By Dean Backes
MaxPreps.com
For Hutchinson and Smith Center the state football championship beat kept going over the weekend. Both powerhouse programs added a fifth straight state football championship with dominating ground games.
The Salthawks dropped from Class 6A, Kansas’ largest classification, to 5A and continued postseason supremacy with a 38-0 shutout of St. Thomas Aquinas.
Hutchinson buried the Saint defense by running for 493 yards and 5 touchdowns on 72 carries. Josh Smith and Todd Schultz accounted for 394 yards on the ground collectively.
Smith Center made history with its fifth straight title. A 48-19 triumph over Olpe allowed the Redmen to win the program’s 67th straight football game to end Pittsburg-Colgan’s record of 66 in a row.
“I’m happy about the record because it’s an accumulation of a lot of great players going through our program,” Smith Center coach Roger Barta told the Wichita Eagle. “I think we played our best game of the year, that was an awful good football team we were playing.”
Smith Center’s Joe Osburn rushed the ball 5 times for 182 yards in the first quarter against a defense that allowed just 63 points all year. Osburn finished with 201 yards. Marshall McCall added 138 rushing yards on a night when the Redmen gained 435 yards on the ground.
The Smith Center defense stopped Olpe possessions by intercepting two passes, recovering a fumble and shutting down the Eagle offense on fourth down on four occasions.
Other Champions Crowned
Junction City ended Lawrence Free State’s Cinderella run with a 19-14 win in the 6A championship game.
Bluejay quarterback Ty Zimmerman connected with Anthony Caine 6 times for 92 yards through the air, on his way to a 159-yard, 2-touchdown performance in the narrow win over a Firebird team that began the season 1-2.
Chucky Hunter led the Free State ground game with 116 yards on 26 carries, and scored on a 1-yard plunge.
Topeka Hayden ended Perry-Lecompton’s run, as well, with a 42-21 win over the Kaws. The Wildcats churned out 524 yards of offense in the 4A championship win.
T. J. McGreevy completed 11 of 14 passes for 173 yards and the Wildcat ground game produced 348 yards.
Conway Springs surprised then top-ranked Silver Lake in the 3A championship contest for the fourth time since 2002.
The Cardinals upended the Eagles enroute to state football titles in 2002, 2003, 2004 and Saturday. With the 22-14 win, Conway Springs has chalked up six state football titles. Silver Lake last won the 3A championship in 2006.
Multiple Winners
With wins Saturday, all five 11-man champions have amassed multiple state titles on the gridiron.
The Redmen have collected eight football championships. Conway Springs and Hutchinson have been crowned six and five times collectively. Topeka Hayden won its third title Saturday, while Junction City won its first title, and the second in the school’s history, since 1969.
Top State Championship Individual Performances
Josh Smith of Hutchinson rushed for 257 yards and 3 touchdowns on 39 carries in a 38-0 win over St. Thomas Aquinas…Smith Center’s Joe Osburn rushed for 201 yards and 2 touchdowns on 10 carries in a 48-19 win over Olpe…Jaydan Bird of Conway Springs rushed for 182 yards and 2 touchdowns on 31 carries in a 22-14 win over Silver Lake…Smith Center’s Marshall McCall rushed for 138 yards and 3 touchdowns on 6 carries in a 48-19 win over Olpe…Todd Schultz of Hutchinson rushed for 137 yards and 1 touchdown on 15 carries in a 38-0 win over St. Thomas Aquinas…Topeka Hayden’s Raymond Gragg rushed for 120 yards and 2 touchdowns on 20 carries in a 42-21 win over Perry-Lecompton…Chucky Hunter of Lawrence Free State rushed for 116 yards and 1 touchdown on 26 carries in a 19-14 loss to Junction City…Olpe’s Matt Redeker completed 24 of 44 passes for 303 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 48-19 loss to Smith Center.
T. J. McGreevy of Topeka Hayden completed 11 of 14 passes for 173 yards in a 42-21 win over Perry-Lecompton…Junction City’s Ty Zimmerman completed 9 of 11 passes for 159 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 19-14 win over Lawrence Free State…Tyler Roberts of Silver Lake completed 9 of 16 passes for 136 yards and 1 touchdown in a 22-14 loss to Conway Springs…Olpe’s Cole Krueger caught 6 passes for 93 yards and 1 touchdown in a 48-19 loss to Smith Center…Anthony Caine of Junction City caught 6 passes for 92 yards in a 19-14 win over Lawrence Free State…Silver Lake’s Quinn Bruce caught 6 passes for 90 yards and 1 touchdown in a 22-14 loss to Conway Springs…Bradley Argabright of Olpe caught 5 passes for 78 yards and 1 touchdown in a 48-19 loss to Smith Center…Topeka Hayden’s Brian Rethman rushed for 104 yards and 1 touchdown on 16 carries in a 42-21 win over Perry-Lecompton.
2008 Final Rankings
Class 6A
1. Junction City (13-0) 483-163 2
2. Lawrence Free State (9-4) 331-212 –
3. Blue Valley (10-2) 360-228 4
4. Olathe North (9-2) 354-147 5
5. Olathe East (9-1) 305-86 1
6. Wichita Heights (9-2) 369-146 6
7. Derby (10-2) 417-276 7
8. Shawnee Mission West (9-1) 362-109 3
9. Shawnee Mission Northwest (7-3) 257-185 10
10. Wichita Northwest (8-3) 337-169 8
Class 5A
1. Hutchinson (11-2) 596-166 1
2. McPherson (10-2) 414-242 6
3. St. Thomas Aquinas (11-2) 392-189 3
4. Gardner-Edgerton (10-2) 436-59 4
5. Wichita Bishop Carroll (9-2) 462-184 2
6. Salina South (8-3) 344-241 8
7. Mill Valley (9-2) 238-170 5
8. Tecumseh Shawnee Heights (6-4) 232-203 10
9. Salina Central (5-5) 307-259 –
10. Lansing (8-2) 329-176 7
Class 4A
1. Topeka Hayden (13-1) 507-157 1
2. Andover Central (9-2) 352-118 3
3. Andale (11-2) 537-123 4
4. Perry-Lecompton (10-4) 414-275 –
5. Holton (11-2) 475-272 5
6. Rock Creek (8-4) 348-191 –
7. Andover (9-2) 377-190 2
8. Wellington (8-3) 287-172 8
9. Buhler (9-3) 395-272 6
10. Baldwin (8-3) 310-216 10
Class 3A
1. Conway Springs (12-2) 598-166 5
2. Silver Lake (13-1) 596-85 1
3. Garden Plain (12-1) 551-130 2
4. Marysville (10-2) 397-144 6
5. Wichita Collegiate (9-1) 381-127 4
6. Scott City (10-2) 362-117 9
7. Riverton (12-1) 622-137 3
8. Beloit (10-2) 540-129 7
9. Galena (8-3) 365-205 –
10. Holcomb (8-2) 303-94 10
Class 2-1A
1. Smith Center (13-0) 646-124 1
2. LaCrosse (11-1) 569-170 2
3. Olpe (13-1) 527-111 6
4. St. Francis (9-2) 426-174 3
5. Pittsburg-Colgan (11-2) 435-192 4
6. St. Marys (9-3) 351-131 7
7. Meade (10-2) 458-195 –
8. Centralia (10-2) 469-145 9
9. Ellis (10-2) 316-154 5
10. Ell-Saline (10-1) 422-145 8
8-Man 1
1. Baileyville B&B (13-0) 593-142 1
2. Clifton-Clyde (11-2) 574-212 8
3. Madison (11-1) 548-104 2
4. Goessel (10-1) 542-131 3
5. Claflin (8-3) 516-256 6
6. Macksville (8-4) 454-254 9
7. Pretty Prairie (7-2) 368-134 7
8. Deerfield (10-1) 566-240 4
9. Quinter (10-1) 552-224 5
10. Colony-Crest (8-2) 413-271 10
8-Man 2
1. Hanover (12-1) 664-136 3
2. Victoria (12-1) 594-286 1
3. Quivira Heights (9-2) 492-188 4
4. Moscow (10-2) 512-214 8
5. Pawnee Heights (9-2) 538-270 5
6. Cunningham (8-2) 486-272 7
7. Axtell (8-4) 394-330 –
8. Norwich (8-3) 440-168 10
9. St. John’s-Beloit (8-1) 421-124 2
10. Wallace County (7-3) 428-184 6
