NEWTON – The Hanover Wildcats will have images of Layne Bieberle dancing in their heads.
The speedy Bieberle, indeed, got into Hanover’s heads in Central Plains’ 42-30 Eight-Man I state football championship victory.
Bieberle iced the Oilers’ victory with a 45-yard touchdown dash from a shotgun formation with 1:03 left.
“Never once in my life, have I been able to do that,” Bieberle said. “I questioned if the ball was coming to me. I was hoping I’d break free. Thank God I did.”
He scored three touchdowns, drew a pair of pass interference penalties and intercepted Hanover’s final pass play.
The Oilers (13-0) won the school’s first state football title as a consolidated program from Claflin and Quivira Heights. Claflin won five titles and Quivira Heights won one previous title.
Bieberle’s signature play occurred on the Oilers’ first touchdown on a leaping 29-yard touchdown from Braedan Crites for an 8-0 lead.
He finished with 185 yards receiving and 45 yards rushing.
“Braedan is a wonderful quarterback. He’s going to find me if I’m open,” Bieberle said. “That was the funnest football game I’ve ever played in my life.”
“Bieberle is really good at running routes and he made an exceptional catch in the endzone. He’s an exceptional athlete,” said Hanover coach Matt Heuer. “They did a good job getting big plays.”
Crites was dynamite with 14 completions for 260 yards and three touchdowns.
“Layne always get there and makes a huge play,” Crites said. “That play is up there. Layne was amazing, like always.
“It’s amazing,” Crites said. “We’re glad to get a state title. Winning the state championship was everything that we expected and more.”
After 233 passing yards the first half, the Oilers adjusted and rushed for 177 yards in the second half for 193 rushing yards. Jacob Warnken gained 54 yards and Crites had 56 yards. Crites, Warnken and Bieberle rushed for second-half touchdowns.
“The runs we had in the second half were huge,” said head Oiler coach Chris Steiner. “Getting Jacob Warnken back in there really helped us.”
The Oilers’ defense held Hanover to 101 yards rushing and forced the Wildcats to the air. Quarterback Andrew Bruna completed 19 passes for 235 yards. But the Oilers’ defense intercepted three Hanover passes with Bieberle joined by Hunter Ingham and Crites with interceptions.
“This is a team that refuses to lose,” said Steiner. “Things went right today at times.”
The Wildcats had scored at least 52 points in every game this season. They gained 235 yards passing and 101 yards rushing, but had three turnovers.
“Our defensive motto is bend, but not break,” Crites said. “Defense was the key to this game.
The Oilers led from eight to 16 points, but Hanover kept battling back. The Wildcats were also unlucky with two potential touchdowns called back on penalties.
The Oilers never trailed after Michael Lamatsch caught a 17-yard touchdown from Crites with 1:02 left in the first half for a 22-14 lead.
The Oilers ended the half inches shy of another touchdown when Crites was ruled short of the goal-line.
By halftime, Crites had passed for 233 yards and two scores.
Hanover’s Bruna completed a pair of touchdown passes to Evan Zabokrtsky and one to Cody Rengstorf, who left the game with a knee injury.

Kansas Eight-Man Division I
State Championship

Saturday

Newton
Fischer Field

CENTRAL PLAINS 42,
HANOVER 30
Hanover                      6  8  8  8  — 30
Central Plains             8 14 8 12 — 42

SCORING SUMMARY
First Quarter
CP—Layne Bieberle 29 pass from Braedan Crites (Bieberle pass from Crites), 8:59
H—Cody Rengstorf 15 pass from Andrew Bruna (run failed), 6:56
Second Quarter
CP—Bieberle 60 pass from Crites (run failed), 9:51
H—Bruna 1 run (Hunter Nicholson pass from Rengtorf), 3:04
CP—Michael Lamatsch 17 pass from Crites (Crites run), 1:02
Third quarter
CP—Jacob Warnken 1 run (Crites run), 5:38
H—Evan Zabokrtsky 22 pass from Bruna (Zabokrtsky pass from Bruna), 3:47
Fourth Quarter
CP—Crites 7 run (pass failed), 11:19
H—Nicholson 9 pass from Bruna (Bruna run), 1:31
CP—Bieberle 45 run (ran failed), 1:03

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING—Hanover, Bruna 25-83; Rengstorf 3-16; Preston Jueneman 4-11; Will Bruna 1-1; CP, Crites 17-56; Jacob Warnken 7-54; Hunter Ingham 4-16; Carson Kirmer 3-1; Clark Besthorn 3-26; Bieberle 2-45; Alex Barton 1-(-5).
PASSING—Hanover, Bruna 19-33-3, 235; Rengstorf 0-1-0; CP, Crites 14-24-0, 260.
RECEIVING—Hanover, Nicholson 5-75; Rengstorf 2-25; Evan Zabokrtsky 6-80; Jueneman 3-39; Trey Lohse 2-17; Liam Schroller 1-(-1); CP, Bieberle 7-185; Lamatsch 4-49; Ingham 1-8; Barton 1-10; Warnken 1-8.