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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University senior Jace Williams blocked a potential game-winning field goal with 30 seconds to play as the Ichabods survived 10 penalties and three turnovers in a 28-26 win over Pittsburg State Saturday at Carnie Smith Stadium.
Washburn improved to 8-2 on the season with the Ichabods stretching their winning streak to five games while winning their fourth straight game over the Gorillas and the fourth in a row in Pittsburg.
After the Ichabods moved the ball to the Pitt State 11, Washburn, nursing its 28-26 lead, lost a fumble with 3:24 to play and Pitt State (7-3) took over and drove down to the WU 16 before Cross Holmes 26-yard field was blocked by Williams, securing the win after one kneel down by the Ichabods.
Washburn University senior Jace Williams blocked a Pittsburg State field goal attempt with 30 seconds remaining, securing the Ichabods' 28-26 win over the Gorillas. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
OLATHE -- The Class 6A state soccer championship game down to opportunities -- the opportunities Washburn Rural was unable to capitalize on, particularly at the end of regulation, and the opportunity Olathe West senior star Elyes Ellouz put in the back of the net in overtime to give the Owls a 1-0 win and their second state title in three years Saturday at the College Boulevard Activity Center.
"What was shown today was that Olathe West was clearly the class of Kansas City and now the class of Kansas,'' Washburn Rural coach Brian Hensyel said. "I thought the two best teams in Kansas were playing in the championship game today and both teams battled for 85 minutes and they found a way to get one in and it took an amazing, amazing goal to beat us.''
Washburn Rural's senior captains accept the Class 6A second-place trophy after Saturday's 1-0 overtime loss to Olathe West. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn Rural, which had its bid for the program's first-ever perfect season denied by West, had its best chance at pulling out at the win at the end of the second half when Rural had four straight corner kicks, but the Owls were able to weather that storm and then took advantage in the first 10-minute overtime when Ellouz scored off an assist from fellow senior Evan Shelkey with 4:26 left.
"That little flurry at the end of (regulation) where we had four straight corners, that was it,'' Hensyel said. "When they defended that and they won the coin toss (to have a wind advantage) that was pretty big because guys were exhausted all over the field, obviously.''
Washburn Rural senior goalkeeper Wyatt Arnold comes up with a save against Elyes Ellouz in Saturday's Class 6A championship game. Ellouz scored the game-winning goal in overtime. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Rossville improved to 10-0 while pushing its winning streak to 23 games with a 32-12 win over Nemaha Central in a second-round Class 2A playoff game Friday night at Rossville.
The Bulldawgs trailed the Thunder 6-3 at the end of the opening quarter, but took a 9-6 halftime lead before outscoring Central 23-6 the rest of the way.
Corey Catron
Senior Corey Catron had another big night for the Bulldawgs, rushing for three touchdowns and throwing for another TD in the Rossville win.
Catron, who has moved from running back to quarterback after an injury to Torrey Horak, scored on runs of 5, 8 and 2 yards and also completed a 29-yard touchdown pass to Kaden Brown.
Pedro Arantes kicked 24 and 28-yard field goals for the Bulldawgs and also kicked a pair of extra points.
Rossville will be back at home next Friday night to face Riverton (8-2) in a 2A quarterfinal.
Riverton advanced with a 28-22 overtime win over Osage City.
SILVER LAKE 51, ST. MARYS 36 -- After edging St. Marys by a point early in the 2021 season the Eagles and Bears hooked up in a scorefest Friday night, with Silver Lake taking the 51-36 road win in a second-round 2A playoff contest.
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By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
For the second year in a row, Blue Valley Southwest came back to defeat the Seaman Vikings in the postseason.
Last year the Timberwolves put up 13 points in the fourth quarter to defeat Seaman, 27-21.
On Friday the Timberwolves were down at one point, 37-24, and came back to beat the Vikings, 44-37, with 20 unanswered points.
On the first drive of the game, Dylan Dunn chucked a 68-yard touchdown pass to Sam Swickard for the game’s first touchdown, giving Blue Valley Southwest the lead.
Seaman's Brody Gormley (7) celebrates a touchdown in Friday's 44-37 loss to Blue Valley Southwest. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Right away, the Vikings clapped back. Camden Barta threw a 64-yarder to Brody Gormley to tie it up immediately after the Timberwolve touchdown.
Seaman gained momentum in the second quarter. Six minutes into the second quarter, Barta connected with Gormley again for a 52-yard passing touchdown.
In the second quarter, Seaman's defensive pressures caused Dunn to be sacked twice and throw an interception. The interception was hauled in by Cameron Selbach. who took the ball 69 yards for a Viking touchdown.
Blue Valley Southwest was able to collect a touchdown on the ground right before halftime, with Jake Laurie running the ball in for a 20-yard touchdown. That would be Laurie’s first of three touchdowns on the night.
At the half, Seaman held a 24-17 lead over the Timberwolves.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
One play may not have beaten Washburn Rural in Friday's Class 6A state playoff game against Free State, but it certainly put the Junior Blues in a hole they never recovered from in a 42-10 loss at Bowen-Glaze Stadium.
Down 14-7 early in the second quarter, Rural's defense came up with its first stop of the night, pinning the Firebirds at their 16-yard-line and forcing a punt.
But that punt, as bad as it was, proved to be the play of the night, turning what would given the Junior Blues a golden opportunity to tie the game into a 21-7 deficit.
Free State's punt didn't make it past the line of scrimmage and by rule that allowed Free State senior Brian Lane to scoop up the ball and ramble 85 yards for a touchdown, helping the Firebirds open up a 14-point lead with 11:02 remaining in the half on the way to Friday's decisive win.
Free State's Wesley Edison (7) breaks up a pass intended for Washburn Rural's Lukas Hanks in Friday's 42-10 Firebird win. [Photo courtesy of Rick Peterson Jr./KSHSAA Covered]
Lane said he didn't initially realize he could advance the ball.
""I actually did not,'' he said. "I picked the ball up because it started to roll backwards. I just heard coach saying, 'Run! run!' So I just started running."
It was the first touchdown of his career.
"I'll remember that forever -- through college, through my whole life,'' Lane said.
Free State coach Kevin Stewart said he did know the rule.
"I just noticed the ball didn't ever cross the line,'' Stewart said. "Behind the line of scrimmage, you can advance it. I was just yelling at (Lane), 'Run it, run it, run it! He didn't really know what I was talking about it, but thankfully he listened. Thankfully the officially didn't blow the play dead, they just let it go.
"I've only seen that play twice in football. One time it was a Chiefs-Chargers game. I was a fan and I'm watching the game and I'm just going nuts. Then one other time in high school football. I felt really bad for Washburn Rural on that play. I really do, because that's a tough break. Unlucky. Just total luck on our part. Terrible play by us turned into luck. But that's just part of the game. Sometimes it happens like that."
The play had Washburn Rural coach Steve Buhler and his staff trying to figure out exactly what transpired.
"You're trying to figure out what happened,'' Buhler said. "From the sideline you're sure the punt went past the line of scrimmage and to be honest with you I'd still have to go look that rule up because I've never seen it, as long as I've been around.
"We had to look at it on the sideline just to make sure and it was just a yard or two back. It was right up near the line of scrimmage. It was a good call. It never made it from what we saw. You teach the kids when it's a short punt to get away from it so they don't get hit so our kids just scattered and a couple of our guys assumed it was done and thought they heard a whistle and the next thing they knew (Free State) picks it up and runs it. So instead of being down 14-7 with the ball on their 13-yard-line, we're down 21-7.''
After getting a 3-yard touchdown run from senior quarterback Jet Dineen to cap Free State's first possession of the game, Washburn Rural senior Robby Bolin answered with a 93-yard kickoff return (Giles Frederickson kick) to tie the game at 7-7 with 8:02 left in the opening quarter.
But Free State broke the tie with a long scoring drive, capped by a 6-yard run from senior Dash Cleveland with 3:05 left in the first and then added to its lead with Long's TD.
The score remained 21-7 into the second half before the Firebirds scored three touchdowns in the third quarter to put the 8-2 Junior Blues away.
Free State went up 42-7 with 4:38 left in the third on Dineen's third touchdown of the night before Washburn Rural got its final points of the night on a 46-yard field goal from Frederickson, a senior.
Dineen finished with 167 rushing yards on 23 carries while Cleveland had 109 yards on 21 attempts.
Washburn Rural sophomore quarterback Branton DeWeese looks for a receiver in Friday's 42-10 playoff loss to Free State. [Photo courtesy of Rick Peterson Jr./KSHSAA Covered]
Washburn Rural had trouble moving the ball consistently against Free State's defense, with sophomore quarterback Branton DeWeese ending the night at Rural's leading rusher with 45 yards on seven carries and passing for 82 yards on an 11 of 26 night (one interception).
While Rural was obviously in pain after having its season ended, Buhler said he hopes the Junior Blues can someday soon appreciate what they accomplished this fall, including a share of the Centennial League title.
"I think they'll get to that point, especially the seniors when they get a chance to step away and look back,'' Buhler said. "I hope for the young guys it's two things. I hope they're motivated. We've gotten this far and we now have a gauge of where we need to take the next step.''
Free State, which improved to 8-2, will travel to Derby next week to face the defending state champs in a 6A quarterfinal.
