WICHITA CARROLL (2-2) at GREAT BEND (3-1)
7 p.m. Memorial Stadium
Radio—104.3 FM
BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
When four-time state football champion Wichita Carroll visits Great Bend’s Memorial Stadium, the stage is set for a historic regular season home game.
Defending 5A state champion Carroll owns state football championships in 1978, 2012, 2014, and 2017. Carroll is riding a 15-year streak in the football playoffs dating back to 2002.
Carroll (2-2) has lost 24-6 to 6A state runner-up Derby and 23-22 to 5A powerhouse Wichita Northwest.
“It’s fun, but challenging. Carroll will show us where we are as a football team. This is exactly what our football team needs,” said Great Bend coach Erin Beck. “We will learn from this. We’ll find that whether we’re a good football team, and see what we need to do to play better.”
The Golden Eagles average 306 yards — 167 yards passing and 139 rushing per game. QB Cade Becker has thrown for 497 yards and TB Jackson Nichols has gained 321 yards. University of Kansas recruit Clay Cundiff (6-4, 240) has 11 catches for 196 yards.
“We haven’t faced a tight end like Cundiff, and we’ll definitely know where he’s lined up,” Beck said. “We’d love to take him away. But our first defensive goal will be to slow down Carroll’s running game.”
Beck said he respects the way Carroll’s program is structured.
“It’s a opportunity to play a fundamentally sound team with tough kids and great coaching,” Beck said. “They execute their game and hit their reads. Some of these guys wait their turn and play their senior year.”
Safety Dalton Miller scored on a game-changing interception to spark a 35-15 victory over Dodge City last week.
“Our defense will have to play well because our secondary will be challenged,” he said. “Offensively, we were better last week on third down. You want to play well on first down.”
The Golden Eagles have beaten the Panthers in three of five playoff meetings. Great Bend beat the Golden Eagles 21-14 in the 5A semifinals in 2006. Stilwell-Blue Valley beat the Panthers 34-3 in the 5A state final for Great Bend’s best finish in school history.
Perhaps a greater accomplishment was the Panthers’ 42-28 victory at Carroll in the 2004 playoffs.
Great Bend coach Erin Beck said KSHSAA officials helped the Western Athletic Conference schools schedule four football games with Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail and Wichita City League teams.
BY THE NUMBERS
PLAYOFFS—GREAT BEND VS. CARROLL
2010—5A—Wichita Carroll 49, Great Bend 13
2007—5A—Wichita Carroll 17, Great Bend 14
2006—5A—Great Bend 21, Wichita Carroll 14
2005—5A—Wichita Carroll 23, Great Bend 0
2004—5A—Great Bend 42, Wichita Carroll 28
CARROLL (2-2) GREAT BEND (3-1)
L—Wichita Northwest 22-23 W—Andover 35-12
W—Wichita Heights 36-20 W—Hays High 15-7
W—Wichita West 49-20 L—Wichita Northwest 34-56
L—Derby 6-24 W—Dodge City 35-15
PASSING—GB—Brack, 48-87-4, 719, 8 TDs; Carroll—Cade Becker 43-83-3; 497; 5 TDs; John Honas 10-16-0, 147; 3 TDs.
RUSHING—GB—724 yards; Gage Fritz 307; Koy Brack 223-5 TDs; Dalton Miller 203; Carroll—135-559; Jackson Nichols 60-321; Skylar Hampton 19-82; Becker 30-59
RECEIVING—GB—Alex Schremmer, 22-456-4 TDs; Miller 8-107-2 TDs; Peyton Duvall, 11-101, 1 TD’ Carroll—Mason Baalmann 16-218; Clay Cundiff 11-196; Gunner Lynch 11-107; Ben Pilens 9-73
TACKLES—GB—Blake Penka 39 tackles; Dalton Miller, 40; Brock Blessing 33; Pablo Martinez 26; Alan Miramontes 25; Joey Souipset 24
PANTHER OFFENSE—QB—12 Koy Brack; TB—29 Gage Fritz; WR—2 Alex Schremmer; WR—3 Peyton Duvall; WR—7 Calan Haberman; WR—16 Dalton Miller; LT—75 Tate Murray; LG—58 Marcus Schmeidler; C—71 Kade Schroeder; RG—62 Payton Doll; RT—73 Andrew Wettengel
PANTHER DEFENSE—DE—52 Alan Miramontes; NG—55 Eric Vazquez; DE—85 Matt Zorn; LB—5 Brock Blessing; LB—11 Pablo Martinez; LB—34 Blake Penka; OLB—17 Alex Olivas; OLB—36 Joey Soupiset; CB—33 Townshend Kurth; CB—1 Bryce Brown; SS—16 Dalton Miller
CARROLL OFFENSE—QB—5 Cade Becker; RB—20 Jackson Nichols; WR—4 Ban Pilens; WR—22 Gunner Lynch; WR—81 Mason Baalman; TE—83 Clay Cundiff; LT—67 Ethan McMillan; LG—50 Matt Bachman; C—51 Ben Purvis; RG—55 Matt Redick; RT—78 Gabriel Havlovic
CARROLL DEFENSE—LE—23 Brady Bockover; LT—45 Keaton Ricke; RT—52 Ryan Murphy; RE—27 Phoenix Smith; MLB—35 Landon Zwiesler; MLB—17 Kyler McGlachin; OLB—1 Joe Leland; CB—7 Paul Eck; CB—29 Dalton Nichols; CB—33 Justin Powell; S—24 Cade Blasi
