game winning streak. “We’ve played them before and we weren’t even in their company. But this time we stepped on the football field with a different mindset.
“This team believes it’s going to win every time it sets foot on the football field. From the scheme to the game plan, we performed everything to perfection.”
After failing on the 2-point conversion attempt, the Celtics gave the 2008 champions some hope of a win with little more than a minute left in the contest. Mesh, who caught five passes for 159 yards, stepped in front of a Cardinal pass to end the threat.
Firebird payback
Lawrence Free State (8-2) avenged one of its two regular-season losses last weekend with a 38-7 win over eighth-ranked Olathe East, which triumphed over the Firebirds 29-20 on opening night.
Bob Lisher’s club will now try to upend Olathe North on Friday. The top-ranked Eagles handed Free State a 38-20 setback, its only other regular-season loss. Olathe North features running back James Franklin, who will be attempting to move ahead of former Kansas State Wildcat Darren Sproles on the Eagle career rushing charts. The senior all-stater needs just 70 yards to leapfrog Sproles, who now plays for the San Diego Chargers.
Olathe North running back James Franklin (30) cuts upfield as a Shawnee Mission East defender closes in. Franklin is within striking distance of Darren Sproles' school career rushing record.
Courtesy photo
Big-time rusher
Dodge City’s Jace Banner did break a single-game school rushing record in Saturday’s 35-14 first round win over Topeka High. Banner pushed his season rushing total to 1,303 yards by burying the Trojans for 310 yards and four touchdowns on 39 carries.
“Banner runs exceptionally hard,” Topeka High coach Walt Alexander told the Topeka Capital Journal of his team’s nemesis. “He’s one of the stronger backs I’ve seen, but I don’t think he’s one of the fastest backs we’ve seen.
“We’ve played against some pretty good backs, but he’s the strongest of any back I’ve seen. He’s a very good running back.”
Spartans win by air
Blake Jablonski and his Wichita Collegiate teammates went airborne once again Saturday in improving their season record to 11-0 with a 48-0 blanking of Hillsboro. Jablonski completed 11-of-16 passes for 315 yards and five touchdowns against the Trojans to advance to Friday’s quarterfinal contest against 11-0 Scott City. Two of the senior signal-caller’s scoring tosses went to senior Brett LeMaster, covering 32 and 83 yards.
LeMaster caught three passes for 123 yards. Senior Tre Bailey added four catches for 97 yards and two touchdowns of his own. The Spartan defense intercepted Hillsboro quarterback Jacob Fish seven times during the win, returning two picks for scores. Two more interceptions produced one-play scoring drives for Wichita Collegiate.
Top playoff performances
Rushing
Daniel Krehbiel of Pretty Prairie rushed for 221 yards and 2 touchdowns on 24 carries in a 34-8 win over Frankfort…Eudora’s Evan Cleveland rushed for 220 yards and a touchdown on 34 carries in a 23-16 win over Jefferson West…Spencer Vanderbogart of Topeka Seaman rushed for 191 yards and 2 touchdowns on 19 carries in a 53-34 win over Kansas City-Sumner Academy…Marysville’s Dave Blumer rushed for 185 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries in a 42-6 win over Pleasant Ridge…Caleb Brill of Conway Springs rushed for 177 yards in a 33-28 loss to Hutchinson Trinity…Osage City’s Jordan Tice rushed for 167 yards on 28 carries in a 46-21 loss to Galena…Bubba Starling of Gardner-Edgerton rushed for 163 yards and 3 touchdowns on 8 carries in a 49-0 win over Kansas City-Schlagle.
Passing
Mitch Buhler of Rossville completed 16-of-21 passes for 393 yards and 3 touchdowns in a 42-36 win over Riley County…Hutchinson Trinity’s Derek Racette threw for 351 yards in a 33-28 win over Conway Springs…Armand Brisbane of Kansas City-Sumner Academy completed 18-of-32 passes for 338 yards and 3 touchdowns in a 53-34 loss to Topeka Seaman…Wichita Collegiate’s Blake Jablonski completed 12-of-17 passes for 318 yards and 5 touchdowns in a 48-0 win over Hillsboro…Gunner Phelan of Quivira Heights threw for 298 yards in a 42-6 win over Otis-Bison…Goessel’s Neal Brubacker completed 17-of-40 passes for 266 yards and 4 touchdowns in a 58-24 loss to Baileyville B&B…Matt Hager of Pleasant Ridge completed 11-of-23 passes for 225 yards in a 42-6 loss to Marysville…Silver Lake’s Keenan Kruger completed 10-of-15 passes for 217 yards and 3 touchdowns in a 51-7 win over Cherryvale.
Receiving
Matt Buhler of Rossville caught 11 passes for 259 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 42-36 win over Riley County…Hutchinson Trinity’s Michael Mesh had 159 yards receiving in a 33-28 win over Conway Springs…Jacob Ingham of Quivira Heights had 135 yards receiving in a 42-6 win over Otis-Bison…Pleasant Ridge’s Terrel Jordan caught 5 passes for 135 yards in a 42-6 loss to Marysville…Tanner Engweiler of Hutchinson Trinity had 134 yards receiving in a 33-28 win over Conway Springs…Wichita Collegiate’s Brett LeMaster caught 3 passes for 123 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a 48-0 win over Hillsboro…Taylor Siemsen of Quivira Heights had 118 yards receiving in a 42-6 win over Otis-Bison…Caldwell’s Dillan Kuehny had 115 yards receiving in a 36-20 loss to Beloit-St. John’s-Tipton.
Playoff results and schedule
Class 6A
No. 1 Olathe North 42, Shawnee Mission East 14
No. 4 Lawrence Free State 38, No. 8 Olathe East 7
Blue Valley 42, No. 5 Shawnee Mission West 18
No. 3 Blue Valley Northwest 38, Olathe Northwest 25
No. 2 Manhattan 35, Maize 6
Wichita Heights 46, Wichita South 14
No. 10 Derby 24, No. 7 Wichita Northwest 14
Dodge City 35, No. 9 Topeka High 14
Friday’s Quarterfinals
Eastern Bracket
No. 4 Lawrence Free State (8-2) at No. 1 Olathe North (10-0)
No. 3 Blue Valley Northwest (9-1) at Blue Valley (4-6)
Western Bracket
Wichita Heights (6-4) at No. 2 Manhattan (10-0)
Dodge City (8-2) at No. 10 Derby (7-3)
Class 5A
No. 2 Gardner-Edgerton 49, Kansas City-Schlagle 0
Topeka Seaman 53, Kansas City-Sumner Academy 34
Shawnee Heights 14, No. 7 Kansas City-Turner 10
No. 5 St. Thomas Aquinas 47, Mill Valley 21
No. 1 Hutchinson 55, Liberal 21
Salina South 31, Wichita Kapaun Mount Carmel 14
No. 3 Wichita Bishop Carroll 63, No. 8 Newton 28
No. 6 Emporia 35, No. 4 McPherson 33
Friday’s Quarterfinals
Eastern Bracket
Topeka Seaman (6-4) at No. 2 Gardner-Edgerton (10-0)
Shawnee Heights (4-6) at No. 5 St. Thomas Aquinas (9-1)
Western Bracket
No. 1 Hutchinson (10-0) at Salina South (6-4)
No. 6 Emporia (8-2) at No. 3 Wichita Bishop Carroll (10-0)
Class 4A
No. 1 Bishop Miege 38, No. 3 Holton 14
No. 5 Louisburg 26, Columbus 0
Eudora 23, Jefferson West 16
Paola 31, Independence 22
Topeka Hayden 14, No. 7 Andover 7
No. 2 Andale 35, Wellington 17
No. 6 Rose Hill 24, No. 8 Abilene 8
No. 4 Buhler 64, No. 9 Hugoton 26
Friday’s Quarterfinals
Eastern Bracket
No. 1 Bishop Miege (9-2) at No. 5 Louisburg (10-1)
Paola (8-3) at Eudora (9-2)
Western Bracket
Topeka Hayden (7-4) at No. 2 Andale (11-0)
No. 6 Rose Hill (10-1) at No. 4 Buhler (10-1)
Class 3A
No. 8 Galena 46, Osage City 21
Rossville 42, Riley County 36
No. 2 Silver Lake 51, Cherryvale 7
No. 6 Marysville 42, No. 7 Pleasant Ridge 6
No. 3 Wichita Collegiate 48, Hillsboro 0
No. 4 Scott City 41, No. 10 Hoisington 7
No. 9 Hutchinson Trinity 33, No. 1 Conway Springs 28
Norton 42, Beloit 20
Friday’s Quarterfinals
Eastern Bracket
Rossville (9-2) at No. 8 Galena (11-0)
No. 6 Marysville (10-1) at No. 2 Silver Lake (11-0)
Western Bracket
No. 4 Scott City (11-0) at No. 3 Wichita Collegiate (11-0)
No. 9 Hutchinson Trinity (11-0) at Norton (8-3)
Class 2-1A
No. 8 Centralia 44, No. 10 Valley Heights 0
No. 4 Pittsburg-Colgan 41, Moundridge 6
No. 6 St. Marys 42, Valley Falls 8
No. 2 Olpe 20, No. 7 Oswego 16
No. 1 Smith Center 63, Minneapolis 17
No. 5 Meade 48, St. Francis 6
No. 9 Ellis 34, Ell-Saline 16
No. 3 Oakley 50, Elkhart 0
Friday’s Quarterfinals
Eastern Bracket
No. 4 Pittsburg-Colgan (10-1) at No. 8 Centralia (10-1)
No. 6 St. Marys (10-1) at No. 2 Olpe (11-0)
Western Bracket
No. 5 Meade (11-0) at No. 1 Smith Center (10-0)
No. 3 Oakley (10-0) at No. 9 Ellis (9-2)
Class 8-Man I
No. 1 Baileyville B&B 58, No. 10 Goessel 24
No. 5 Pretty Prairie 34, No. 8 Frankfort 8
No. 3 Quinter 50, No. 9 Macksville 0
No. 2 Clifton-Clyde 68, Greensburg 8
Friday’s Semifinals
Eastern Bracket
No. 5 Pretty Prairie (11-0) at No. 1 Baileyville B&B (11-0)
Western Bracket
No. 3 Quinter (10-1) at No. 2 Clifton-Clyde (10-1)
Class 8-Man II
No. 1 Hanover 48, No. 10 Centre 0
No. 2 Beloit-St. John’s-Tipton 36, No. 7 Caldwell 20
No. 6 Quivira Heights 42, No. 4 Otis-Bison 6
No. 5 Victoria 38, South Barber 36
Friday’s Semifinals
Eastern Bracket
No. 1 Hanover (10-1) at No. 2 Beloit-St. John’s-Tipton (11-0)
Western Bracket
No. 6 Quivira Heights (9-2) at No. 5 Victoria (10-1)
