By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Hayden's football team will get a chance to atone for the only blemish on its schedule next Friday night after rolling to a 39-19 Class 3A sectional victory at Columbus Friday night.
Now 10-1 on the season, Bill Arnold's Wildcats will make the short trip to Holton for the second time this season for next week's 3A sub-state contest after Holton, also 10-1, advanced with a 47-27 win over Girard Friday night.
Hayden sophomore Jensen Schrickel had a big game, including a pick-six, in the Wildcats' 39-19 Class 3A playoff win at Columbus Friday night. [File photo/TSN]
Finn Dunshee set the tone with an early 60-yard touchdown run in Hayden's 39-19 playoff win at Columbus Friday night. [File photo/TSN]
Holton defeated Hayden 37-13 in a Week 7 district game, but Hayden has bounced back with four straight victories, including Friday night's win over 5-6 Columbus.
Hayden never trailed Friday night after junior Finn Dunshee went 60 yards for a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage and the Wildcats added the 2-point conversion for an 8-0 lead just 17 seconds into the game.
After losing a fumble at the Titans' 3-yard-line, Hayden's defense came up with a stop and the Wildcats took advantage of a short punt to add to their lead on their next play from scrimmage, with sophomore quarterback Jett Wahlmeier completing a 29-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Jensen Schrickel.
Schrickel tacked on the extra point kick to put Hayden in command 15-0 with 5:10 left in the opening quarter.
The score remained 15-0 at the end of the first, but Columbus got back in the game with a nine-play scoring drive, capped by an 11-yard touchdown pass from Brett Hamilton to Landon Midgett with 11:20 left in the half (extra point failed).
Dunshee scored from 3 yards out and Schrickel edded the extra point to extend Hayden's lead to 22-6 with 7:24 left in the half, but Columbus used a 63-yard pass play to set up a 4-yard TD pass from Hamilton to Cole Minor to cut Hayden's halftime lead to 22-12 (2-point conversion failed).
Columbus turned the ball over on downs on its opening drive of the second half and Hayden drove inside the Titan 20-yard-line before settling for a 28-yard Schrickel field goal to put the Wildcats up 25-12 with four minutes left in the third quarter.
Columbus put together a scoring threat with a 13-play drive but Hayden junior Jacob Padilla picked off a Hamilton pass midway through the final period and Dunshee used a 67-yard run to set up an 11-yard TD run from Braydn Rose and a Schrickel kick to give the Wildcats a 32-12 lead with 3:20 emaining.
Hayden ended its scoring just a few seconds later on a 35-yard pick-six from Schrickel, who kicked the extra point to put the Wildcats up 39-12.
With the outcome decided, Hamilton added a touchdown pass with 27 seconds left to account for the final margin.
Hayden accumulated nearly 300 rushing yards on the night while Wahlmeier added a touchdown pass.
The Hayden-Holton winner will advance to the 3A championship game on Nov. 26 in Hutchinson to take on the sub-state winner between Andale (11-0) and Clay Center (8-3) next Friday at Andale.
DERBY 36, WASHBURN RURAL 21 -- Perennial 6A state contender outasted Washburn Rural 36-21 to end the Junior Blues' season at 8-3 Friday night in Derby.
Derby, now 9-2, advanced to a sub-state rematch with 11-0 Manhattan while Washburn Rural finished off its second straight eight-win campaign.
Washburn Rural senior Ty Weber hauls in a pass from Branton DeWeese Friday night against Derby. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Washburn Rural junior Titan Osburn makes a first-down catch in Friday's 36-21 Class 6A playoff loss at Derby. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Notre Dame commit Dylan Edwards put Derby up 7-0 with an early 15-yard touchdown run but Rural answered with a Ma'kenttis Adams score to knot the game at 7-7 with 5:33 left in the opening quarter.
Edwards made it 13-7 Derby with a 56-yard TD gallop at the 5:17 mark of the opening quarter and the Panthers extended their lead to 20-7 on a short TD run from quarterback Brock Zerger with 9:59 remaining in the first half.
Rural cut its halftime to six points at 20-14 on an Adams TD but Zerger scored his second touchdown of the night on a 10-yard run to give seven-time state champ Derby a 27-14 lead with 4:55 left in the third.
Zerger was forced to leave the game with an injury with 2:25 left in third quarter but Derby boosted its lead to 29-14 on a safety and backup junior quarterback Braxton Clark hit Nathen Keener for a 70-yard TD pass with 9:39 left in the game to give the Panthers an insurmountable 36-14 cushion.
Washburn Rural scored its final TD of the night on a pass from junior quarterback Branton DeWeese to senior Amr Sabbarini with 4:39 left to account for the final margin.
With the win Derby earned a rematch with Manhattan, which took a 26-23 overtime win over the Panthers in the first game of the season.
Manhattan advanced to sub-state with a 27-18 win over Wichita Northwest.
