OPENING ACT
Panthers pass first road test
BY JIM MISUNAS
ANDOVER – When Great Bend 5-foot-10 wide receiver Alex Schremmer saw a 5-4 defender, he liked his chances.
Schremmer ignited Great Bend’s 35-12 football victory over Andover High Friday with two receiving touchdowns. Schremmer’s leaping reception beat 5-4 linebacker Preston Drake on an inside cross pattern for a 16-yard touchdown on fourth down for his first score.
Schremmer converted Peyton Duvall’s fumble recovery into a perfect 34-yard touchdown strike from quarterback Koy Brack for a 14-6 halftime lead. Brack completed 18 passes for 261 yards. Schemmer caught eight passes for 181 yards.
“The second touchdown was really nice – a designed stop-and-go pattern,” Schremmer said. “I need to be more consistent catching passes. Overall, it was a good night. We liked our passing game tonight.”
Andover’s kicker David Kemp kept the Trojans within 14-6 with a 54-yard field goal after he converted a 43-yard field goal.
The Panthers’ 21-point second half began with a 92-yard touchdown drive to start the third quarter. Schremmer caught 39-yard and 33-yard passes from Brack, who scored on a 2-yard run.
“The big stretch was how we started the third quarter when we put together a 92-yard scoring drive,” said Great Bend coach Erin Beck. “We played with a better offensive rhythm with more confidence the second half. I loved to see how they bounced back. You’ve got to reset like we did tonight.”
The Panthers converted a 30-yard drive after a 12-yard punt into a brisk 25-mph south wind. Peyton Duvall caught a 17-yard pass and Gage Fritz scored on a 13-yard touchdown for a 28-6 lead.
Panther linebacker Blake Penka capped a stellar night with a 30-yard fumble return. Penka teamed with Pablo Martinez to escort Brack into the endzone on a 6-yard touchdown for a 35-6 lead.
“A defensive lineman punched the football out,” Penka said. “I saw the football and started running. I was right there, but got caught.”
Andover quarterback Eli Fahnestock threw for 140 yards, but the Panthers responded defensively with the heat index at 103 degrees. Linebacker Joey Soupiset delivered the signature hit of the night when he rocked receiver Harper Jonas on fourth down.
“We had a lot of fun tonight,” Penka said. “Our defensive line got a good push. Our linebackers flew around and made a lot of tackles. We played great as a team and got our coverages down against a great offense.”
Andover’s Fahnestock converted an 8-yard fourth-quarter touchdown. Back Peyton Henry set up the score on a 21-yard reception.
“Our defense really came to play, which is something you want to see,” Beck said. “We felt we could rely heavily on our defense. We gave them a lot of different looks.”
The Panthers (1-0) return home Sept. 7 to Memorial Stadium to play rival Hays High (0-1), a 56-31 loser to Junction City. Hays is coached by former Panther coach Tony Crough.
PANTHERS 35, TROJANS 12
Great Bend 0 14 14 7 – 35
Andover 0 6 0 6 – 12
GB—Alex Schremmer 16 pass from Koy Brack (Dani Franco kick)—11:13
A—David Kemp 38 FG—9:13
GB—Schremmer 34 pass from Brack (Franco kick)—0:29
A—Kemp 54 FG—0:02
GB—Brack 2 run (Franco kick)—8:26
GB—Gage Fritz 13 run (Franco kick)—7:45
GB—Brack 6 run (Franco kick)—9:17
A—Fahnestock 8 run (run failed)—7:06
RUSHING—GB—38-121; Gage Fritz 9-68; Brack 22-53; Dalton Miller 3-11; Schremmer 2-(-9); team 2-(-2); Andover—28-147; Peyton Henry 19-74; Fahnestock 8-73; Isaiah Maikori 1-0.
PASSING—GB—Brack 18-30-1, 260. Andover—Fahnestock 13-35-0, 140.
RECEIVING—GB—Schremmer 8-181; Peyton Duvall 7-68; Miller 2-6, Calan Haberman 1-5. Andover—Henry 3-48; Ethan Richardson 3-39; Harper Jonas 3-32; Max Smith 2-19; Maikori 2-2.
