Ten scores to know: East stuns Kapaun, Circle tops Buhler, Eisenhower wins shootout

Omari Wishom was the hero for Wichita East in its stunning 30-20 win over Kapaun Mt. Carmel on Friday after the junior made a game-saving interception in the end zone in the final minutes.

Trailing 24-20 in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter, Kapaun had the ball on the East 20-yard line when it ran a play-action fake and had a receiver streak past an unsuspecting safety toward the end zone.

Wishom was covering a crossing route over the middle, but as soon as Kapaun quarterback Dylan Hamilton rolled outside of the pocket to the right, the East cornerback peeled off his man and retreated to the end zone. Hamilton tried to fit a pass in over the top of Wishom, but he was too quick and he had the inside position to come down with the interception to seal the victory.

“It was an incredible play,” East interim coach Chaq Reed said. “We preached everyone being where they needed to be and being disciplined, but Omari made one hell of an interception on not even his guy.”

Kapaun entered the game ranked No. 4 in Class 5A, while East was coming off the disappointment of letting a late lead slip away in a 49-42 loss to Washburn Rural in an ending that earned head coach Ene Akpan a suspension for this week’s game.

Watching at home from an iPad, Akpan saw his team flourish against one of the City League’s best. The victory over Kapaun gives East a 1-0 start in league play and sets the stage for a huge Week 4 showdown against Northwest that could make East a serious contender to win the City League.

“I might be speaking prematurely, but I honestly think we have the ability to be the best team in the state,” Akpan said. “Right now we are unstoppable offensively. We still have to fix some things on defense, but we’re right where we need to be.”

A back-and-forth contest in the first half saw East take a 16-14 lead into halftime after the Blue Aces began the game with a 31-yard touchdown pass from DaeOnte Mitchell to Marcus White.

A Henry Chrisman touchdown run put the Crusaders in front 20-16 entering the fourth quarter, but East would regain the lead on a short RayRay Leaks touchdown run with 8:29 remaining in the fourth quarter. It was a breakthrough performance for Leaks, who finished with 203 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

“He was the only junior in that junior class that didn’t start as a sophomore and now he’s getting that chance to shine,” Akpan said. “RayRay is a beast. I told him he has the potential to be the best back in the city.”

Kapaun slowly moved the ball down the field behind its own star running back in Omari Elias (188 rushing yards, one touchdown), but it was the heroics of Wishom to come down with East’s third interception of the game to hand Kapaun its first loss of the season.

Mitchell, East’s quarterback, finished the game with 201 passing yards on 14 completions, while Marcus White hauled in seven passes for 94 yards and L.T. Robinson came down with six balls for 91 yards.

“This is a big for our boys’ confidence,” Reed said. “East isn’t really known for getting a lot of marquee wins, so they really enjoyed this one. They know the sky is the limit now.”

2. Circle’s remarkable turnaround punctuated by Buhler win

Since Logan Clothier took over the Circle football program in 2017, the Thunderbirds had lost every game to Buhler before Friday.

In fact, the Thunderbirds had been outscored 308-9 in the seven times they matched up with the perennial state power, including a 76-0 loss to Buhler last season.

That context makes what Circle accomplished on Friday even more impressive, as it held on for a dramatic 38-35 home victory over Buhler for its first 2-0 start to a season since 2010.

Circle do-everything senior Ty Smith was once again superb, finishing with 183 receiving yards and three interceptions on defense to help his team knock off Buhler for the first time in program history (the two have only started playing since 2016).

It was Smith’s 64-yard touchdown reception early in the fourth quarter that staked Circle to a 38-26 lead, then his interception in the fourth quarter to seal the victory.

A frantic final three minutes of the first half saw the teams combine for 22 points, as Circle quarterback Cooper Chadwell (278 passing yards, 101 rushing yards, five touchdowns) broke a 69-yard touchdown run for a 20-16 lead, then Buhler regained the lead on a fumble returned for a score, only for Circle to take a 26-23 lead into halftime as time expired when Chadwell found Smith for a 44-yard touchdown throw.

Buhler made a late rally, trimming a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter with a touchdown run by Matthew Eddy (115 receiving yards) and a safety with three minutes left to claw within 38-35.

A turnover on downs by Circle with 0.8 seconds left on its own 30-yard line gave Buhler one more chance, but Jeffrey Neill’s 47-yard field goal fell short.

Circle could pull off its first 3-0 start to a season since 1994 with a win at Winfield (0-2) next Friday, while Buhler is off to the first 0-2 start in the Steve Warner era and first since 2005.

3. Eisenhower wins wild shootout with Salina Central

It was apparent a crazy second half was underway as soon as each team returned a kickoff for a touchdown immediately following halftime.

From there, Eisenhower and Salina Central combined for four lead changes and 54 points in the second half alone. In the end, Eisenhower scored on its final offensive possession and then tacked on an interception returned for a touchdown to prevail in a 47-33 shootout on its home turf.

Even though Salina Central produced 150 more yards of total offense, Eisenhower survived with three non-offensive touchdowns: two kick-off returns by Lucas Dickman and the pick-six interception by Isaac Wells to close out the game.

After the teams traded kickoff returns for scores to begin the half, Eisenhower took a 25-20 lead when quarterback Tyner Horn connected with Carter Pabst for a 27-yard touchdown with 9:03 left in the third quarter.

Salina Central regained the lead on a touchdown early in the fourth quarter to go up 26-25, but Eisenhower answered right back with a Caleb Lowry touchdown run for a 33-26 lead. The Mustangs were able to knot the score up at 33 with 6:38 remaining, which set up Eisenhower to go to work on the ground for what would become the game-winning drive.

The Tigers reeled off 15 plays, almost all running plays to Lowry (140 rushing yards, two touchdowns) or Dickman (91 rushing yards, one touchdown), to methodically work the ball down the field. On a critical 3rd-and-goal play from the 3-yard line, Lowry took a sweep and gained the edge on the left side to score the go-ahead touchdown with 1:26 remaining.

Eisenhower finished off the win with the interception on defense to start the season 1-0 in AV-CTL Div. II play with another home game coming up against Valley Center.

4. Northwest leans on passing game for dominant City League win at home

Northwest has earned a reputation as one of the premier rushing offenses in the state, but the Grizzlies took to the air for their first win of the season in a 52-6 rout of Heights at home.

Quarterback Jayce Glasper threw for multiple touchdowns in the first half, the longest coming in the first quarter to Michael Lopez for an early 14-0 lead. The Grizzlies continued to pour it on in the second quarter, as Glasper connected with L.J. Phillips and Taccarri Brown for touchdowns to put Northwest up 45-6 at halftime.

The lone score of the game for Heights came on a touchdown run by John Randle Jr.

Following the season-opening loss to Bishop Carroll, Northwest (1-1) will look to bounce back in the City League race with a showdown at home against Kapaun Mt. Carmel (1-1) on Friday.

5. Andover’s run game takes over in league win over Ark City

There must have been some nervous moments in the first quarter when Arkansas City’s aerial attack struck twice for long scores to take a 14-0 lead.

In Andover’s Week 1 loss, Maize South threw for nearly 450 yards and had a similar start to what became a rout. This week, the Trojans had the response.

Andover returned to its roots, a strong rushing game, to score six unanswered touchdowns and pile up 468 yards on the ground to pull away for a 45-27 win at home over Ark City, the No. 10-ranked team in Class 4A.

Senior quarterback Nik Pai led the way with a game-high 175 rushing yards and two touchdowns on just 15 carries, but he was far from the only effective runner. The Trojans spread the ball around to their stable of backs in sophomore Tanner Woolston (92 yards, two touchdowns), junior Vaiden Law (86 yards, one touchdown) and senior Christian Snipes (81 yards, two touchdowns).

Andover had recovered from its 14-0 deficit within the first two minutes of the second quarter and took a 26-14 lead to halftime following a pair of long rushing scores from Pai. Andover’s lead would stretch out to 39-14 in the third quarter before Ark City rallied late.

Ark City quarterback Gabe Welch completed 21 passes for 318 yards and four touchdowns, as his favorite target, Cadon Clark, caught 13 of those balls for 150 yards and a pair of scores and Max Mendez added three catches for 72 yards and a touchdown.

Andover (1-1) will stay at home next week to host a surprise 2-0 team in Goddard for what promises to be an important AV-CTL Div. II game.

6. Derby bounces back following season-opening loss

Derby delivered a dominant road performance in a 69-20 win at Salina South following a stunning Week 1 loss in overtime at home to Manhattan.

The Panthers scored five touchdowns in the first quarter alone and led 55-6 at halftime. Derby scored three non-offensive touchdowns in the game, as Gavin Pfannenstiel and Demaria’e Baker both scored on punt returns and linebacker Roman Boden returned an interception for a score.

The first-team offense was efficient in one half of work, as star running back Dylan Edwards, a Notre Dame commit, produced 106 yards on just six carries, including a 58-yard scoring run, and senior quarterback Brock Zerger completed three passes for 88 yards and two touchdowns and added 83 rushing yards and another two scores on the ground.

Known for its running game, Derby showed improvements in the passing game with Zerger and backup quarterback Braxton Clark combining to complete 6 of 8 passes for 128 yards and three touchdowns in the air. Colton Ruedy, Travon Rose and Talen Neel all caught touchdown passes.

Derby improved to 1-1 overall and 1-0 in AV-CTL Div. I play, as the Panthers prepare for their annual showdown against 5A power Bishop Carroll next Friday.

7. Maize South survives upset bid from Buckles, Campus

Maize South’s defense delivered a critical turnover in the closing minutes to help preserve a 17-14 road win at Campus.

The Colts were methodically driving the field behind a dominant ground performance from fullback Remey Buckles, who finished with 218 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries.

With Campus 35 yards away from the potential go-ahead touchdown in the final minutes, the snap was bobbled and Maize South defensive lineman Dawson Meese tackled the quarterback while star linebacker Conner Neill, who finished with a game-high 13 tackles, fell on the loose ball for the fumble recovery.

Maize South still needed a first down to drain the clock and junior running back Braxton Bigley (116 rushing yards, one touchdown) delivered just that on a 3rd-and-3 near midfield to seal the victory.

After starting the season with an explosive aerial attack that nearly racked up 500 yards through the air, Maize South quarterback Tate McNew didn’t have as easy of a time against the Campus secondary. He completed 8-of-21 passes for 82 yards, while the Colts intercepted him three times (by Harley Buller, Brody Johnson and Andrue Klitzing).

With Maize South clinging to a 10-7 lead entering the fourth quarter, Bigley extended the lead for the Mavericks with a 1-yard touchdown run with 10:19 remaining. But Campus had the answer almost immediately, as Buckles broke off a 22-yard score to trim the deficit to 17-14 with more than eight minutes left.

Maize South, ranked No. 5 in Class 5A, pulled off the victory down the stretch for a 2-0 start that sets up an undefeated AV-CTL Div. I showdown next Friday at Hutchinson, which is ranked No. 7 in Class 5A.

8. Hutchinson scores 81-yard TD pass to rally for comeback win at Newton

There wasn’t much that separated Greg Slade from a marquee victory to start his coaching career at Newton.

Armed with a 1-point lead and less than three minutes left in regulation, the Railers had the ball 11 yards away from the end zone to extend their lead. Instead, a fumble gave Hutchinson a second chance.

That’s all that Hutchinson senior quarterback Nic Lange needed.

On the ensuing drive, Lange rolled to his left and hit Noah Khokhar in stride open in the middle of Newton’s zone defense near midfield and the senior speedster sprinted 60 yards untouched to score an 81-yard touchdown with 1:20 remaining to cement Hutchinson’s come-from-behind 32-27 win on the road.

It was a devastating turn of events for Newton, a program that hasn’t won more than three games in a season since 2013, and is now 0-2 after opening the season with two losses by five points or less.

Newton certainly put a scare in the No. 7-ranked team in Class 5A, as the Railers took a 27-20 lead early in the fourth quarter when quarterback Colby Gomez (281 passing yards) connected with Camden Carr for a 61-yard touchdown.

Even when Hutchinson rallied to score on a Khokhar (130 rushing yards, 119 receiving yards, two touchdowns), Newton smothered the extra-point attempt to retain a 27-26 lead.

But the Salthawks’ offense would ultimately be too much to stop, as they rolled up a total of 560 yards. Hutchinson improved to 2-0 heading into a pivotal AV-CTL Div. I and Class 5A showdown against fellow unbeaten Maize South, ranked No. 5 in 5A, next week.

9. Goddard’s scoring flurry leads to 2-0 start after winless season

After being shut out for the first 18 minutes of the game, Goddard exploded for three touchdowns in the final six minutes of the second quarter that propelled the Lions to a 30-7 road win at Valley Center.

Valley Center was in control of the game, leading 7-0 following a 30-yard touchdown catch from running back Daimont Mucker, but the Lions flipped the game with a 21-point barrage just before halftime.

The effectiveness of Goddard’s run-first attack set up quarterback Ashton Sell in the play-action game, as a fake hand-off set up a 48-yard touchdown throw to Jaden Cohens and a 23-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jake Jasnoski. Both receivers were wide open behind the defense.

But the biggest momentum swung came following Sell’s second touchdown throw, as Goddard squibbed the ensuing kick-off and Blake Read was able to recover the loose ball on the Valley Center 31-yard-line with 58 seconds remaining before halftime.

Goddard punched in for its third score when Sell connected with Mason Healy on a drag route in the end zone for an 8-yard score, as the Lions rallied from a 7-0 deficit to take a 21-7 halftime lead. The Lions were able to shut out Valley Center in the second half, as they picked up their second straight win to begin the season.

After going winless last season, coach Tommy Beason has the Lions (2-0) undefeated entering a crucial AV-CTL Div. II road game at Andover (1-1) next Friday.

10. Inman scores first regular-season win over Sedgwick since 2003

Despite losing its starting quarterback to injury in the first quarter, Inman’s offense could not be stopped in a 42-24 win at Sedgwick featuring a pair of top-10 teams in Class 1A.

While the Teutons defeated Sedgwick in the state semifinals last season, Friday’s win for No. 3-ranked Inman snapped a 12-game, regular-season losing streak to No. 10-ranked Sedgwick that dated back to 2003.

It wasn’t a promising start, either, as Sedgwick struck first for an 8-0 lead when quarterback Corey Crumrine connected with Jackson Scarlett and Inman starting quarterback Tanner Heckel exited with an injury.

But Inman stayed the course and its ground-and-pound game led to three touchdowns in the first quarter and a 22-8 lead. The Teutons finished with 203 rushing yards, spread out between Dawson McConnell (76 yards), Kellen Schrag (46 yards) and Sam Shober (42 yards).

It was actually the passing game that helped Inman pull away in the game, as backup quarterback Josiah Buller threw for three touchdowns on 7-of-10 passing for 159 yards. Harrison Brunk was the game-breaker for Inman, hauling in seven passes for 159 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

It is the first 0-2 start to the season for Sedgwick, although it should be pointed out that the Cardinals opened with back-to-back teams ranked ahead of them in the Class 1A rankings.