BY BUDDY TABLER

Special to the Tribune

LARNED – Pedigo rhymes with Go and Hoisington’s Wyatt Pedigo did plenty of that Friday night as the Hoisington Cardinals roared to a resounding 50-13 Central Kansas League football victory over Larned.

On a Homecoming night when hopes were high, the Cardinals seized control behind coach Zach Baird’s Flexbone offense.

Pedigo scored five touchdowns and rushed for 323 yards in the runaway victory. Pedigo gained 209 yards on 18 carries in the first half. The Cardinals rushed for 557 yards on 56 carries.

Only an impressive 65-yard dash for a touchdown by Larned’s Mason Perez kept the Indians within 22-7 at halftime.

Pedigo dominated the opening part of the game with 56- and 55-yard touchdown runs. Larned’s offense recorded zero first downs until Perez broke away for his touchdown run.

Pedigo showed his speed with 1:26 remaining in the first quarter as he broke several tackles and raced 56 yards for his second touchdown.

Trailing 22-7 at halftime, Larned came out fired up in the third quarter, but a fumble on their first possession gave the Cardinals the football at the 38-yard line.

Pedigo converted a touchdown for a 28-7 lead and Larned never recovered.

Larned pulled within 42-13 with 8:27 remaining in the fourth quarter when Jace Snyder rambled into the end zone from six yards.

Hoisington answered with a long drive, capped off with a 6-yard touchdown run by Joshua Ball and a 2-point conversion run by Holt Hanzlick.

While Pedigo was making a shambles of the Larned defense, the small but quick Hoisington defense was gang-tackling all over the field and continually frustrated the Indian running game, forcing numerous punts and stalled drives.

The Cardinals were especially effective at holding Larned to small gains on first down plays.  Offensively Hoisington dominated the time of possession and the scoreboard, keyed not only by Pedigo’s rushing heroics but the solid, mistake-free play of quarterback Derek Boxberger and the outside running of Braxton Donovan.

Larned was led offensively by quarterback Mason Perez with eight rushes for 89 yards while completing five passes for 56 yards. Brock Skelton added 42 yards rushing.

Hoisington (2-1) travels to Hays-Thomas More Prep in a 2A District game while Larned (0-3) opens 3A District play at Pratt (3-0), fresh off a 55-0 rout of Hesston.

CARDINALS 50, INDIANS 13

Hoisington 14 8 12 16  – 50

Larned        0 7   0   6 – 13

H—Wyatt Pedigo 56 run (Pedigo run)

H—Pedigo 55 run

H—Pedigo 6 run

L—Mason Perez 65 run (Logan DeMond kick)

H—Pedigo 4 run

H—Pedigo 90 run

H—Joshua Ball 7 run (Holt Hanzlick run)

L—Jace Snyder 6 run

H—Ball 6 run (Holt Hanzlick run)

RUSHING—H—56-457; L—Pedigo 21-233; Ball 12-66; Braxton Donovan 11-62; Derek Boxberger 5-44; Xavier Robinson 3-28; Hanzlick 2-24; Cole Steinert 2-10; L—Perez 8-89; Skelton 8-42; J. Smith 6-19; D. Smith 1-10; Snyder 1-6; Burger 1-4; Lemuz 1-3; Cline 1-3.

PASSING—H—Boxberger 2-4-0, 16; 5L—Perez 5-9-1, 56.

RECEIVING—H—Donovan 1-9; Pedigo 1-7; L—Sanger 2-26; Cline 1-20; Brayden Rupp 1-10.

2A DISTRICT 8

Phillipsburg 3-0

Hoisington 2-1

Minneapolis 2-1

Ellsworth 1-2

Hays-TMP 1-2

Norton 1-2

WEEK 1—Phillipsburg 52, Ellis 12; Minneapolis 46, Republic Co., 8; Pratt 34, Hoisington 0; Plainville 31, Norton 14; Russell 24, Ellsworth 13; Smith Center 45, Hays-TMP 0 

WEEK 2—Phillipsburg 31, Plainville 3; Minneapolis 20, Salina Sacred Heart 17, OT; Hoisington 28, Nickerson 14; Smith Center 40, Norton 0; Ellsworth 55, Republic Co 22; Hays-TMP, Ellis

WEEK 3—Phillipsburg 42, Smith Center 14; Beloit 56, Minneapolis 18; Hoisington 50, Larned 13; Norton 26, Oakley 24; Salina Sacred Heart 9, Ellsworth 7; Plainville 46, Hays-TMP 6

WEEK 4—*Phillipsburg at Norton; Hoisington at Hays-TMP; *Minneapolis at Ellsworth

3A DISTRICT 7A

Pratt 3-0

Holcomb 1-2

Kingman      1-2

Hugoton 0-3

Larned 0-3

Nickerson    0-3

WEEK 1—Pratt 34, Hoisington 0; Holcomb 34, Goodland 12; Scott City 35, Hugoton 0; Smoky Valley 46, Larned 7; Halstead 22, Nickerson 7; Chaparral 49, Kingman 23

WEEK 2—Pratt 32, Halstead 16; Scott City 24, Holcomb 0; Colby 35, Hugoton 6; Hesston 28, Larned 21; Hoisington 28, Nickerson 14; Kingman 56, Belle Plaine 18

WEEK 3—Pratt 55, Hesston 0; Colby 38, Holcomb 34; Hoisington 50, Larned 13; Smoky Valley 8, Nickerson 6; Conway Springs 38, Kingman 21; Ulysses 29, Hugoton 6

WEEK 4—*Larned at Pratt;*Holcomb at Nickerson; *Hugoton at Kingman

CENTRAL KANSAS LEAGUE

Pratt 3-0 3-0

Smoky Valley 3-0 3-0  

Hesston 2-1 2-1

Halstead 2-1 2-1

Hoisington 2-1 2-1

Hillsboro 2-1 2-1

Haven 1-2 1-2

Larned 0-3 0-3

Nickerson 0-3 0-3

Lyons 0-3 0-3

WEEK 1—*Pratt 34, Hoisington 0; *Hesston 42, Hillsboro 36; *Smoky Valley 46, Larned 7; *Halstead 22, Nickerson 7; *Haven 28, Lyons 10 

WEEK 2—*Pratt 32, Halstead 16; *Hesston 28, Larned 21; *Smoky Valley 44, Haven 0; *Hoisington 28, Nickerson 14; *Hillsboro 42, Lyons 0 

WEEK 3—*Pratt 55, Hesston 0; *Smoky Valley 8, Nickerson 6; *Halstead 64, Lyons 0; *Hoisington 50, Larned 13; *Hillsboro 32, Haven 24

WEEK 4—*Hesston at Smoky Valley; *Larned at Pratt; Rock Creek at Halstead; Hoisington at Hays-TMP; Salina Sacred Heart at Hillsboro; Andale at Haven; Holcomb at Nickerson; Lyons at Sterling