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Hays turns back Great Bend, 31-13
Class 5A District 6
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Hays High School quarterback Alex Delton threw the football only seven times, completing three, against arch-rival Great Bend on Friday night at Memorial Stadium.

Trouble was, all three went for touchdowns as Hays captured the Western Athletic Conference championship outright, beating the Panthers 31-13.

Delton threw a 33-yard scoring pass to wide receiver Adam Deterding and also had 40- and 54-yard TD passes to running back David Cardinal coming out of the backfield on a cold and drizzly night.

It was the first of three Class 5A District 6 games for both teams. Hays improved to 6-1 overall, including finishing undefeated in the WAC at 4-0, and is now 1-0 in district play.

Great Bend, which was in contention until Cardinal's 27-yard TD run with 5:40 remaining in the final period, falls to 5-2, 2-2 and 0-1. 

The Panthers travel to play at Salina Central next Friday night for their second district game, while Hays hosts Salina South.

South edged Central, 23-20 on Friday night.

The start of the game, the beginning of the second quarter and the end of the first half worked against the Panthers as they fell behind 18-7 at halftime.

Memorial Stadium exploded when the Panthers' Bryce Hofmeister returned the opening kickoff 88 yards for an apparent touchdown. But the return was called back because of a blocking-in-the-back penalty near midfield.

After GBHS proceeded to go three-and-out, Hays marched 66 yards on nine plays for a 6-0 lead at the 8:39 mark after Emilio Mitchell scored on a 5-yard touchdown run. Kicker Lane Clark missed the extra-point kick, the first of three failed conversions after Indians scores in the opening half.

After the Panthers lost a fumble on the opening play, Delton hooked up with Deterding on a play-action pass for Hays' second score, making it 12-0 at the 10:14 mark in the second quarter.

Great Bend closed to within 12-7 on running back Jonathan Allende's 2-yard touchdown run at the 4:11 mark.

But Hays answered with Cardinal's 40-yard catch-and-run with 10.4 seconds left in the half, giving the Indians their 11-point lead and momentum going into the intermission.

After Cardinal's second catch-and-run for a score in the third quarter, Great Bend's Bryce Beck had a 21-yard touchdown run, diving and hitting the pylon on the left corner of the end zone to pull the Panthers within 25-13.

After Beck's score, GBHS got the ball back, when Panthers defensive tackle Jayce Brack recovered a Delton fumble at the Hays 35 with 3:52 left in the third quarter.

But Hofmeister fumbled the ball away at the end of a 6-yard gain at the 12-yard line, and Hays took the momentum back.

GBHS running back Josh Lopez rushed for over 100 yards, including several bruising runs he turned into big gainers.

But Lopez also had a long run deep into Indians territory called back because of a penalty, a microsom of the Panthers' misfortune.

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

Western Athletic Conference

Class 5A District 7

Friday

At Great Bend

Memorial Stadium

 

Hays 31, Great Bend 13

Hays                   6   12   7    6  —  31

Great Bend        0    7    6    0  —  13

 

SCORING SUMMARY

First Quarter

Hays — Emilio Mitchell 5 run (kick failed), 8:39

Second Quarter

Hays — Adam Deterding 20 pass from Alex Delton (pass failed), 10:14

Great Bend —  Jonathan Allende 2 run (Mario Espino kick), 4:11

Hays — David Cardinal 40 pass from Delton (run failed), 10.4

Third Quarter

Hays — Cardinal 54 pass from Delton (Lane Clark kick), 6:11

Great Bend —  Bryce Beck 21 run (kick blocked), 5:21

Fourth Quarter

Hays — David Cardinal 27 run (run failed), 5:40

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

Western Athletic Conference

Class 5A District 6

Friday

At Great Bend

Memorial Stadium

 

Hays 31, Great Bend 13

Hays                   6   12   7    6  —  31

Great Bend        0    7    6    0  —  13

SCORING SUMMARY

First Quarter

Hays — Emilio Mitchell 5 run (kick failed), 8:39

Second Quarter

Hays — Adam Deterding 20 pass from Alex Delton (pass failed), 10:14

Great Bend —  Jonathan Allende 2 run (Mario Espino kick), 4:11

Hays — David Cardinal 40 pass from Delton (run failed), 10.4

Third Quarter

Great Bend — Cardinal 54 pass from Delton (Lane Clark kick), 6:11

Great Bend —  Bryce Beck 21 run (kick blocked), 5:21

Fourth Quarter

Great Bend — David Cardinal 27 run (run failed), 5:40