Post by MizzouTiger on Dec 1, 2007 17:21:46 GMT -5
www.kansascity.com/696/story/375618.html
Olathe South falls to Hutchinson 37-14 in Kansas Class 6A title game
By RYAN YOUNG
The Kansas City Star
TOPEKA | Halfway through the Kansas 6A state championship football game, Olathe South had reason to believe it could be the team to halt Hutchinson’s remarkable run.
For the first time all season, Hutchinson had to settle for a tie instead of a lead at halftime. But that’s as close as the Falcons would come. Nobody had toppled the Salthawks in a long while, and that didn’t change Saturday.
Hutchinson scored the final 23 points and pitched a second-half shutout to defeat Olathe South 37-14 at Washburn’s Yager Stadium.
The Salthawks, 13-0, claimed their fourth consecutive state championship and extended their winning streak to 36 games. Olathe South, 9-4, settled for its third state runner-up finish under coach Mark Littrell.
“We had them on their heels,” Littrell said.
Indeed, the Falcons did. But in the end, the Salthawks played every bit like the football dynasty they have become under coach Randy Dreiling.
Hutchinson completed two passes all game. Both went for long, game-swaying second-half touchdowns.
Grant Dreiling connected on scoring passes of 59 and 32 yards to Deveon Dinwiddie as Hutchinson turned a 14-14 tie at halftime into a 28-14 lead early in the fourth quarter. The Salthawks added a field goal and a 3-yard Romero Cotton touchdown to finish it off.
The first half was much more competitive.
After falling behind 14-0 in the first quarter, the Falcons got going — eventually.
It took the Olathe South offense more than one and a half quarters to cross midfield — and less than 5 minutes thereafter to score the tying touchdowns just before halftime.
The Falcons had only two first downs into their sixth possession when senior quarterback Mike Keese converted a fourth-and-1 dive. Two plays later, Olathe South broke through.
Keese whipped a screen pass to the left to senior Anthony Sanchez, who then cut back to the right, found a hole and raced into the end zone for a 44-yard touchdown.
After a defensive stand, the Falcons regained possession at their own 23 with 1 minute, 49 seconds remaining, and their suddenly efficient offense went to work again.
Junior Jake Byrd capped the impressive drive with a 15-yard rush for the tying touchdown, 27 seconds before halftime.
“We had all the momentum with us,” Keese said.
Keese, under pressure all day, recovered from a slow start to complete 11 of 26 passes for 175 yards, a touchdown and one interception. Sanchez had four catches for 74 yards, while senior Alex Nixon had three catches for 92 yards. Byrd rushed for 57 yards in 17 carries.
Olathe South falls to Hutchinson 37-14 in Kansas Class 6A title game
By RYAN YOUNG
The Kansas City Star
TOPEKA | Halfway through the Kansas 6A state championship football game, Olathe South had reason to believe it could be the team to halt Hutchinson’s remarkable run.
For the first time all season, Hutchinson had to settle for a tie instead of a lead at halftime. But that’s as close as the Falcons would come. Nobody had toppled the Salthawks in a long while, and that didn’t change Saturday.
Hutchinson scored the final 23 points and pitched a second-half shutout to defeat Olathe South 37-14 at Washburn’s Yager Stadium.
The Salthawks, 13-0, claimed their fourth consecutive state championship and extended their winning streak to 36 games. Olathe South, 9-4, settled for its third state runner-up finish under coach Mark Littrell.
“We had them on their heels,” Littrell said.
Indeed, the Falcons did. But in the end, the Salthawks played every bit like the football dynasty they have become under coach Randy Dreiling.
Hutchinson completed two passes all game. Both went for long, game-swaying second-half touchdowns.
Grant Dreiling connected on scoring passes of 59 and 32 yards to Deveon Dinwiddie as Hutchinson turned a 14-14 tie at halftime into a 28-14 lead early in the fourth quarter. The Salthawks added a field goal and a 3-yard Romero Cotton touchdown to finish it off.
The first half was much more competitive.
After falling behind 14-0 in the first quarter, the Falcons got going — eventually.
It took the Olathe South offense more than one and a half quarters to cross midfield — and less than 5 minutes thereafter to score the tying touchdowns just before halftime.
The Falcons had only two first downs into their sixth possession when senior quarterback Mike Keese converted a fourth-and-1 dive. Two plays later, Olathe South broke through.
Keese whipped a screen pass to the left to senior Anthony Sanchez, who then cut back to the right, found a hole and raced into the end zone for a 44-yard touchdown.
After a defensive stand, the Falcons regained possession at their own 23 with 1 minute, 49 seconds remaining, and their suddenly efficient offense went to work again.
Junior Jake Byrd capped the impressive drive with a 15-yard rush for the tying touchdown, 27 seconds before halftime.
“We had all the momentum with us,” Keese said.
Keese, under pressure all day, recovered from a slow start to complete 11 of 26 passes for 175 yards, a touchdown and one interception. Sanchez had four catches for 74 yards, while senior Alex Nixon had three catches for 92 yards. Byrd rushed for 57 yards in 17 carries.