5A state playoffs
Kapaun-Mt. Carmel (7-2) at Great Bend (7-2)
7 p.m. Memorial Stadium
Radio—104.3 FM
BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
Nine-time state football champion Wichita Kapaun-Mt. Carmel (7-2) and Great Bend (7-2) have met three times and the Panthers have surprisingly swept all three games. The 5A second-round playoff game will start at 7 p.m. Friday at Memorial Stadium.
The Panthers beat Kapaun 10-3 in 2002 marking coach Bo Black’s first playoff win in the Panthers’ first playoff appearance in 19 years.
“It should be a great atmosphere,” said Great Bend coach Erin Beck. “We’re excited about the opportunity.”
There’s three comparable scores for Wichita Kapaun-Mt. Carmel and Great Bend, which beat Valley Center 35-18 in the opening round.
Wichita Northwest beat the Crusaders 55-26 and the Panthers 56-34. Wichita Carroll edged the Panthers 36-33 and beat the Crusaders 28-14. Andover lost 35-12 to Great Bend and 33-26 to Kapaun.
The Crusaders average 154 yards rushing and 107 yards passing. Crusader 6-foot-3 tailback Scott Valentas is committed to Columbia University. Valentas is a ball-hawking safety similar to Panther Dalton Miller.
“They are a ground-control type of team,” said Beck. “They want to grind it out out and limit possessions.”
Defensively, the Crusaders rely on execution.
“Kapaun has a defense that’s similar to us,” Beck said. “They believe in their system.”
It required nine games, but the Panthers are averaging 381 yards offense and yielding 273 yards on defense to lead the Western Athletic Conference in both categories after week 9.
Brack has thrown for 1,753 yards and 20 touchdowns. Alex Schremmer has 43 catches for 906 yards and a school record 13 touchdowns. Gage Fritz has ignited a resurgent ground game averaging 185 yards with 924 yards and seven scores.
“We’ve got 20 rushing touchdowns and 20 passing touchdowns, which you like to see.,” Beck said. “We’ve softened up defenses with how we throw the football. It’s always nice to do both and take what the defense gives you. We’ve got two backs who can run the football and receivers who catch the football.”
The Panthers were primed for the playoffs, roaring to a 30-0 lead last week.
“We’ve got off to fast starts,” Beck said,
BY THE NUMBERS
2007—Great Bend 27-14 KMC
2006—Great Bend 35-21 KMC
2002—Great Bend 10-3 KMC
KAPAUN-MT. CARMEL (7-2)—W—Wichita Southeast 26-3; W—Wichita West 6-0; W—Wichita East 30-0; W—Andover 33-26; L—Wichita Northwest 26-55; L—Wichita Carroll 14-28; W—Lenexa St. James 25-0; W–Wichita Heights 33-7; W—Hays High 48-28
GREAT BEND (7-2)—W—Andover High 35-12; W—Hays High 15-7; L— Wichita Northwest 34-56; W—Dodge City 35-15; L—Wichita Carroll 33-36; W—Andover Central 30-7; W—Liberal 35-6; W—Garden City 49-6; W—Valley Center 35-18
RUSHING—GB—202-1,667 yards; Gage Fritz 84-924-7 TD; Koy Brack 74-244-11 TDs; Dalton Miller 46-470-2 TD; KMC—Scott Valentas 115-716, 12 TDs; Jairus Kennedy 51-197, 1 TD Hunter Shonka 62-164, 2 TDs
PASSING—GB—Brack, 108-194-98, 1,753, 20 TDs; KMC—Jack Hacking 47-73-4, 616 yards, 9 TDs
RECEIVING—GB—Alex Schremmer, 43-906-13 TDs; Peyton Duvall, 23-323-1 TD; Miller 21-286-4 TDs; Calan Haberman 16-181, 2 TD; KMC—Jacob Schmitz 33-538, 10 TDs; Jacob Nye 12-111, 1 TD
TACKLES—GB—Blake Penka 82 tackles-11 loss; Dalton Miller, 74-5 int.; Brock Blessing 64; Pablo Martinez 50-9 loss; Alan Miramontes 43
PANTHER OFFENSE—WR—2 Alex Schremmer; WR—3 Peyton Duvall; WR—7 Calan Haberman; QB—12 Koy Brack; WR—16 Dalton Miller; TB—29 Gage Fritz; LT—55 Eric Vazquez; LG—58 Marcus Schmeidler; RG—62 Payton Doll; C—71 Kade Schroeder; RT—73 Andrew Wettengel
PANTHER DEFENSE—CB—1 Bryce Brown; LB—5 Brock Blessing; LB—11 Pablo Martinez; SS—16 Dalton Miller; OLB—17 Alex Olivas; CB—33 Townshend Kurth; LB—34 Blake Penka; OLB—36 Joey Soupiset; DE—52 Alan Miramontes; NG—55 Eric Vazquez; DE—85 Matt Zorn
5A WEST—SECOND ROUND
Emporia 5-4 at Wichita Northwest 9-0
Salina Central 7-2 at Wichita Carroll 7-2
Maize South 6-3 at Maize High 8-1
Kapaun-Mt. Carmel 7-2 at Great Bend 7-2
5A EAST—SECOND ROUND
Topeka Seaman 5-4 at St. Thomas Aquinas 9-0
Lenexa St. James 2-7 at Mill Valley 6-3
Shawnee Heights 5-4 at DeSoto 7-2
Olathe West 3-5 at KC Schlagle 6-3
