BY BUDDY TABLER
Special to the Tribune
PRATT -- Pratt’s single wing offense overwhelmed Larned Friday night for a 62-27 District football win.
Pratt’s Johnny Martinez handed the Greenbacks a quick 16-0 lead on 62 and 18-yard touchdown dashes. Martinez intercepted a Riley Pontius pass and returned it to the Larned 12-yard line. Enoch Walton scored for a 24-0 lead after the third consecutive 2-pointer.
Larned showed life with a strong run by Logan Erway and a pass completion to Brady Hope. But Hope sustained an ankle injury and was sidelined. Pontius hit Jayden Smith with a 25-yard touchdown pass for a 24-7 score.
Pratt’s Walton converted an 18-yard touchdown to ignite four consecutive Pratt touchdowns before halftime.Pratt surprised Larned with a 70-yard touchdown pass from Carson Hoeme to J’Air Johnson. Martinez returned a Larned punt 88 yards on a display of brilliant open-field running for a touchdown. Hoeme added a 15-yard TD for a 50-7 halftime lead.
"Losing Brady Hope changed our game plan because he's our main outside threat," said Larned coach Tad Remy. "We changed up our plan and had to pass more, with some success. Pratt is a good, physical football team with good athletes. If you don’t tackle well they overwhelm you.”
After recovering a Pratt fumble deep in Pratt territory Larned’s Herrera scampered 9 yards for a touchdown and cut the margin to 50-14. Pontius hit Luke Fischer for a 15-yard touchdown pass for a 50-27 score.
Pratt's Max Younie scored on 49-yard and 26-yard touchdowns for a 62-27 final.
Larned rushed for 360 yards and gained 123 yards passing for 483 yards. Pratt (4-0, 1-0) is averaging 56 points per game.
Larned, without Hope’s speed, gained 37 yards rushing. Logan Erway led the Indian rushing attack with 26 yards. Pontius completed 13 of 22 passes for 158 yards. Luke Wilson and Brady Hope each had 3 receptions for Larned. Larned (2-2, 0-1) plays Holcomb (3-1, 1-0) at home next week.
“We’ve got to regroup and focus on Holcomb," Remy said. "We did some good things tonight but we will have to be better next week.”
Larned 7 0 13 7 – 27
Pratt 30 20 0 12 – 62
P–Martinez 62 run (Younie run); P–Younie 28 run (Thompson run); P–Younie 2 run (Walton run); L–Smith 24 pass from Pontius (Herrera kick); P–Walton 18 run; P–Johnson 70 pass from Hoeme (Stimatze run); P–Martinez 88 punt return; P–Hoeme 15 run; L–Herrera 9 run (Herrera kick); L–Fischer 15 pass from Pontius; P–Younie 49 run; P–Younie 26 run
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING–L–21-37; Erway 10-26; Haney 3-18; Herrera 4-8; Hope 1-0; Pontius 3-(-15).
PASSING–L–Pontius 13-22-2, 158.
RECEIVING–L–Hope 3-45; Wilson 3-42; Smith 1-25; Fischer 1-16; Auble 1-12; Herrera 1-4.
DISTRICT 3A, 8
Pratt 1-0 4-0
Cheney 1-0 4-0
Holcomb 1-0 3-1
Larned 0-1 2-2
Hugoton 0-1 2-2
Nickerson 0-1 0-4
10-1—*Hugoton at Nickerson; *Cheney at Pratt; *Holcomb at Larned
9-24—*Pratt 62, Larned 27; *Cheney 49, Hugoton 7; *Holcomb 55, Nickerson 0
9-17—Larned 36, Haven 6; Lyons 28, Nickerson 26; Pratt 36, Hesston 7; Cheney 34, Garden Plain 7; Holcomb; Hugoton 33, Guymon, Okla. 6; Holcomb 47, SW Heights 7
9-10—Hoisington 27, Larned 14; Cheney 66, Belle Plaine 0; Pratt 59, Mission Valley 22; Halstead 38, Nickerson 24; Hugoton 21, Ulysses 13; Scott City 14, Holcomb 12
9-3—Pratt 68, Hoisington 18; Cheney 34, Kingman 14; Larned 41, Lyons 19; Holcomb 23, Cimarron 16; Colby 35, Hugoton 7; Hillsboro 50, Nickerson 22
