Vengeful Warriors blow out Chargers to advance
Centre also advances with one-sided victory
Staff writers
A 32-point second quarter pushed Marion to 54-14 victory Friday in the first round of the Class 1A football players.
The Wabaunsee Chargers are no strangers to the Warriors.
The Chargers who put the brakes on the Warriors’ season a year ago in the first round, handing Marion a frustrating 22-14 loss.
The two teams renewed acquaintances Friday night in Marion with a ticket to the second round of the playoffs on the line.
It was all Marion this time, using a 32-point second quarter to avenge last year’s heartbreak.
Marion, now 8-1 on the season, will travel Friday to perennial powerhouse Smith Center for the second round.
In Friday’s game, the Warriors hadn’t forgotten Charger quarterback Wyatt Wurtz, who played a key role in the loss a year ago.
Wurtz picked up where he left off on the second play of the game, putting Wabaunsee in front 8-0 with a 65-yard run up the middle.
Marion wasted no time responding on the ensuing possession with Jack Lanning scoring his first of three touchdowns and a two-point conversion to knot the game at 8-8.
Lanning was a one-man wrecking crew, burning the Chargers for a game-high 174 yards on 16 carries, nearly outdoing Wabaunsee’s total offensive output of 211 yards.
“We didn’t think anything about last year,” Lanning said. “Our just wanting to win had a lot to do with it.”
Trevor Schafers was a headache for the Chargers, too, adding 133 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries in Marion’s 361-yard ground attack.
Jameson Looper got in on the destruction, too, with two touchdowns, one coming on a 70-yard kick return in the fourth quarter with the Warriors easily in control.
Any chance of Wabaunsee staying close exploded in the second quarter with three turnovers leading to Marion having the game sealed by halftime, 40-8.
On a note perhaps encouraging to the Warriors, the Chargers saw the Smith Center Redmen in the fourth game of their season, dropping a narrow 16-14 decision.
Centre
The Cougars advanced to regional competition Thursday by defeating Southern Cloud at home, 58-13, in the first round of the six-player playoffs.
Scoring came thick and fast, and a lot of Centre players got into the action before the game was called at half because of a 45-point mercy rule.
Quarterback Santiago Knepp ran for two touchdowns before the Warriors got on the board and made the score 14-7.
Kaigen Brewer and Owen Wingerd caught passes in Centre’s next possession, and Knepp ran for a third touchdown.
Daniel Rziha recovered a bad snap, and Brewer carried the ball into the end zone in Centre’s next play.
A Warrior fumble recovered by Rziha led to another Knepp touchdown, and the score was 34-7 at the end of the first quarter.
Brewer intercepted a Warrior pass in the opening play of the second quarter and carried the ball into the end zone, making the score, 40-7.
Micah Carlson intercepted a Warrior pass in the end zone and had a long runback before the ball was brought back by a Centre penalty, but Knepp ran it in on the next play.
The Warriors turned the ball over on downs in their next possession, and Centre’s Julian Resser had a long run for another Cougar touchdown.
Southern Cloud recovered a kick close to the end zone after the ball was touched by a Centre player, resulting in a Warrior touchdown and a score of 52-13.
With 40 seconds remaining, it looked as if the game would carry over into the second half, but 10 seconds later, Carlson received the Warriors’ kickoff and ran the length of the field to score the final touchdown.
Centre’s record stands at 4-4. The Cougars will play 8-1 Cunningham on the road Friday.
Hillsboro
The Trojans’ season came to an end Friday on the road, losing 31-6 to Kingman.
“From the thrilling victories to the hard-fought battles, this season has been a testament to our dedication and teamwork,” coach Demetrius Cox said. “As we bid farewell to this season, we also look forward to the promise of the next one, anticipate new challenges, fresh opportunities, and the chance to build on the lessons we’ve learned.”
This season was step up compared to last season, and next season can be a step up from this season.
‘The growth, both as individuals and as a team, will be the driving force behind our future success,” Cox said. “So, as the head coach, I have the responsibility to make sure that we keep the passion alive, stay motivated, and get ready to create even more unforgettable moments in the season to come.”
Goessel
The 1-7 Bluebirds travelled to Burden to play the 8-0 Raiders in the first round of the football State Playoffs.
Noah Schrag weaved his way from right to left and rambled in for a 57-yard run to give the Bluebirds a 6-0 lead. Central responded with a 50-yard pass play for a score.
On the next possession, Schrag again sprinted around the left end for a 40-yard touchdown run, giving Goessel its last lead in the game, 12-8.
Eli Boden intercepted a Raider pass, but Central intercepted a Bluebird pass, leading to another score. Goessel trailed at the end of the first quarter, 24-12.
All the scoring in the second quarter came from the Raiders. Goessel punted twice and lost a fumble, giving Central opportunities to score. The Bluebirds trailed 54-12 at halftime.
Goessel kicked off to start the third quarter, and Central marched down the field and scored the final touchdown on a five-yard run with 10:31 to play.
Central Burden ended the Bluebird season with a final score, 60-12.
Last modified Nov. 2, 2023