One year late, Hoisington’s football team rides a 14-game home winning streak into a showdown with powerhouse Wichita Collegiate at Elton Brown Stadium.
The Cardinals and Spartans appeared on a playoff meeting in 2015. The Cardinals were eliminated 44-6 by Halstead in a six-turnover nightmare. The Spartans beat Halstead 21-0 and lost to Rossville 20-19 in the Class 3A state championship.
The Spartans are riding a 13-year playoff run with three state football titles. Hoisington’s quarterfinal loss was the school’s best playoff finish in 15 trips.
“One of our team’s goals is to never lose at home,” said Hoisington coach Zach Baird. “This will be a great test and a great opportunity. We see challenges across the board. With their team speed and how hard they play, the teams are similar.”
WB-S Cameron Davis ignited a 44-3 football victory over Kingman with 174 yards and two touchdowns. All-CKL RB Hunter Hanzlick added 142 yards and three touchdowns. The Cardinals rushed for 419 yards. Hanzlick has 3,544 career rushing yards with 55 rushing touchdowns. The Cardinals limited Kingman to 144 yards.
Wichita Collegiate beat Rose Hill 41-6. QB Cody McNerney completed 12 passes for 233 yards with four touchdowns. He rushed for 77 yards as Collegiate gained 178 rushing yards. TE-LB Cooper Root tallied nine tackles. Peter Larsen intercepted a pass, forced a fumble and sacked the QB.
The Cardinals have swept 18 consecutive regular-season wins since a loss to Larned in 2014.
Crafty Spartan coach Mike Gehrer runs multiple formations geared to running the football with RB Juston Flowers and McNerney.
“You’ve got to show good mental toughness to handle their various formations and know the rules for each set,” Baird said. “They show good balance. They feature good balance in their tailback, quarterback and tight end Cooper Root.”
The Spartans’ offensive and defensive lines are anchored by OL-DT Mac Copeland (6-4, 240).
“They’re well coached and their defensive kine plays an aggressive style,” Baird said.
Ness City (1-0, 1-0) at Central Plains (1-0, 1-0)
Central Plains snapped Victoria’s 16-game home winning streak with a 48-22 victory. QB Devin Ryan passed for 196 yards and three touchdown passes. WR Alex Barton had nine receptions for 204 yards and two TDs. Anthony Oberle scored on three touchdown runs. Bryce Miller scored on a pass reception and rushing touchdown.
Ness City routed Macksville 76-26. RB Brennan Chacon rushed for 212 yards, 3 TDs and RB Payton Fellhoelter gained 90 yards with three TDs. DE Devin Brown, FS Casey Snyder (7 tackles) and NG Trevor Vandegrift intercepted passes. CB Nate Gabel had eight tackles.
Larned (0-1, 0-1) at Smoky Valley (0-1, 0-1)
RB Anthony McConnell rushed for 81 yards and two TDs in a 31-16 loss to Pratt in Friday’s football opener. RB Kolby Keith gained 78 yards as the Indians gained 233 yards rushing. But the Indians had two interceptions and lost a fumble.
Smoky Valley lost 35-0 to Halstead. QB Brett Heitschmidt completed five passes for 105 yards. Kyle Anderson rushed for 55 yards and had 94 yards receiving. DE Beck Elliott had seven tackles, two for losses. DT Ethan Wampler had seven tackles.
Victoria (0-1, 0-1) at Macksville (0-1, 0-1)
Victoria RB Cooper Pfanenstiel scored three touchdowns and 95 yards and returned the opening kickoff for a TD against Central Plains. Macksville lost 76-26 to Ness City. Macksville QB Jacob Rein contributed 218 yards passing and 38 yards rushing and two TDs. RB Luis Sanez rushed for 55 yards. TE Karson Waters had 96 yards receiving and a TD. CB Nate Brandyberry receovered a fumble and contributed 13 tackles. MLB Taylor Rodriguez had 14 tackles.
No. 2 Otis-Bison (1-0, 1-0) at Ellinwood (1-0, 1-0)
The Cougars beat St. John 54-6. QB Kade Urban passed for 111 yards with TD passes going to Anton Foust and Maitland Wiltse in an opening victory. RB Brad Lightfoot rushed for 100 yards with a TD. Urban rushed for 33 yards and two scores. Daniel Scott rushed for 68 yards and a score with seven tackles. DL Bryce Maneth had seven tackles.
Ellinwood QB Myles Menges threw for three touchdown passes to spark the Eagles past Kinsley 32-14. Eric Jones, Peyton Duvall and Tyson Martinez caught touchdown passes. Jones sealed the victory with a 30-yard fumble return.
Pawnee Heights (1-0) at Golden Plains (1-0)
Pawnee Heights opened with a 65-20 victory over Wheatland-Grinnell and Golden Plains beat Natoma 52-6. AJ Camacho gained 166 yards and two TDs and passed for two TDs. Austin Rivera and Caleb Korte caught TD passes.
The Tigers’ Roger Klenke scored four TDs, Kade Scott three TDs and Caleb Karst two TDs, and each had an interecption. Dalton Hamby, Karst and Klenke controlled the line of scrimmage.
Kinsley (0-1, 0-1) at St. John (0-1, 0-1)
St. John’s Eddy Ibarra caught a TD pass from QB Jorge Calleros, who rushed for 22 yards. Keven Neri-Leon hgained 70 yards rushing. Kinsley’s Alex Villa and Humberto Soto scored rushing TDs.
Stafford (0-1) at Burrton (0-1)
Norwich beat Stafford 50-0 and Fairfield beat Burrton 40-30. Burrton QB Brendan Dick rushed for 142 yards and two TDS and passed for 76 yards and two TDS to Corey Smith and Dawson Ryan. Burrton had six turnovers. Stafford’s LB Caleb Hildebrand (89 tackles), RB Josh Harter (653 yards, 8 TDs) and TE Laithen Shocklee lead the Trojans.
