By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
The connection between Seaman quarterback Max Huston and receiver Bryer Finley turned a tight battle with Lansing into a rout Friday night at Seaman.
Seaman senior quarterback Max Huston threw for 349 yards and three touchdowns in Friday's 43-22 UKC win over Lansing. [Photo by Jesse Bruner/Special to TSN]
Seaman senior Bryer Finley hauls in one of his three touchdown passes in Friday's 43-22 UKC win over Lansing. [Photo by Jesse Bruner/TSN]
Huston hit Finley 12 times for 298 yards and three touchdowns in a 43-22 victory that was much closer than the final score would indicate.
Tied with Seaman at 15-15 at the half, Lansing seized a 22-15 lead midway through the third period. From that moment on, it was all Vikings.
“In the first half it was awfully close and a really good game, really back and forth. Then in the second half we were able to start making some plays and get on a roll,” said Seaman coach Jared Swafford. “I think it was just the excitement of our kids, to pick each other up instead of putting each other down. It was that belief that we were going to get some things figured out.”
The Vikings opened the game with a Huston 14-yard touchdown throw to Finley. But Lansing responded with two touchdowns to go up 15-7. A 22-yard touchdown run by the Vikings’ Kaden McKinney tied it at halftime.
A second touchdown pass from Lansing’s Jaxon Pollard put the Lions ahead in the third quarter. Pollard was not the quarterback the Vikings had prepared for. Lansing played the entire game without Reid Oakley, their highly accomplished senior quarterback.
“We had no idea that (Oakley) wasn’t going to be playing,” Swafford said. “We prepared all week like he was going to play. It’s very unfortunate (for Lansing). He’s a very good player.”
Normally the team’s tailback, Pollard tried to do it all for Lansing. He carried 22 times for 82 yards in addition to trying to attack Seaman through the air.
“Pollard is also a heck of a player, but he was playing out of position tonight,” Swafford said. “They did some good things with him that sort of put us in a bind, that we weren’t quite ready for. But give him a lot of credit. He did a heck of a job.”
The Vikings picked off Pollard to close the first half. In the second half, they forced Lansing into passing situations and intercepted Pollard four more times, which completely changed the game.
“We had to win some battles up front to put them behind the chains and force them to have to throw the ball,” Swafford said.
Finley had four receptions for 106 yards in the first half. But in the second half, he completely took over the game. Lansing had no answer for him.
“Bryer is very dynamic,” Swafford said. “He’s a dude, and we knew he was going to be a dude for us this year. It just took us some time to get clicking on offense. He’s a heck of a player for us and we love the heck out of him.”
“He’s been my best friend since kindergarten, and we have a great connection,” Finley said of the chemistry with Huston. “I was just seeing green out there. I was running my routes hard, seeing green, and we connected for a lot of good completions.”
Seaman junior Kaden McKinney (9) ran for 129 yards and three TDs in Friday's 43-22 UKC win over Lansing. [Photo by Jesse Bruner/Special to TSN]
Huston and McKinney kept the Viking ground game churning. McKinney ran for 129 yards and three touchdowns while Huston added 78 more yards on the ground.
With the victory, Seaman moved into the top spot in the United Kansas Conference, one game ahead of Lansing. The 4-1 Vikings have a tough road ahead with games against Shawnee Heights, Basehor-Linwood and DeSoto.
Swafford said the win over Lansing should boost the Vikings confidence for what lies ahead.
“Lansing is a great team and they’re going to make a heck of a run and be a tough out for anybody,” Swafford said. “But being tied at halftime and getting behind in the second half, our kids didn’t fold at all. We just kept grinding and grinding. You’ve got to build off of that, and I believe we will.”
SEAMAN 43, LANSING 22
Lansing (3-2, 3-1) 8 7 7 0 -- 22
Seaman (4-1, 4-0) 7 8 7 21 -- 43
Seaman – Finley 14 pass from Huston (Hays kick)
Lansing – Kell 18 pass from Pollard (Pollard run)
Lansing – Pollard 7 run (Bonewits kick)
Seaman – McKinney 22 run (Finley from Huston)
Lansing – Kannaday 17 pass from Pollard (Bonewits kick)
Seaman – McKinney 9 run (Geiger kick)
Seaman – Finley 12 pass from Huston (Geiger kick)
Seaman – Finley 78 pass from Huston (Geiger kick)
Seaman – McKinney 5 run (Geiger kick)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing -- Lansing: Pollard 22-82, Ellington 8-7, Jorgensen 1-3. Seaman: Huston 14-78, McKinney 23-129, Tootle 4-7.
Passing -- Lansing: Pollard 12-35-5 123 yards. Seaman: Huston 15-19-0 349 yards.
Receiving -- Lansing: Kell 5-36, Butler 2-27, Allen 1-5, Ellington 1-9, Kannaday 3-46. Seaman: Finley 12-298, Scholes 1-39, McKinney 1-9, Kobuszewski 1-3.
Punting -- Lansing: Mathis 1-35.0. Seaman: none.
