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Great Bend beats Hays High 35-14
MARSHALL'S LAW
spt deh gbhs v hays scramble pic
Hays High Indian Dylan Flegler makes a grab for Great High School Panther quarterback Jacob Murray Friday night as the Panthers took on Hays at GBHSs Memorial Stadium. - photo by DALE HOGG Great Bend Tribune

 BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com

 

Great Bend’s offense went back to basics when Hays High stunned the Panthers for a 14-13 halftime lead at Memorial Field.

Tailback Cal Marshall scored three touchdowns and the Panthers gained 184 second-half rushing yards as Great Bend beat the Indians 35-14 in Friday’s Western Athletic Conference football opener.

Marshall ignited a 155-yard rushing game with a 35-yard touchdown that capped an 86-yard scoring drive to start the second half into a 25 mph north wind. His 53-yard touchdown capped a 35-14 lead.

Center Kaden Schroeder, guards Payton Doll and Trevor Fehr and tackles Noah Presson and Aaron Clark led a 224-yard ground game. The line sprung Marshall twice for TDs on trap plays up the middle.

“The best way to swing the momentum is play consistent offense first drive out,” Marshall said. “The offensive line played great. I can thank the line all day. There were a few changes in our blocking schemes.”

Quarterback Jacob Murray added 151 yards passing and a TD pass; and 69 yards rushing and a TD on an 80-yard second-half drive.

Great Bend football coach Erin Beck got exactly what he expected – a rugged hard-fought football game against rival Hays High. Great Bend (1-0, 2-0) plays at Class 6A Wichita Northwest next week.

“That lived up to the hype,” Beck said. “That was a great way to respond after losing the momentum heading into halftime. That drive to start the second half really meant a lot. Our offensive did a heck of a job.”

The Panthers held the Indians to 110 yards after halftime. Linebacker Jensen Randall recovered a fumble to set up Marshall’s 53-yard score.

“The defense started to figure it out, which is a true testament to our coaching staff,” Beck said. “We shut down their power run game to their tight end. We did a good job flying around defensively and got a turnover.”  

Hays High (0-1, 1-1) was led by Kohlton Meyers with 104 yards rushing.

Great Bend roared to a 13-0 lead fueled by a 25 mph north wind. The Panthers’ Braulio Vargas returned a fumble to the Indian 1-yard line on the Indians’ first drive. Marshall scored on a 1-yard dive.

“It’s really great to get some momentum going for your team,” Vargas said. “We all get hyped when we do that. We call it ‘scoop and score.’ I almost had it.”

The Panthers rolled 76 yards in 15 hard-fought plays for a 13-0 lead, keyed by a critical offside against Tyrese Hill. Bryce Lytle caught a 6-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Murray. Murray completed 12 first-half passes for 116 yards. Lytle caught seven passes for 75 yards.

“We did a good job taking what the defense was giving us,” Beck said. “We stayed patient.”

The Indians rallied for a 14-13 halftime lead with two lightning-fast scores in the final three minutes of the half.

The Indians scrambled 63 yards in eight plays and scored on Keaton Markley’s 6-yard run. Quarterback Hunter Brown dashed 25 yards for a first down. Kohlton Meyers converted a 4th-and-1 from the Indian 42-yard line.

The Panthers were unable to run the clock out driving into a 25 mph north wind.

Hays drove 67 yards in three stunning plays. Collyn Kreutzer made a leaping catch on a 52-yard reception in the middle of several Panther defenders. Kreutzer caught a 15-yard TD pass from Brown with nine seconds left in the half.

The Indians’ Brown completed eight passes for 113 yards and Hays added 100 yards rushing.

PANTHERS 35, INDIANS 14

Hays High 0 14 0 0 – 14

Great Bend 13 0 14 8 – 35

GB—Cal Marshall 1 run (Carlos Franco kick), 10:41

GB—Bryce Lytle 6 pass from Jacob Murray (kick failed), 0:04

HH—Keaton Markley 6 run (Taivian Creamer kick), 2:34

HH—Collyn Kreutzer 15 pass from Hunter Brown (Creamer kick), 0:03

GB—Cal Marshall 35 run (Bryce Lytle pass from Murray), 8:46

GB—Murray 1 run (kick failed), 2:51

GB—Marshall 53 run (Murray run), 8:20

RUSHING—HH—40-196; Kohlton Meyers 21-104; Brown 10-51; Dylan Schmidtberger 5-13; Markley 4-28; GB—43-224; Marshall 20-155; Murray 23-69.

PASSING—HH—Brown 11-19-1, 127; GB—Murray 18-25-0, 151.

RECEIVING—HH—Kreutzer 2-67; Meyers 4-19; Shane Berens 1-11; Wyatt Scheve 1-9; Markley 2-9; Schmidtberger 1-3; GB—Bryce Lytle 8-84; Brayden Smith 2-25; Koy Brack 8-42.