St. Francis and Atwood-Rawlins County, longtime Northwest Kansas League rivals separated by 42 miles on U.S. Highway 36, had played football for 89 years entering the 2008 season.
Then-Buffs coach Scott Noble talked with former St. Francis coach Tim Lambert about forming the Yoke Bowl between the two teams. The “yoke” was derived because of the two communities “yoked together” by its farming background, according to the Oct. 30, 2008 “Saint Francis Gazette.”
A trophy is the shape of a yoke was constructed with Buffaloes inscribed at one end, Indians on the other and a saying in the middle that included: “This trophy, an oxen yoke, is a symbol of the tradition that has grown between these two communities, communities tied together by strong agricultural roots, an unbridled work ethic, profound sense of history and fair play.”
At that time, Atwood and Sainty were longtime Class 2-1A traditional powers, and St. Francis was in the middle of a long run of elite success under Lambert. Now, the teams will match up in the eight-man ranks for the third straight season.
St. Francis (5-0, 3-0) travels to Atwood (4-0, 2-0) in a key Eight-Man, Division I, District 8 contest that should decide both playoff berths for the second straight year. The Indians are ranked No. 1 in the classification. This marks one of four games this Friday between unbeaten Division I teams. Atwood is coming off a Week 5 bye.
“Kids from St. Francis, kids from Atwood, they kind of look forward to this ballgame every year,” Atwood first-year coach Matt Smith said. “It’s like the old rival, the old KU-K-State rival or the old KU-Missouri rival.”
St. Francis is 15-1 under second-year coach Rodney Yates, whose in-laws have longtime ties to the Saint Francis area.
“Everybody in both towns is aware of the Yoke Bowl, and they are aware of the implications behind the Yoke Bowl, and everybody involved understands the impact or the influence that winning the Yoke Bowl has for the rest of the year,” Yates said.
In 2014, the teams met for the first time since 2011, and Atwood won, 44-8. Last year, the Indians earned a 20-12 win in Week 5 en route to the district crown. It marked Sainty’s first victory in the series since an 18-6 win in 2009 that also yielded a district title.
Yates also recalled last season’s contest having weather elements “that really dictated” the Indians’ offensive gameplan. The game was tied at six at halftime before St. Francis outscored Atwood, 14-6, in the second half.
“We felt like after that win, we really caught fire,” Yates said. “And we were really able to grow as a team and bond, and the transformation during that process took us from a team that thought they could play and had the ability to play, but after that game last year, our kids were now using confidence to execute the game plan.”
This season, both teams return a significant core and each squad has yielded major improvements. Atwood had an average score of 41-24 in ’15 en route to its third straight playoff berth. This season, the Buffs have an average margin of 46-12 under Smith, the longtime previous South Central coach.
Smith took over head football coach and then principal with Rawlins County. Former coach Deone Horinek, a Rawlins County standout, is now the athletic director. Smith had the degree needed for principal for the last eight years but hadn’t used it. He labeled the new position “kind of exciting.”
“Like I told my wife, ‘The Good Lord will offer things when He wants to,’” Smith said.
Senior Maverick Green has developed as quarterback with 69 rushes for 518 yards and eight rushing scores in the option game. He has also thrown for 248 yards with four scores against three interceptions. Last year, he had 301 rushing yards and three scores. Passing-wise, he threw for 11 touchdowns and 435 yards.
Senior running back Cole Sramek has 60 rushes for 522 yards and eight scores. For his career, Sramek has 3,487 rushing yards and 48 rushing touchdowns. Senior Will Ginther has anchored a depth-laden line at center and is tied with Sramek for the team-high with 49 tackles.
“Maverick Green was kind of under the radar a little bit from what we had seen on tape,” Yates said. “So now, coming into this year, he has been the one that has really elevated their play.”
Atwood’s defense has forced 15 turnovers and delivered 33 sacks. Junior Jalen Kruep has blocked two punts and returned both of interceptions for scores. Junior Will Crouse has 10 sacks and junior Sohn Domsch has collected 11 TFLs after he recorded zero in eight contests last season.
“He is not very big, but his motor doesn’t stop, and that’s kind of what’s fun about Sohn,” Smith said. “Unfortunately, he has had some issues with some injuries in the past, and so far, he has been injury-free this year other than a few bumps and things along the way.”
St. Francis had an average score of 51-13 last season and has been even more dominant this fall behind a senior-laden group. The Indians have an average margin of 48-8, including a 22-20 Week 1 home win against Wallace County, ranked No. 4 in Division II. Atwood defeated Wallace County, 26-20, the following week, though Wildcat standout Grady Hammer didn’t play.
“It was a great win for the kids, but we talk about being 0-0 every week,” Smith said. “Whoever we are playing that week, that’s our focus, and right now, we are 0-0, and we have got St. Francis on Friday, and that’s our main focus on Friday.”
“I always tell the kids, ‘You’ve got to live in the present, you can’t live in the past, you can’t live in the future, you have got to live in the present, you only have so much time to play this game, so let’s enjoy it right now,’” Smith added. “We do – we just live in that moment as we should, and that’s kind how we take life, live in it right now, and you’ve got to give it everything that you’ve got.”
Senior Quinton Cravens has completed 73 percent of his passes (39 of 54) for 809 yards with 12 scores against two interceptions. That included 383 passing yards and six scores on 16 of 17 attempts in a 66-18 Week 3 win against Hill City that was called at halftime.
Senior Taylor Rogers has a team-high 390 rushing yards, just ahead of Cravens’ 358. Rogers has scored 15 touchdowns on 61 offensive touches.
“His ability to lead our guys and get them in the right spot and throw the ball exactly where it needs to be thrown is the difference in our ability to move the ball on offense,” Yates said. “Not to overlook that he runs the ball exceptionally well.”
Sophomore Jordan Raby has played well on the veteran squad that also includes senior wide receivers Brock Waters and Tate Busse (combined six receiving scores) and junior Luke Lampe (team-high 36 stops).
“Brock is smart,” Yates said. “He understands throughout the week what we need to do to adjust our timing and things like that based on what the defense is doing. … Having a security blanket like Brock makes the other side of the field with Tate Busse and Taylor Rogers much easier for us to game plan.”
St. Francis has allowed just two offensive touchdowns, both in the second quarter of the Hill City victory, since the first half of the Wallace County win.
Throughout the offseason, Yates emphasized improving the run defense. Since allowing 76 rushing yards in Week 1, Sainty has permitted 39 rushing yards a contest on two yards a carry. For the season, opponents have completed 17 of 49 passes for 161 yards. Yates said the defense has improved in tackling and played well in the second and third levels, the part he labeled the defense’s strength.
“Since the Wallace County game, we have done some really exceptional things defensively,” Yates said. “And it’s been tough to move the ball on us.”
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