Class 4A– Division II
East: No. 3 Topeka Hayden (7-4) at No. 4 Holton (7-4)
No matter who wins this matchup, it will be a remarkable turnaround.
The Topeka Hayden Wildcats and the Holton Wildcats each started the season with 0-3 records. Now, one of the two teams will represent the East in the Class 4A Division II state championship.
Playing in the Centennial League, which includes mostly 5A and 6A schools, Hayden dropped its first three games to Topeka High, Emporia and Topeka Seaman. Hayden followed with a win over Topeka West and a loss against Washburn Rural to start the season with a 1-4 record.
Since then, Hayden is on a six-game winning streak and has defeated its five Class 4A Division II opponents by a combined score of 227-92.
Hayden topped Girard 40-12 last week after taking a 33-0 halftime lead. Tomas Stringer ran for 106 yards and two touchdowns. As a team, Hayden rushed for 350 yards.
Holton, a Big 7 team, opened the season with losses to Atchison, Sabetha and Nemaha Central. Holton’s only other loss was a 47-32 defeat to Hayden during district competition.
In that first meeting, Holton jumped out to a 26-14 lead. But Hayden forced three Holton turnovers in the third quarter and turned all three into touchdowns. In all, Hayden scored 26 points in the quarter to pull off the comeback.
Holton’s four turnovers were the difference in the game as it gained 383 yards of total offense (all on the ground) compared to 235 for Hayden. Holton’s Spencer Baum rushed for 148 yards in the losing effort.
Since then, Holton has earned wins over Santa Fe Trail, Baldwin and Frontenac. Last week, Holton ousted top-ranked Frontenac with a miraculous comeback victory, scoring all 32 points in the fourth quarter. The Raiders entered the fourth quarter with a 21-0 lead.
Holton’s Tyler Price scored on a 1-yard touchdown run with 13 seconds left to propel the Wildcats to the 32-28 win.
On the season, Baum leads Holton with 1,435 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns on 168 carries. Miles McClintock-Strozier has added 1,120 yards and 16 touchdowns on 108 carries.
Hayden 28, Holton 21 (Schremmer)
West: No. 1 Pratt (10-1) at No. 2 Holcomb (10-1)
These two teams are awarded a second matchup this season after Pratt defeated Holcomb, 35-28 at home in Week 8.
Defending state champion Holcomb won its last nine games of ’15 and its first seven this year before losing to the Greenbacks. That loss was also the first time Holcomb had permitted more than 14 points during the winning streak.
Since then, Holcomb has bounced back with a 47-7 win against GWAC foe Hugoton to qualify for the postseason, and then defeated Scott City, 34-20, in the first round of the playoffs. Holcomb had defeated Scott City, 32-13, in Week 2. Last week, Holcomb won at home, 44-29, against Wichita Collegiate and gets to host again on Friday night.
Dillon Williams finished with 28 carries for 193 yards and four scores against Collegiate. Holcomb led 14-7 at halftime. Junior quarterback Trey Gilbert had 12 carries for 115 yards.
Peyton Leonard had a key 56-yard kickoff return to the Collegiate 24-yard line that set up a score and a 36-21 lead early in the fourth quarter.
Holcomb rushed for 366 yards against Scott City and then had 344 versus Collegiate. Those two performances are the Longhorns’ two largest rushing totals in the last two years and the third most since 2011. Holcomb has pushed its season average to 241 yards per contest.
Williams has 122 carries for 1,009 yards and 11 scores. Since the Pratt loss, he has rushed for 173, 212 and 193 yards, easily his three highest totals this year. He also leads the team with 123 tackles.
Holcomb’s defense has forced 33 turnovers and is plus-15 in turnover margin, though had no turnovers against Collegiate and just one versus Pratt. Holcomb is in the sub-state title game for the third straight year after falling to eventual state champion Andale in 2014.
The Longhorn offense, led by Gilbert (24 passing touchdowns), averages 6.9 yards per play.
Pratt is into the sub-state championship for the first time since 1998. The Greenbacks defeated Kingman (35-0), Colby (49-26) and Smoky Valley (38-6) after the Holcomb win. Colby ran for 288 yards, including 89 from standout Jordan Schippers, but Pratt’s offense tallied 519 yards.
Pratt held Smoky Valley’s standout ground game to 55 carries for 175 yards. Pratt ran just 40 plays but had 369 yards. Pratt averages 304 rushing yards a contest.
Sophomore Travis Theis has 1,610 rushing yards and 20 rushing scores, while senior Hunter Kaufman has 24 offensive scores on just 99 touches.
Junior quarterback Landen Studer has 814 passing yards with an 8/1 TD/INT ratio. Pratt has eight turnovers and is plus-13 in turnover margin. The Greenbacks average 8.1 yards per play.
Even if Holcomb continues to ground-and-pound, a major key is going to be big plays. Pratt held the Longhorns to 282 yards, easily the Longhorns’ lowest of the year. The Greenbacks finished with 397 yards.
Holcomb’s longest play was a 29-yard pass. Pratt had a 73-yard pass play, another pass of 24 yards and runs of 47, 25 and 30 yards.
Holcomb 30, Pratt 28 (Nicholl)
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