By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After back-to-back losses to Centennial League and Class 6A powers Manhattan and Junction City, Washburn Rural's football team was needing something good to happen Friday night against Topeka High.
The Junior Blue turnaround started on the very first play from scrimmage when High fumbled the ball away at its 20-yard-line and set the tone for the rest of the night, with Washburn Rural rolling to a 66-6 Centennial League romp at Hummer Sports Park.
Washburn Rural senior Lukas Hanks is mobbed by his teammates after scoring a first-half touchdown in the Junior Blues' 66-6 win over Topeka High. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn Rural junior defensive lineman Jamond Lane (61) scored the Junior Blues' final touchdown on a 44-yard interception return in a 66-6 win over Topeka High. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn Rural opened up a commanding 52-0 halftime advantage and a running clock was used throughout the second half as the Junior Blues improved to 4-2 overall and 1-2 in the Centennial League.
"We needed to get back to feeling good about ourselves and that we can play football and we're a good football team,'' Washburn Rural coach Steve Buhler said. "To be honest, this week in practice we were a little sluggish. I was a little worried about coming into tonight but our kids had fun tonight.
"They were flying around and that was kind of part of the game plan for both sides of the ball. We just needed to get back in a rhythm and back to having fun playing together.''
Topeka High's early turnover led to a 32-yard Dayten Smoot field goal at the 10:58 mark of the first quarter and the game had turned into a 31-0 rout by the end of the quarter, with the Junior Blues adding an 8-yard Ma'kenttis Adams touchdown run, a Lukas Hanks 5-yard TD, a 33-yard scoring pass from Branton DeWeese to Titan Osburn and a 1-yard DeWeese plunge.
Rural added second-quarter scores on a 1-yard run from Calvin Manthe, a 1-yard Adams run and a 5-yard DeWeese run.
The Junior Blues made it a 59-0 game on a 2-yard run from TJ Minikwu midway through the third quarter and closed out their scoring on a 44-yard interception return from 280-pound junior lineman Jamond Lane in the closing seconds of the third quarter.
Topeka High, which fell to 1-5 overall and 1-2 in the league, finally got on the scoreboard midway through the fourth period when Trojan quarterback Peyton Wheat found Jayden Norman for a 2-yard TD pass.
Washburn Rural, which is still in line to be a host for the Class 6A playoffs, will host Emporia next Friday night while Topeka High will travel to Junction City.
"After the last two weeks we had to kind of change our goals a little bit and our new goal was, 'Let's get on a win streak, let's put ourselves in the best position possible over these next three weeks for the playoffs and let's make a run in the playoffs,' '' Buhler said.
WASHBURN RURAL 66, TOPEKA HIGH 6
Washburn Rural (4-2, 1-2) 31 21 14 0 -- 66
Topeka High (1-5, 1-2) 0 0 0 6 -- 6
Washburn Rural -- Smoot 32 FG
Washburn Rural -- Adams 8 run (Smoot kick)
Washburn Rural -- Hanks 5 run (Smoot kick)
Washburn Rural -- Osburn 33 pass from DeWeese (Smoot kick)
Washburn Rural -- DeWeese1 run (Smoot kick)
Washburn Rural -- Manthe 1 run (Smoot kick)
Washburn Rural -- Adams 1 run (Soden kick)
Washburn Rural -- DeWeese 5 run (Soden kick)
Washburn Rural -- Minikwu 2 run (Sandir kick)
Washburn Rural -- Lane 44 interception return (Sandir kick)
Topeka High -- Norman 2-yard pass from Wheat (run failed)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing -- Washburn Rural: Minikwu 12-34, Adams 5-23, Rea 2-17, Manthe 6-11, DeWeese 3-10, Hanks 1-5. Topeka High: Ewing 8-24, I. Kincade 3-(minus)-1, Wheat 7-(minus)-38, Team 1-(minus)-10.
Passing -- Washburn Rural: DeWeese 8-15-0, 189; Rea 2-2-0,13. Topeka High: Wheat 12-25-1, 112.
Receiving -- Washburn Rural: Osburn 3-67, Sabbarini 2-51, Hanks 1-44, Adams 1-15, Wegele 1-12, Ballard 1-9, Pagel 1-4. Topeka High: Norman 5-32, Ewing 4-31, Norta 1-22, E. Kincade 1-16, I. Kincade 1-3.
Punting -- Topeka High: Wheat 6-38.3.
