Peabody-Burns also advances
Staff writers
Friday was a night for Warriors with the Marion Warriors and Peabody-Burns Warriors both advancing in this year’s football playoff brackets as other teams were left to reflect on their season and gear up for next year.
Marion
Marion recorded its first playoff victory since 2017 in winning Friday’s home playoff game against Sacred Heart, 38-14.
Marion quarterback Jack Lanning and receiver Ian Ingels opened up the scoring with a high-flying 40-yard touchdown catch and run.
Those two would do it again just before the half with a daring 27-yard end zone pass you had to see to believe.
Trevor Schafers reached 1,000 yards rushing for his career, starting out with a 35-yard touchdown run and ending the game with 154 yards total.
“A thousand-yard rushing year is a good year. That’s what running backs kind of all strive for each season, and they are not easy to come by,” coach Shaun Craft said.
The last touchdown of the night, in the fourth quarter, was scored by Lanning in a high-speed 57-yard chase followed by a two-point conversion run by Schafers.
“I think our guys did a great job of responding after a tough loss to Sedgwick the week before,” Craft said. “I felt we missed some opportunities in the first half but came out with a big second-half stop on Sacred Heart’s opening possession and were able to march down and score. I thought our pass coverage did a much better job of taking care of our responsibilities as well.”
The Warriors (6-3) will advance in the Class 1A playoff bracket to face Wabaunsee (8-1) on the road Friday in Alma.
Craft broke down Wabaunsee film on Halloween
“We will be challenged again this week by another great team in Wabaunsee,” he said. “They are very balanced offensively and fly around on defense. They have a ton of athletes on both sides of the ball, so we’ll need to come out with a lot of energy and play assignment-sound football all night.”
Peabody-Burns
Peabody-Burns steamed past Chase, 66-21, in Friday’s road playoff game.
All seven Warriors on offense scored a touchdown. Senior quarterback Tanner Parks lead the way, going 8 of 10 passing for 153 yards and five touchdowns. Senior Jeff Golver was on the receiving end of two of those touchdown passes and accumulated 84 yards total.
Sophomore Chris Spencer filled in for injured Colton Gossen and didn’t waste the opportunity, getting seven carries for 139 yards and two touchdowns.
Defense was led by Kael Huchison with eight tackles and an interception, Cade Gossen and Jeff Glover added their own interceptions.
“Our young boys really stepped up Friday night for us, and we were missing two regular players,” coach Kody Tegtmeier said.
Senior Colton Gossen tweaked his knee in the first quarter, but his replacements combined for 230 yards and three scores.
“Glover has been our anchor all year up front, and he continues to clear the way for us,” Tegtmeier said ”A lot of work goes unnoticed by the public, but we as a staff knows how important it is to be consistent up front. Our line has improved so much through the season, and we are starting to peak at the right time.”
Warriors (6-3) will advance in the six-player playoff bracket to face Tescott (8-1) Friday on the road, a rematch from week 1 of the regular season.
“We didn’t know who we were in Week 1, and Tescott handled us pretty easily, 40-6,” Tegtmeier said. “A lot has changed since then and we have really grown up.
“If we can come out and are the aggressor, be the physical team we are, the outcome on Friday will likely be totally different. We must execute on offense, be disciplined and fundamentally sound on defense, and most important take care of the football to advance another week in the playoffs.”
Hillsboro
Hillsboro’s 49-7 road loss Friday to Kingman was a contest that came about a year too late.
The two teams would have met in the state championship semifinals a year ago had it not been for a five-touchdown onslaught from Beloit.
The top-five Eagles weren’t going to be high on any struggling team’s list of opponents in the opening round of the Class 2A playoffs this year.
Hillsboro found itself in that predicament after staggering through a 2-6 season while Kingman rolled to a perfect 9-0.
The Eagles left little doubt they’re going to be a force in the playoffs.
Hillsboro’s season ended at 2-7, ts toughest finish since 2017,and the first under .500 for coach Demetrius Cox — mpt surprising given that probably 90% of last year’s high-powered scoring offense walked across the stage to graduate in May.
Senior Nic Smith was about the only Trojan that was a returning offensive weapon from last year’s 9-2 quarterfinalist team, and Hillsboro’s not exactly booming with playmakers this year, averaging a meager 12 points a game while allowing 27.
A good many of the Trojans were getting their first taste of the postseason against a deeper, more experienced, and better team.
Kingman wasted little time jumping on Hillsboro, building a 28-0 lead by the time the second quarter rolled around,.
Kingman tacked on two more scores in the second half before Hillsboro finally got on the board late in the fourth quarter.
“We had a ton of guys playing on Friday nights for the first time ever,” Cox said. “We’re hoping that experience this year carries into next. I’ll do a better job coaching, and we’ll be a better team next year.”
The Trojans bid farewell to Smith, Tyson Plenert, Jake Thiessen, Abrey Nichols, Pedro Nieto, Nick Cunningham, David Schafer, Lane Rogers, and Cole Moss.
Even though the Trojans came up on the short more often than they tasted victory, Cox was quick to commend his team on its effort.
“How can I not see these guys as winners when they decided to put on a Hillsboro Trojan football uniform to represent their school, community, coaches, and parents?” Cox said. “Even with the record, they showed up every Friday night to play a kid sport to entertain others.
“We all should be thankful for that alone, cause the reality is there will be no football Friday nights games if those 30 plus guys decided not to put on the Trojan uniform for the 2022 season. I’m forever thankful for the 2022 seniors.
Centre
Injuries plagued the Cougars in the first round of six-player playoffs Thursday at home against Natoma.
Santiago Knepp was knocked out early in the game, and Keagan Brewer was helped off the field a short time later.
The Tigers scored three touchdowns in the first quarter before Centre got on the board. Kolby Steiner caught a short pass from Robert Spohn, and Matt Basore caught a pass for the extra point. Helped by Tiger errors, Centre scored the only touchdown in the second quarter with a repeat performance by Spohn and Steiner.
Natoma scored two touchdowns in each of the final two quarters, but Centre’s only second-half score came in the fourth on a one-yard run by Gentri Holub. The final score was 44-19.
Natoma had 14 penalties for a 108-yard loss, compared to just four by Centre for 40 yards.
Holub and Spohn rushed for a combined 156 yards. Steiner had three receptions for 24 yards, and Spohn had an interception.
The Cougars, who also lost to the Tigers during the regular season, ended the season 3-6.
Goessel
Wichita Independent scored twice in the first quarter before Goessel allowed Independent’s pass rush to penetrate the backfield and Grant Bryant lobbed a 13-yard touchdown pass to Jake Wiens. After both defenses forced the opponent to punt, he explosive Panthers scored three touchdowns in the last four minutes of the second quarter,
Goessel scored on a 35-yard pass from Bryant to Caleb Burkholder. Although surrounded by defenders, Burkholder kept his concentration and tumbled into the end-zone for the only Bluebird score in the second period. Both teams scored once in the third period. The Panthers scored early before Burkholder was on the receiving end of a 16-yard pass from Bryant. Bryant also slashed his way into the end zone from a yard out and also carried in the extra points early in the fourth quarter.
After Independent scored again, the Bluebirds scored with four seconds left in the game to make the final by a final score 56-36.
The end of the season brings the conclusion to Bluebird careers for four seniors who made significant contributions to offense and defense. The blazing speed of Kacen Smith was interrupted by injury in the middle of the season. Bryant contributed with his passing arm and his running game. Wiens used his speed and power as a running back and receiver. Burkholder led the team in many games in tackles and surprised teams when he turned into a receiver on offense.
The Bluebirds ended the season with a 4-5 record.
Last modified Nov. 2, 2022