Haysville Campus sixth-year coach Greg Slade has kept a similar message at various high and low points during the 2017 season.
Campus opened 1-2, including a 42-12 road loss to Salina South in Week 3. South had lost 12 of its previous 13 games before the victory.
Since then, Campus is 3-2 with multiple strong wins and two competitive losses to Maize and Derby.
“We have to prepare every week to be the best we can, and to prepare for all three phases of the game, offensive, defensively and special teams,” Slade said. “We have to make that important in practice and being prepared for that stuff on Friday. That’s something we have preached all year. They have kind of bought in, and we’ve had some pretty good quarters here lately.”
In Week 4, Campus defeated Salina Central, 55-37, and then held on to win versus Andover, 14-10. Andover is 4-4 in Class 4A, Division I.
In Week 6, the Colts fell to one-loss Maize, 36-26. Two weeks ago, Campus pulled a big upset, 35-7, at Hutchinson on the Salthawks’ Senior Night. It marked the Colts’ first win against Hutchinson since 1999.
“We have taken out some of the penalties,” Slade said.
Last week, Campus led one-loss Derby, the two-time defending Class 6A state champion, 17-7 late in the first half and had the halftime lead. The Panthers eventually won 48-20.
“We played well the first half, and felt like they kind of wore us down at the end, and they are still a pretty tough team,” Slade said.
The Colts enter the Class 6A playoffs as one of the classification’s most intriguing teams. Under Slade, Campus has improved from three straight 1-8 seasons to 2-7, 3-6 and now 4-4. The Colts have not been over .500 since 2006.
“The community has really backed us and those things help,” Slade said. “… Then, the work that the kids and the coaching staff put in are unbelievable.”
The Colts are 0-4 all-time in the playoffs and have a chance for its first postseason victory Friday. However, Campus again has to travel to Hutchinson, which fell 14-13 to Maize in Week 8 and stands at 5-3. It marked the first time Maize beat the Salthawks since 2004.
The Colts are the No. 10 seed in 6A West, and Hutchinson stands seventh.
Slade has issued a similar refrain this week. He reminded the Colts that Hutchinson lost four fumbles, including a miscue at the Campus 1-yard line. On the next play, Campus quarterback Federico Harvey found Braden Haak for a 99-yard score. Last year, the Colts lost to Hutchinson, 56-21, in the first round.
Overall, Campus has picked off 12 passes and recovered eight fumbles, the most of Slade’s tenure.
“The thing I talked to our kids about all the time is we have to take care of our stuff,” Slade said. “We’ve got to make sure we are prepared to execute both offensively and defensively and on special teams and using our scouting report and making sure we are ready.”
“And we understand in that game there were some big turnovers that went our way,” Slade added. “We played one of our best games, and we have to match the level we played at, and make sure we are taking care of penalties and the ball.”
Slade, who won a 2011 state title with Rose Hill before he came to Campus, returned nine offensive and seven defensive starters.
Harvey enjoyed a standout junior year in 2016. This season, he completed 112 of 185 passes for 1,922 yards with 21 scores against six interceptions. His brother, junior Cameron, leads with 478 rushing yards. Federico paces with 101 carries and five rushing scores and is second with 386 rushing yards.
Campus has averaged 29 points a game and permitted 27.6. Last season, the Colts tallied 19 a contest and allowed 32.
“He has always been pretty dangerous with his feet,” Slade said. “I just think he has improved his arm strength and his ability to throw the ball.”
Junior 6-foot-2, 230-pounder Quinton Hicks is an elite talent at tight end and linebacker.
Junior tight end Tyler Kahmann (6-3, 225) leads with 33 catches for 471 yards and eight scores, and Hicks is at 32 receptions for 476 yards and seven TDs. The pair has lined up at multiple positions to gain favorable matchups.
“Throw the ball to them from any place,” Slade said. “Allows you to do some things that you can’t always do.”
Cameron Harvey has 27 catches for 421 yards and four scores. Haak suffered a broken thumb in the Hutchinson game, though has nine catches for 223 yards and a pair of TDs.
Sam Wise has recorded 10 catches for 126 yards. The Colts have kept the same five offensive linemen with junior left tackle Seth Falley, junior left guard Gavin Brown, junior center Robert Adamson, senior right guard Lucas Davenport and senior right tackle Matt Kloxin.
“They do well pass (protecting),” Slade said. “We run some things up there that have been successful for them.”
Defensively, the turnovers have been huge in several contests. Versus Andover, Cameron Harvey intercepted a pass in the end zone with 4 minutes, 6 seconds left to seal the win for one of Campus’ two picks.
Earlier in the game, Campus recovered a fumble at the Trojan 35-yard line and converted the short field into points. Against Salina Central, Campus led 33-3 early and had a 40-yard pick-six from Hicks. The Colts withstood 350 passing yards from Central.
Overall, Federico has picked off five passes to lead the team. Hicks paces the Colts with 112 stops, while junior defensive end Mateo Martinez has 53 stops and a team-best 16 TFLs.
“Whenever you get any turnovers that helps,” Slade said.
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