LARNED—As it turned out, the first 20 seconds of the game was the highlight for the Lakin Broncs Tuesday as Dawsen Shalberg ran the opening kickoff back 95 yards for a quick 6-0 lead over Larned.
It would be the only points of the game for Lakin as Larned’s high-powered running game pounded their way to a 42-6 Class 3A playoff victory.
The Larned running game ate up yards, the clock and the scoreboard. The Indians amassed 434 yards rushing on 45 attempts. Anthony McConnell led the way with 189 yards and four touchdowns. Wes Davis added 146 yards and two touchdowns.
Larned (6-4) will play at 3 p.m. Saturday at home against Marysville, a 62-21 winner over Norton.
The blitzing of linebackers DaMontay Phillips, Wes Davis, Shevin Martin and Mason Burris wreaked havoc with the Lakin offense all evening and kept the Broncs out of the end zone.
“We were confident coming into this game because we were very well prepared to defend their flexbone offense,” said Larned coach A.B. Stokes. “We’ve seen that offense 4 or 5 times this year and we were ready for it. I know coach Bamberger. He’s a really good coach and his teams are difficult to prepare for but we were ready.”
Behind a hard-charging running game powered by McConnell and Davis, the Indians marched down the field. With 8:56 remaining, McConnell powered 14 yards for a touchdown and following a Logan DeMond extra point kick, Larned claimed a 7-6 lead that would only continually grow throughout this chilly evening.
Lakin drove more than 50 yards twice, but were turned back on fourth down deep in Indian territory. After the second stop, Larned quickly moved 84 yards with McConnell scoring on an 11 yard-TD for a 14-6 lead. Larned’s 78-yard scoring drive was capped by Davis 1-yard plunge for a 21-6 lead with 5:12 left in the first half.
Larned’s offense pounded the Broncs’ defense while the Larned defense gained strength. Lakin struggled to gain any traction in the second half. Larned’s defense would shut down the potent Lakin offense for only 92 yards of total offense.
Lakin quarterback Hunter Kirby was harassed all night by the aggressive Larned defense. Due to a number of sacks, he finished t he night with a minus 32 yards rushing and completed only one pass out of eight attempts for just 7 yards.
3A PLAYOFFS
Nemaha Central 59, Pleasant Ridge 26
Silver Lake 29, Mission Valley 7
Wellsville 48, Humboldt 0
Galena 66, Neodesha 14
Sabetha 56, Atchison Maur Hill 14
Perry 27, St. Marys 21
Osage City 34, Jayhawk-Linn 6
Caney Valley 55, Cherryvale 22
Cheney 48, Douglass 8
Marion 54, Halstead 30
Marysville 62, Norton 21
Larned 42, Lakin 6
Conway Springs 56, Wichita Independent 6
Hesston 47, Hutchinson Trinity 6
Phillipsburg 48, Riley County 13
Hoisington 47, Cimarron 22
SATURDAY’S SECOND ROUND
Silver Lake 10-0 at Nemaha Central 10-0
Galena 10-0 at Wellsville 9-1
Perry 7-3 at Sabetha 9-1
Caney Valley 8-2 at Osage City 8-2
Marion 8-2 at Cheney 8-2
Marysville 9-1 at Larned 6-4, 3 p.m.
Hesston 7-3 at Conway Springs 10-0
Phillipsburg 10-0 at Hoisington 7-3
