BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
CLAFLIN — The Central Plains Oiler defense is not perfect. However, after Hoxie broke the Oilers’ eight-game shutout streak, the Oilers smoked last year’s state champion Hoxie 54-6.
The Oilers had last yielded a touchdown Sept. 7 in a 32-8 victory over Victoria. The Oilers have outscored teams 534-28, targeted for a state-record average of 2.5 ppg.
The No. 1 ranked Oilers (11-0) qualify for Saturday’s 2:30 p.m. Eight-Man 1 semifinal game against St. Francis (11-0). The game will be aired on video (openspacessports.com) and audio (HITS 106.9-FM/KXKU 106-FM).
The Oilers played Spearville’s single-wing offense the past four years. The Oilers shut down Spearville’s run game, but lost 32-28 on a last-minute screen pass last year.
The Indians’ run-oriented offense prefers a straight-forward approach rather than using pulling guards or consistent fakes. The Indians like to line up their guards on the same side and run that way. St. Francis RB Jordan Raby has rushed for 1,300 yards.
“St. Francis runs straight at you,” said Central Plains coach Chris Steiner. “They’ve got good speed. They’ll grind it out and go for a first down on fourth down.”
The Indians feature good size in the line.
“They play like us on defense,” Steiner said. “They feature good-sized athletic players. They fly around defensively.”
The Indians wanted a Saturday afternoon time despite a forecast of 35-degree weather with 15-to-25 mph north winds. Wind chills are forecast in the 20s.
Oiler QB Myles Menges has completed 96 passes for 1,101 yards and 22 TDs. RB Lawson Oeser rushed for 267 yards and five TDs against Hoxie. Oeser (651 yards) and RB Alex Hickel (635) lead the ground game.
“We like our chances with our passing game,” Steiner said.
Oiler Grant Heldstab (123 tackles, 16 for loss), Mason Doll (100 tackles, 15 for loss) and Brett Liebl (86 tackles, 17.5 sacks) anchor the Oiler defense.
Menges has seven interceptions and the Oilers’ 27 takeaways give them a plus-20 in turnovers. The Oilers had five takeaways and a blocked punt against Hoxie.
BY THE NUMBERS
ST. FRANCIS (11-0)—W—Wallace Co. 28-0; W—Greeley Co. 38-0; W—Dighton 54-20; W—Oberlin-Decatur 50-0; W—Hoxie 64-30; W—Wichita Co. 44-6; W—WaKeeney Trego 64-14; W—Atwood-Rawlins Co. 58-8; W—Stockton 46-0; W—Victoria 30-12; W—Hodgeman Co. 30-20
CENTRAL PLAINS (11-0)—W—Ness City 30-14; W—Victoria 32-8; W—Kinsley 72-0; W—Little River 46-0; W—St. John 46-0; W—Skyline 56-0; W—Moundridge 52-0; W—Macksville 46-0; W—South Gray 50-0; W—Ness City 50-0; W—Hoxie 54-6
OILER OFFENSE—FB—2 Jerred Bieberle, 5-9, 170; QB—4 Myles Menges, 6-2, 202; TE-WR—7 Devin Ryan, 6-1, 165; TE/WR—10 Grant Heldstab, 6-1, 182; RB—21 Lawson Oeser, 5-7, 145; LG—42 Mason Doll, 6-2, 197; RG—44 Brett Liebl, 6-2, 195; C—56 Kealy Burris, 5-11, 231
OILER DEFENSE—LB—2 Bieberle, 5-9, 170; S—4 Menges, 6-2, 202; LB—5 Alex Hickel, 5-11, 191; CB—7 Ryan, 6-1, 165; RE—10 Heldstab, 6-1, 182; 21—CB Lawson Oeser, 5-7, 145; NG—42 Doll, 6-2, 197; LE—44 Liebl, 6-2, 195
ST. FRANCIS OFFENSE—WB—5 Jordan Raby, 5-11, 174; WR/TE—6 Connor Keller, 6-1, 170; LB—12 Shadyron Blanka, 6-1, 190; QB—14 Brady Dinkel, 6-2, 181; TE—28 Richard Johnson, 6-4, 200; LG—23 Jesse Baxter, 6-2, 205; RG—34 Hunter Helton, 5-9, 170; C—44 Colton Neitzel, 6-4, 225
ST. FRANCIS DEFENSE—CB—5 Jordan Raby, 5-11, 174; NG—8 Cody Baxter, 511, 180; CB—9 Tiernan Poling, 5-10, 160; LB—12 Shadyron Blanka, 6-1, 190; S—14 Brady Dinkel, 6-2, 181; LE—23 Jesse Baxter, 6-2, 205; DE—28 Richard Johnson, 6-4, 200; LB—34 Hunter Helton, 5-8, 170
RUSHING—CP—Hickel 66-635, 13 TDs; Oeser 73-651, 16 TDs; Bieberle 45-240, 1 TD; Menges 42-240, 7 TDs
PASSING—CP—Menges, 69-96-3, 1,101 yards, 22 TDs
RECEIVING—CP—Bieberle 23-332, 8 TDs; Liebl 9-200, 6 TDs; Heldstab, 9-165, 5 TDs; Oeser 11-141, 2 TDs; Ryan 15-190, 1 TD
TACKLES—CP—Helstab 11 tpg, 16 for loss; Doll 9, 13 for loss; Liebl 7.7, 17.5 sacks; Hickel 7; Bieberle 7; Oeser 6; Ryan 6; Menges 5
CENTRAL PLAINS PLAYOFF HISTORY (12-5)
2018—8MAN1—Central Plains 56, South Gray 0; Central Plains 50, Ness City 0; Central Plains 54, Hoxie 6; Central Plains vs. St. Francis
2017—8MAN1—Central Plains 58, Macksville 12; Spearville 32, Central Plains 28
2016—8MAN1—Central Plains 60, Argonia-Attica 20; Spearville 58, Central Plains 26
2015—8MAN1—Central Plains 46, Kiowa County 0; Spearville 58, Central Plains 28
2014—8MAN1—Central Plains 50, South Central 14; Central Plains 42, Spearville 40; Central Plains 32, Ness City 0; FINALS—Central Plains 42, Hanover 30
2013—8MAN1—Central Plains 36, South Central 14; Hodgeman County 44, Central Plains 36
2011—8MAN1—Central Plains 50, Quinter 22; South Gray 52, Central Plains 6
FRIDAY'S 8-MAN 1 SEMIFINALS
St. Francis 11-0 at Central Plains 11-0
Canton-Galva 10-1 at Solomon 10-1
QUARTERFINALS
Central Plains 54, Hoxie 6
St. Francis 30, Hodgeman Co. 20
Solomon 14, Attica-Argonia 6
Canton-Galva 54, South Central 52, OT
SECOND ROUND
Central Plains 50, Ness City 0
Hoxie 22, Clifton-Clyde 20
Hodgeman Co. 76, Spearville 48
St. Francis 30, Victoria 12
Attica-Argonia 42, Udall 36
Solomon 30, Madison 26
South Central 48, Central Burden 0
Canton-Galva 74, Burlingame 26
FIRST ROUND
Central Plains 50, South Gray 0
Ness City 44, Macksville 20
Clifton-Clyde 60, WaKeeney Treo 14
Hoxie 46, Hill City 30
Hodgeman Co. 38, Moundridge 20
Spearville 54, Little River 24
St. Francis 46, Stockton 0
Victoria 34, Leoti Wichita Co. 28
Attica-Argonia 28, Sedan 8
Udall 62, Oswego 26
Madison 46, Peabody 0
Solomon 52, Shawnee Maranatha 0
South Central 50, Cedar Vale 0
Central Burden 32, Caldwell 12
Canton-Galva 54, Lebo 6
Burlingame 70, Bennington 36