BY BUDDY TABLER

Special to the Tribune

LARNED –On a night when big plays seemed to be the order of the evening, the Pratt Greenbacks delivered for a 48-12 Central Kansas League victory. The Greenbacks spoiled the coaching debut for Larned's Brady Keith at his alma mater.

Pratt’s Max Younie, a 6-2, 206-pound senior made a bunch of those big plays as he scored four touchdowns and passed for another. On his four touchdowns, he totaled 99 yards rushing and finished with 162 yards.

Time-after-time, Younie shredded a tackler and kept his feet to gash the Indians for big gains from Pratt’s Single Wing offense, an offense that the Indians’ defense never seemed to solve.

Pratt struck for the first big play as with 8:48 remaining in the first quarter Kaden Ludwig hit Noah Riley with a 74-yard touchdown pass and following a 2-point conversion run, Pratt grabbed an 8-0 lead. With 4:11 on the clock, Larned’s Brady Hope answered with a 49-yard touchdown run as he skirted Pratt’s end. The conversion run failed and it was 8-6 for Pratt.

After another long run by Pratt’s Owen Schmidt, Younie plunged in for a 1-yard touchdown and a pass for the 2-point conversion left Pratt with a 16-6 lead. In the second quarter Younie again torched the Indians with a 43-yard touchdown run with the clock showing 8:50 for a 22-6 lead. Then, with 2:28 before halftime, Larned quarterback Carson Shaver passed to Brady Hope for 68 yards and a touchdown and the Indians pulled within 22-12.

Pratt again responded with a big play with Younie hitting Noah Riley with a 79 yard touchdown pass to increase the Greenback lead to 28-12.

Larned then did a strange thing. From their own 33-yard line with only 39 seconds remaining, the Indians did not punt but tried to make a first down and lost yardage on the play. On the very next play Younie made the Indians pay for their mistake and rambled 26 yards for a touchdown and a big 36-12 halftime lead.

In the third quarter with 10:51 on the clock Younie again scored, this time on a 26-yard dash and the Greenbacks increased their lead to 4212. That lead ballooned to 48-12 with 5:39 remaining in the third quarter when Blake Winsor rambled 19 yards for a touchdown and Pratt converted the 2-point run for the final score of 48-12.

Pratt rolled up 338 yards of total offense with Younie accounting for almost half of those. Larned struggled to score in the second half as they could not get any big plays and their passing game struggled due to intense defensive pressure from the Pratt defensive line. Pratt’s offense was nearly flawless as they accumulated two penalties and zero turnovers.

Larned’s Brady Hope led the Indians with 63 yards rushing while Luke Fischer added 59. Quarterback Carson Shaver had five completions in 11 attempts but ended up with minus rushing yards due to intense defensive pressure by the Greenback defense.

Pratt (1-0) travels to Hesston (0-1) and Larned (0-1) travels to Lyons (0-1).

Pratt 16 20 12 0 – 48

Larned 6 6 0 0 – 12

P—Noah Riley 74 pass from Kaden Ludwig (2 pointer)

L—Brady Hope 49 run 

P—Max Younie 1 run (2 pointer)

P—Younie 43 run

L—Hope 68 pass from Carson Shaver

P—Riley 79 pass from Younie

P—Younie 26 run (2 pointer)

P—Younie 26 run