HOISINGTON – The Hoisington Cardinals played like a football playoff veteran.
Hunter Hanzlick rushed for five first-half touchdowns to spark the Cardinals past Cimarron 48-6 in the Class 3A football playoffs Tuesday.
Hanzlick rushed for 177 first-half yards and scored five times. He finished with a career high 196 yards on 20 carries. The Cardinals rolled up 277 yards rushing and 20 yards passing the first half.
Hanzlick started a 41-point first half with a 43-yard touchdown dash off perfect blocking. He added touchdown runs of 4, 15, 19 and 24 yards for a 41-6 halftime lead.
Cardinal guard Seth Owen said Hanzlick’s shifty running and second effort makes his job easier.
“It makes us real confident in our run game when we play like that,” Owen said. “We love the way Hunter runs. How great he is really contributes to our run game. We always can get better at everything.”
The Bluejays started the game with a blocked punt by Jaylen Pickle and a touchdown by Cimarron’s Nick Ast for a 6-0 lead.
“It started off a little shaky,” Owen said. “But I knew our team would battle back. We handle adversity really well.”
Hoisington coach Zach Baird wasn’t worried either.
“That was not the start we wanted to get off to,” Baird said. “The kids did a good job of being mentally tough and not getting rattled.”
After Hanzlick’s first touchdown run, Brandon Ball’s jaw-rattling tackle on the kickoff on Colton Lumpkins forced a fumble recovery by Zade Sanders at the 16-yard line.
Steffan Dolechek scored on a 16-yard reverse on the next play for a 14-6 lead and the rout was on. The Cardinals raced 71 yards and 70 yards for its next two touchdowns for a 28-6 lead.
Zade Sanders recovered another Cimarron fumble at the Bluejays 8-yard line. Two Hanzlick runs later, the Cardinals led 35-6. Hanzlick added the half’s final score on a 15-yard run.
Sophomore Justin Bradley enjoyed a lineman’s dream with a 70-yard return of a Cimarron lateral for a touchdown.
“It was nice for the kids because they’ve worked really hard to get better physically,” Baird said. “It was nice for the kids to enjoy that.”
The offensive line of center Landen Urban, guards Owen and Justin Bradley and tackles Chris Wright and Ben Schneider and tight end K.C. Stephens controlled the line of scrimmage for 315 yards rushing.
“The offensive line did an excellent job, especially after the first series,” Baird said. “Our communication was good and the kids continued to play hard. Hunter is a heck of a football player and a heck of a kid. We’ve got a good bunch of kids, a fun group to be around.”
Cimarron quarterback Nick Ast and receiver A.J. Cooper were a dazzling pair with 10 receptions for 106 yards. Cooper went up and made the catch several times in traffic.
“We had a good game plan and executed it defensively at the start,’ said Cimarron coach Randall Rath. “But we did not come off the football defensively after that. We didn’t play with near the desire that we needed to. We need to invest better in the off-season.”
Rath credited the Cardinals for being a quality team with good teamwork.
“They are a good football team,” Rath said. “Their kids are strong, fast and physical. Their kids play with great effort. Their coaches are doing a fine job.”
Hoisington (9-1) will travel to Minneapolis (7-3) in Saturday’s second round. Cimarron ends with a 6-4 record. Minneapolis defeated Beloit 59-34 Tuesday.
The Cardinals made their 14th playoff trip in school history, but last won a playoff game in 2009 when they beat Holcomb.


HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

Tuesday

At Hoisington

HOISINGTON 48, CIMARRON 6
Cimarron              6    0   0  0 — 6
Hoisington           14  27  7  0 — 48

SCORING SUMMARY
First quarter
C —Nick Ast 4 run (pass failed), 6:32
H — Hunter Hanzlick 43 run (Brandon Ball kick), 4:07
H — Steffan Dolechek 16 run (B. Ball kick), 3:53
Second quarter
H —Hanzlick 19 run (B. Ball kick), 10:41
H — Hanzlick 24 run (B. Ball kick), 6:41
H — Hanzlick 4 run (B. Ball kick), 5:50
H —Hanzlick 15 run (pass failed), :31.7
Third quarter
H--Justin Bradley 70 fumble return (B. Ball kick), 3:43

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — C, Brandon Rodriguez 7-31; Ast 15-12; Colton Lumpkins 8-31; H, Hanzlick 20-196; Dolechek 4-56; Nolan McCurry 6-20; Tyler Specht 4-8; Zade Sanders 1-8; Chris Ball 5-5; Cameron Davis 2-21; Jon Ball 2-1.
PASSING — C, Ast 12-23-1, 116; H, Specht 1-2-1, 20.
RECEIVING — C, A.J. Cooper 10-106; Dewey 1-8; Wyatt Bell 1-2; H, Dolechek 1-20.