Eagle Story on 3A Game

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                                              From the Wichita Eagle:

HUTCHINSON — Traces of blood lingered on Collegiate senior Nathan Burgoyne’s lips, just below the three wads of cotton stuffed into his nose as he walked toward the Spartans’ locker room following the Class 3A title game on Saturday.
    There was a splotch of blood on his white jersey, which was soaked from the rain that fell throughout. Burgoyne thinks he broke his nose when he made a 25-yard catch to get the Spartans to the Rossville 16 in the game’s final 45 seconds at Gowans Stadium.
    The physical pain met little, though, because Rossville defeated Collegiate 20-19 to win its second straight title and hand the Spartans their first loss.
    “I’ll remember this game for the rest of my life,” Burgoyne said, shivering. “Obviously I’ll never play high school football again. It’s been an amazing ride. I just can’t imagine it’s over.
     “To get so close and lose by a point, it hurts. I’m not going to lie.”
    In the final 30 seconds, Collegiate had two incomplete passes and a false start penalty. In the final eight seconds, Spartans quarterback Austin Waddell threw to the end zone but was intercepted by Jacob Bradshaw as time expired.
     “If we had a couple more times, I wouldn’t have thrown that last pass,” said Waddell, who completed 12 of 21 passes for 177 yards and two touchdowns.
    “A lot of regrets. The last play, nothing else really matters. It was the game-deciding moment. It was win or lose right there. We just came up short.”

    The conditions slowed Collegiate and Rossville and their speedy players. There was ice packed on the field, which made cuts virtually impossible. And if a player successfully changed direction, a lengthy gain was likely. As the rain soaked the players’ uniforms, tackling became even more difficult.
    “It’s hard to cut, hard to throw the ball,” Waddell said. “The ball is soaking wet. It’s hard to do anything football related.… It was a mental battle.”
    Still, both teams moved the ball well.
    Rossville took a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter on quarterback Tucker Horak’s five-yard touchdown run that capped a 16-play drive. He finished with 24 carries for 150 yards.
    Collegiate responded with 19 unanswered points, first scoring when Waddell connected with Jack Larsen for a 24-yard touchdown pass for the 7-7 score at the half.
    In the third quarter, Burgoyne scored on a 60-yard pass from Waddell for a 13-7 lead. After a Cooper Root interception, Waddell capped an eight-play drive with a one-yard scoring run for a 19-7 lead with 2:40 to go in the period. Waddell had 101 rushing yards on 20 carries.
    “We thought this one was ours,” said Root, a junior. “Especially when we got the lead in the third quarter. We thought we had this one, finally.”
    But on the first play of the final period, Horak finished an 11-play drive with an eight-yard touchdown run to get within 19-14.
    Less than a minute later, on Collegiate’s third play following that touchdown, Horak recovered a Spartans fumble and ran 65 yards for the go-ahead touchdown.
    “He made football plays today, and it wasn’t just from the quarterback position,” Rossville coach Derick Hammes said. “That’s the kind of kid he is. When the moment’s the biggest, he somehow comes up with the play needed, and he did that again for us today.”
    It was a blow to Collegiate.
    “It’s so painful because the conditions, and we had (a) fumble there that we typically don’t,” Collegiate coach Mike Gehrer said. “They had the same (field) condition, so you can’t complain about it. I just hate the fact that it was a determining factor.”
    Collegiate forced Rossville to punt, and with 7:42 to go and, starting at its own 9, put a quality drive together.
    A Rossville pass interference on third and nine at the Collegiate 22 extended the drive, and then Levi Aldag converted a fourth-and 1 near midfield.
    Burgoyne’s 25-yard reception at the Rossville 16 put the Spartans in prime territory. A field goal for the win was planned.
    But time ran out and the desperation pass was intercepted.

Rossville Wins 3A State

From the Capital-Journal:

— It wasn’t a position Rossville had found itself in this year, but the Bulldawgs had been here before.

Last year, in fact. On the very same field. In nearly the very same spot.

So maybe it was understandable there was a certain sense of déjà vu that came over the Bulldawgs trailing Wichita Collegiate 19-7 at the start of the fourth quarter of Saturday’s Class 3A state championship game at Hutchinson’s Gowan Stadium.

“In a lot of ways, it was a lot like last year where it was a calming effect when we got down,” Rossville coach Derick Hammes said, referring to the 2014 title game when Rossville rallied from a 14-7 deficit in the final seven minutes to upend Scott City for its first state title. “We knew we had to get down to business.”

Just as it did a year ago, Rossville finished what it started. Tucker Horak scored on the first play of the fourth quarter to start the comeback, then returned a fumble 65 yards for the game-winning score less than a minute later and Rossville held on to edge Collegiate 20-19 in a game played mostly in a freezing rain on an ice-covered field.

The title capped a second straight 14-0 season and gave the Bulldawgs their second straight Class 3A title after having never won one in the program’s tradition-rich past. Collegiate finished the season 13-1.

“I just knew we’re a second-half team more than anything,” said Horak, who scored all three of Rossville’s touchdowns and finished with 150 yards rushing and 179 total yards. “I just walked in (to the halftime locker room) and said, ‘Coach, you don’t have anything to worry about. We’re going to win this game.’ ”

Even that belief might have been put to the ultimate test after Collegiate came out and dominated the third quarter. Getting huge plays on screen passes to the backside of the Bulldawg defense, the Spartans struck quickly to break a 7-7 halftime tie.

Austin Waddell broke the tie with a 60-yard throwback pass to Nathan Burgoyne on Collegiate’s first possession of the second half. He then connected with John Egan out of the backfield for a 36-yard play after a block in the back wiped out a 28-yard scoring pass to Burgoyne, setting up Waddell’s 1-yard sneak that made it 19-7 Spartans.

“We watched a lot of film and knew they were very aggressive,” Collegiate coach Mike Gehrer said. “The screen plays were going to be there and they were. We missed two early in the game that were both touchdowns if we catch the ball.”

The touchdowns dealt Rossville in its biggest deficit of the season and to that point, the Bulldawgs’ high-powered offense hadn’t done much. After driving 65 yards for a touchdown on its first possession, capped by a 5-yard run by Horak, Rossville had managed just 105 more yards through the end of the third quarter — 41 on a run by Horak late in the first half.

Another 61 of those yards came on the final drive of the third quarter after Collegiate’s final touchdown, setting up Horak’s 8-yard run to start the fourth. But whatever traction the Bulldawgs gained with that drive, Collegiate seemingly snuffed when Waddell broke a 22-yard run on the Spartans’ first play of their next possession to move the ball back into Rossville territory.

Two plays later, the Bulldawg defense — which has gone largely under-appreciated in Rossville’s record-setting offensive season — came up with the play of the game.

Guess who? Yep, Horak, who really hadn’t been able to bust the big plays he'd done all season en route to becoming the state’s career leader in total offense. Instead, it was a strip of Burgoyne, who had been stacked up by the Bulldawg front.

And once Horak got in the clear, he was on his way to the game-winner.

“As hard as it is to believe, after they scored their third touchdown I told our right tackle (Jackson Reeves), ‘We’re going to score twice and we’re gonna win this thing,’ ” Horak said. “I saw (Burgoyne) was trying to do a little too much and hung it out a little bit. I just did what I could and made a play.”

With 11 minutes left, it was far from over. Not with Collegiate’s offense just as powerful as Rossville’s this season, averaging 54.6 points per game. The Spartans went three-and-out on their next possession following Horak’s scoop and score, but got the ball back with 7:42 left.

Collegiate methodically moved down the field and got a big third-and-9 conversion at its own 22 on a pass interference call. An 11-yard completion to Cody McNerney and 25-yard connection to Burgoyne moved it to the Rossville 16 with less than 30 seconds to play.

But after two straight incompletions and a false start penalty pushed the Spartans back to the 21, Collegiate had one last play for the win — unable to try a game-winning field goal because of the conditions.

Waddell lofted a pass to the corner of the end zone, but Jacob Bradshaw and Horak were both there waiting for it. Bradshaw secured the interception, sealing the championship.

“It seemed like the ball was never going to come down,” Bradshaw said. “I just wanted to make a play on it. I knew if I could go up and get it, it would seal the deal. I was just trying to get the win for my teammates. It was a crazy game and this feels awesome right now.”

Waddell was outstanding otherwise for the Spartans, rushing for 101 yards and throwing for 177. But Rossville bottled up the rest of the Spartan running game, holding three other backs to just 64 yards.

Horak finished the game with 179 total yards, leaving him just 73 yards shy of hitting 5,000 for the season. Instead, he moved to No. 6 on the national career total offense list, finishing with 12,452 combined rushing and passing yards in his career.

“The field conditions didn’t allow either one of us to play the game the way we wanted to play,” Hammes said. “It was just a battle, a game of will and not that they didn’t want it, but our kids wanted it bad. They came up with the plays at the end.”

Wichita Collegiate (13-1) 0 7 12 0 — 19

Rossville (14-0)                7 0 0 13 — 20

Ross — Horak 5 run (Nascimento kick)

WC — Larsen 24 pass from Waddell (Winter kick)

WC — Burgoyne 60 pass from Waddell (run failed)

WC — Waddell 1 run (pass failed)

Ross — Horak 8 run (Nascimento kick)

Ross — Horak 65 fumble return (run failed)

GAME IN FIGURES

WC Ross

First downs 17 15

Rushes-yards 45-165 45-227

Passing 177 29

Comp-Att-Int 12-21-1 4-10-1

Punts 2-12.5 4-26.2

Fumbles-Lost 2-1 1-0

Penalties-Yards 7-37 6-66

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — Wichita Collegiate: Waddell 20-101, Burgoyne 17-50, Egan 4-8, Aldag 4-6. Rossville: Horak 24-150, Hammes 14-53, Balch 6-22, Roduner 1-2.

PASSING — Wichita Collegiate: Waddell 12-21-1, 177 yards. Rossville: Horak 4-10-1, 29.

RECEIVING — Wichita Collegiate: Burgoyne 4-96, Egan 3-38, Larsen 2-30, Root 2-2, McNerney 1-11. Rossville: Hammes 1-8, Balch 1-8, Schumacher 1-7, Roduner 1-6.

3A Title Game Results

    At the half,  the Dawgs and Wichita Collegiate are tied at 7-7 on a snow and ice covered field.
    Rossville has had 9 first downs and converted on 2 of 6 third down attempts.  Collegiate has 7 first downs and converted on 5 of 9 third down attempts.
    Horak is 3 of 8 passing for 22 yards with one interception.
    The Dawgs have been plagued with several costly penalties.

    Rossville intercepted a desperation pass as time ran out to preserve a 20-19 win.  Wichita started their last drive on their own 8 and moved to the Dawg 15,  but couldn't get it into the end zone.
    The Dawgs are now Repeat 3A State Champs.

Hutchinson News Preview Of Big Game

Everyone around these parts knows about Wichita Collegiate football. The Spartans have won three state championships, including two this century.

And the names produced by Collegiate through the years ... man, it's hard to imagine a Class 3A school producing this much major-college talent, from DeAngelo Evans (Nebraska) to Harrison Hill (Kansas) to Banks Floodman (Kansas) to Joe Rheem (Kansas State).

Evans, you may recall, still owns the state record for career rushing yards at 8,472. Better numbers than a kid named Barry Sanders put up.

But what about Rossville? What do you know about Rossville?

Rossville is the reigning Class 3A state champion, beating Scott City in a thrilling game last November at Gowans Stadium. But Rossville has been a victim to geography through the years.

Less than six miles southeast of Rossville is Silver Lake, and Silver Lake has gobbled up eight state titles.

But right now, it's all about Rossville. The Bulldogs have won the last three "War on 24" matchups, have the trophy that Silver Lake envies and are playing in a game today that Silver Lake so often does.

And if you haven't heard of Tucker Horak, you probably should learn about him. The Rossville quarterback is the first player in Kansas history to rush for at least 2,000 yards and pass for at least 2,000 yards in a single season. He has scampered for 2,705 yards and 45 touchdowns, while heaving the ball for 2,043 yards and 30 scores. For his career, Horak has accumulated more than 12,000 yards of offense.

As such, Rossville has pretty much beaten the snot out of everybody this year. The fewest points the Bulldogs have scored? That was 42, which came in a 42-32 quarterfinal win against Pittsburg Colgan. Five times, the powerful Bulldogs have racked up at least 61 points. Four other times, they scored at least 42.

And just to prove Rossville has more than Horak, Dawson Hammes has rushed for 1,050 yards. Three receivers - Christian Roduner, Cole Schumacher and Jacob Bradshaw - have at least 405 yards and four touchdowns each.

Collegiate, of course, has the kind of arsenal that can keep up with Rossville should the game turn into a track meet. Austin Waddel has thrown for 1,491 yards and 18 touchdowns while Nathan Burgoyne has rushed for 1,458 yards and 30 scores while averaging eight yards a carry.

The defense might be Collegiate's best asset, though. Rose Hill, Circle, Clearwater, Bluestem, Douglass and Halstead tried but failed to score. Wellington, Conway Springs and Garden Plain mustered a single touchdown. That means in nine of 13 games played, Collegiate has allowed eight points or less.

You always like to think state championship games are going to be classic, down-to-the-end battles. It doesn't always pan out. But if this is not one of those, it would be a surprise.

Tucker Horak 2014 Highlighrts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6Fj4WjzFJw

Capital-Journal Preview Of Big Game

brent.maycock@cjonline.com

HUTCHINSON — It’s simply hard to ignore the numbers.

Rossville is the highest-scoring 11-man football team in the state this year, racking up 723 points (55.6 per game) on its way to a 13-0 mark. Wichita Collegiate is the second-highest scoring 11-man football team in the state this year, amassing 711 points (54.7 per game) on its way to a 13-0 record.

So expect an offensive shootout when the last two undefeated teams in the state meet at 1 p.m. Saturday in Hutchinson for the Class 3A state title?

Well, maybe.

“You just never know and I don’t think you can predict things like that,” Rossville coach Derick Hammes said. “They do have the ability to score and put a lot of points on the board, just like we can. But if you look at them, they can play some defense, too. And I think we have a pretty good defense as well.”

While each team’s defense may be a bit overshadowed by the offensive prowess, both took center stage in last week’s semifinal victories.

Facing a Wellsville team that had found its offensive stride late in the season, scoring more than 50 points in five of its previous six games, Rossville put the clamps on the Eagles. The Bulldawgs held Wellsville to just 229 yards and pitched a shutout in a 49-0 win.

Yet Collegiate might have been even more impressive. Halstead entered its showdown with the Spartans undefeated and averaging 43 points behind the explosive 1-2 punch of Blake Beckett and Eli McKee. Yet Collegiate shut them down, holding the Dragons to 141 yards (just 46 rushing) in a 21-0 win.

“I think our defense has been getting better and better every week and that’s a key that every coach talks about,” Collegiate coach Mike Gehrer said. “We took a team last week averaging 320 yards per game and held them to (46) yards. Defense is definitely going to be big and we just have to continue to be assignment sound.”

The chances of an offensive shootout materializing are quite good, simply because of the skill players each team boasts.

Rossville quarterback Tucker Horak has enjoyed a season unlike any other in state history. In last week’s win over Wellsville, the Bulldawg senior became the first player in state history to rush and throw for 2,000 yards in the same season.

He enters the title game with 2,705 yards and 45 touchdowns rushing (15.4 yards per carry) and 2,043 yards and 30 touchdowns passing (79.2 completion percentage). With 4,748 yards of total offense this year, Horak has a shot at becoming just the 14th player in the nation to ever top 5,000 yards of total offense in a single season.

Horak’s career total offense of 12,273 yards ranks No. 8 all-time in the nation.

“Horak is very, very special,” Gehrer said. “But they’re a very dynamic team with a great, quick pass game and running the ball. They have a great offensive and defensive front that has been big for them. For us, we need to get them throwing the ball. He has been successful doing that, (but) that’s not what they do the best.”

Hammes almost echoes Gehrer’s sentiments when talking about trying to defend Collegiate’s explosive offense.

The Spartans have run for 2,908 yards as a team, led by Nathan Burgoyne’s 1,458 yards and 30 touchdowns. But when Norton slowed Burgoyne in the quarterfinals, quarterback Austin Waddell exploded for 121 yards and three scores on the ground.

For the season, Waddell has rushed for 507 yards and thrown for 1,491 yards and 18 touchdowns with Burgoyne (23 catches, 513 yards, 8 TDs) and Jack Larsen (38-551, 5 TDs) his prime targets.

“It’s always the same thing, it’s our ability to stop the run,” Hammes said. “It’s easier to defend the pass if you stop the run or at least slow it down. That’s where it always starts. If they’re able to pass on their terms, it makes an offense very difficult to stop.

“They look really good. I look at them and I don’t find a lot of weaknesses. They’ve got a big offensive line, talented skill players and their defensive front is really, really good. They’re about as talented as you can be in 3A and will be a heck of a team to play.”

The last time Collegiate played for a state title, it was an offensive shootout. The Spartans downed Marysville 37-30 for the 3A title in 2009, racking up 374 yards of offense and getting kickoff and punt return touchdowns from Brett LeMaster to offset a 393 yards from Marysville.

Though the Spartans haven’t returned to a title game since, Gehrer said the moment shouldn’t be too big for his team, which has advanced to the second round of the playoffs in five of the six years since and reached the quarterfinals last year before losing to Scott City — the team Rossville beat in the title game for its first state crown.

“This has been their goal and they’ve been focused on it,” Gehrer said. “The stage isn’t too big for us. When we got to Scott City last year, the stage might have been too big for us. But once you start playing these kind of people and are in one-and-done situations, they’re all big and both teams are used to playing in them.”

Rossville has won 27 straight games going into its second straight championship game. The road back hasn’t been easy, starting with the regular-season finale against War on 24 rival Silver Lake and continuing with tests from Nemaha Central, Colgan and Wellsville in the playoffs.

But Rossville has survived them all, emphatically taking over the Silver Lake and Nemaha games in the second half.

“Our playoff run, we’ve had about as difficult a road to get to this game as we could have,” Hammes said. “We’ve played some good football teams to get here and have been challenged. And I think we’ve played some good football against people that have won a lot of games. It’s prepared us.”

Eagle Preview of Saturday's Game

BY JOANNA CHADWICK

jchadwick@wichitaeagle.com

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Class 3A State Championship Game

ROSSVILLE (13-0)

Top players: QB-DB Tucker Horak, sr.; WR-DB Christian Roduner, sr.; RB-LB Dawson Hammes, jr.; OL-DL Gabe Marney, sr.; OL-DE Kole Daveron, sr.; WR-DB Cole Schumacher, jr.

Key stats: Horak has 2,043 passing yards and 30 touchdowns, along with 2,705 rushing yards and 45 touchdowns. Dawson Hammes has 139 tackles.

Championships: 2014

Bulldawgs coach Derick Hammes

What has gotten you here: “I think we had the necessary parts coming into this season to get to this point. We had a good group of experienced players. We had four returning offensive linemen, and, obviously, if your quarterback is returning and he’s as good as the one we had, those things help.”

What will it take to win: “The football games are won up front. The ability to establish the run and stop the run are always priorities for us. That’s the kind of team that they are, too. And since we’ve been here before, we’ll use the same routine that we used last time. The fact that we went through it before, it makes it a little easier.”

WICHITA COLLEGIATE (13-0)

Top players: QB Austin Waddell, sr.; RB Nathan Burgoyne, sr.; WR Jack Larsen, sr.; TE-LB Cooper Root, jr.; RB-LB Levi Aldag, sr.; OL-DL Will Locke, sr.

Key stats: Waddell has 1,756 passing yards. Burgoyne has 1,560 rushing yards. Larsen has 596 receiving yards. Collegiate has beaten its opponents 659-122 with five shutouts.

Championships: 1994, 2000, 2009

Spartans coach Mike Gehrer

What has gotten you here: “Pure determination of the entire unit. We’ve got all these seniors that are leading, and the support guys, the young guys that have stepped up, they have had great years. The scout team does a great job. The team concept of doing whatever it takes, it’s been going on all year.”

What will it take to win: “What we’ve got to do to win is stop them. It’s going to come down to defense. We feel that we’ll be able to put some points up, and they will be able to put some points up. They’re very dynamic. Horak is a load.… It becomes about ball control. One way to do that is control the game with your offense. We need sustained drives. We don’t want to be in a situation where we have a few quick plays and we’re out.”

Joanna Chadwick’s pick: Rossville

Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/sports/high-school/article46454870.html#storylink=cpy

WIBW Video Of Dawgs

ROSSVILLE, Kan. (WIBW) -- The defending champions Rossville Bulldawgs are primed for their second-straight Class 3A State Championship game on Saturday.

The 'Dawgs are riding a 27 game win streak into their title game against Wichita-Collegiate.

Whatever the end result in Hutchinson might be the back-to-back state championship appearances have been important for the Rossville community.

"I'm happy for the community. We've got people in the Rossville area and even Rossville alums that take a lot of pride in the football program," said Rossville High School football coach Derick Hammes.

"It means so much our community has been waiting for this for a long time," said Rossville senior quarterback Tucker Horak. "We got it back when the first team ever made it and then last year we actually finished it and won."

"It's a great feeling to go back-to-back to Hutch since last year was our first time it was obviously one of the biggest things to ever happen to this school," said Rossville senior wide receiver and defensive back Christian Roduner. "To win one was the biggest probably."

As a team Rossville has put up some big numbers besides the obvious 27 game winning streak. The offense is averaging 55.6 points a game and the defense has held nine opponents to 14 points or less.

The biggest numbers jump off the paper when you look at Horak. He is the first Kansas high school athlete to rush for 2,000 yards and throw for 2,000 yards in the same season. Horak has 2,043 passing yards with 30 touchdowns through the air and 2,705 yards rushing with 45 touchdowns on the ground.

"Just reflecting on his accomplishments, I'm sure when it's all said and done we'll really appreciate it but we're in the moment right now and we're trying to win this last game," said Hammes. "When it's all said and done we'll be able to sit back and appreciate everything he's done."

Also Horak sits at 183 career touchdowns headed into his final game (182 on offense) which breaks Wichita Collegiate's DeAngelo Evans' record of 131 career touchdowns scored from 1992-95.

On a national level according to the National Federation of State High School Associations Horak's 182 touchdowns on offense would rank him third nationally for most career touchdowns on offense.

"I would say it's kind of cool to do that and to see those numbers a little bit. But I try not to look into that too much because overall this is really the ultimate team sport," said Horak. "You've got five guys blocking and you got a good snap and you got people blocking on the perimeter and catching balls. so it's to get to do this for the team i think is the best thing."

Rossville plays Wichita Collegiate Saturday at 1:00 P.M. in Hutchinson.

To see a 2 minute video about the Dawgs, go to:   http://www.wibw.com/sports/headlines/Tucker-Horaks-succesful-career-only-part-of-the-success-for-the-Rossville-Bulldawgs-353397341.html

CatchItKansas Article On 3A FB Game

Following is an article from CatchItKansas  

After defeating Halstead 21-0 for a Sub-State championship, Collegiate (13-0) is now one game away from winning their first state title since 2009.

Standing in their way, the defending 3A champs Rossville (13-0).

After upsetting Scott City 21-14 in last year's title game, Rossville has been nothing short of dominant in 2015, outscoring opponents by an average of 42 points per game.

The Bulldogs are led by one of the best quarterbacks Class 3A has seen in recent history. This year Tucker Horak, the state's leading rusher, became the first player in Kansas history to throw for 2,000 yards and rush for 2,000 yards in the same season. The definition of a dual threat quarterback, Horak has 30 passing touchdowns and 45 rushing touchdowns on the year. 

"Based on film we have on him, he's (Horak) obviously hard to tackle," said Collegiate quarterback Austin Waddell. "I think that most teams try to go for the big hits on him instead of just wrapping up and making the play and he just bounces off the hits and hits a big play."

Horak has enjoyed one of the best careers any 3A quarterback has ever had. Heading into Saturday's game, Horak has 5,483 career passing yards (68% completions) for 67 touchdowns, and has rushed for 6,790 yards for an incredible 109 touchdowns. According to the NFHS, Horak's 12,653 career total yards are the 6th most all-time in United States history. With Horak leading the offense, Rossville has averaged 539 total yards per game. 

For Waddell, he feels no added pressure to match his counterpart's stats.

"I don't need to do anything I haven't done in big games already. I just need to trust the offense, take care of the football, and be patient. A lot of people get flustered in these games and try to do stuff that is out of their abilities and it usually ends up in turnovers. I just need to do the things I've been doing all season," said Waddell.

If there is a team that can stop Horak, Collegiate may be up to the task. During their Sub-State victory, Collegiate held Halstead to just 38 yards rushing. Halstead had previously averaged more than 350 yards rushing per game.

Forcing turnovers will be key for Collegiate, who have forced 32 turnovers (14 INT, 18 FUM) this season. In Rossville's closest game (42-32 over St. Mary's-Colgan), Horak threw one interception and also lost a fumble.

If Collegiate wins the turnover battle, the Spartans could look to Waddell and running back Nathan Burgoyne to continue their success rushing the ball, as the combination are averaging more than 150 yards rushing per game. 

For Waddelll, it would be a dream come true if the Spartans could bring home the 3A title.

"Every kid dreams of growing up and winning a state championship. It's the best thing a high school athlete can achieve. People don't forget when you win a state championship, I still hear people talk about them from twenty years ago. It would definitely be an amazing feeling to hear the buzzer sound with us on top," said Waddell.

If Collegiate is able to knock of the defending champs, it will be the Spartans fourth state title in program history and third since 2000. If Horak and the Bulldogs find open lanes to run through, Rossville will remain kings of Class 3A, improving their record to 40-1 over the last 3 

Isaac Luellen Signs LOI

ROSSVILLE (KSNT) – Issac Luellen, a multi-sport standout for the Rossville Bulldawgs, signed his National Letter of Intent on Tuesday afternoon to wrestle at the University of Nebraska-Kearney.

Luellen is finishing up his senior year at Rossville. As a junior, he won the state championship at 182 pounds and has plans to defend his title this season.

He is also a member of the Rossville football team and leads the state in sacks. The Bulldawgs will play against Wichita-Collegiate on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. in Hutchinson for the Class 3A state championship.

Congratulations Isaac, and best of luck wrestling at UNK!

For video of Isaac signing his LOI,  go to:  http://ksnt.com/2015/11/24/rossvilles-isaac-luellen-signs-with-nebraska-kearney/

FBLA National Conference

    The Rossville  Future Business Leaders Of America attended the FLBA National Fall Leadership Conference in Omaha, NE.    Those attending and pictured below were:   Mitchell Porter, Ryan Ehrlich, Sam Thederahn, Riley Falk, Matthew Stillion, Paul Borcherding, Fred Schuler Kathleen Schuler, Dawn Ledeboer, Morgan Foster, Morgan Read, Emily Woodcock, Hannah Miller.

Isaac Luellen To Sign LOI

Isaac Luellen will sign a Letter Of Intent to wrestle at the University Of Nebraska at Kearney on Nov. 24.

Russell and Scates Place Third

Mariah Russell and Mikayla Scates placed 3rd with their sculpture entry “Self Control” at the Washburn University HS Art Day on November 13th.

Football Team To State Rally

STATE FB CHAMPIONSHIP 

Rossville vs Wichita Collegiate

Hutchinson Community College 1:00pm    

SATURDAY, November 28th. 

Ticket Information: Students K-12 $6.00 Adults $8.00

There will be a Community Wide PEP RALLY at RHS Friday, November 27th at 6:30pm. Doors will open at 6pm and a Video Highlight reel by Mr. Woodcock will play until the Rally begins. All Students, Faculty, Alumni, and Community Members welcome!

Knitting Class At Library

Collegiate Defeats Halstead

     Rossville faces unbeaten Wichita Collegiate on Nov. 28 in Hutchinson.  To learn more about the Spartans,  you can read about their victory over Halstead at:

http://www.kansas.com/sports/high-school/article45719949.html

Ottawa Herald FB Article

From the Ottawa Herald:  
    ROSSVILLE — Wellsville High School football team ran into a buzzsaw Friday night in Rossville.  The defending 3A state champion Rossville Dawgs topped Wellsville, 49-0, in the state semifinals.
    “It was confidence and momentum,” Wellsville coach Brad Burkdoll said. “We rode this wave of momeuntum six or seven games. Now we are on the other end of it.”
   Dawg senior quarterback Tucker Horak was as good as advertised. He accounted for all seven scores and 414 yards. He passed for three scores and rushed for four more.

Video For Wellsville Game

    Here is video from WIBW.
http://www.wibw.com/sports/ksprepzone/headlines/KPZ-Sub-State-Wellsville-at-Rossville-352323331.html

    KSNT Football Frenzy started out with the Rossville game instead of the Topeka schools.  Some nice video here:  http://ksnt.com/2015/11/20/football-frenzy-112015/

Rossville Takes Sub-State Title

From  the Capital Journal:

      Tucker Horak put on another show Friday night and made state history in the process.
      Rossville rolled into the Class 3A championship game behind Horak’s seven touchdowns and 410 yards of total offense in the Bulldawgs’ 49-0 semifinal victory against Wellsville.
Horak ran for 263 yards and threw for 147 yards to become the first player in state history to rush for 2,000 yards and throw for 2,000 yards in the same season.
      “It’s a pretty good feeling to be the only one to do that,” said Horak, who now has 2,704 yards rushing and 2,047 yards passing this season. “There’s not another group of guys I’d want to share this win. Honestly, there’s probably not another group of guys who could help me get that.”
Rossville (13-0), the defending 3A champion with a 27-game winning streak, will play Wichita Collegiate (13-0) for the 3A title next Saturday at Hutchinson. Collegiate defeated Halstead 21-0 Friday night.
      Horak rushed for four touchdowns and passed for three more. He had TD runs of 70, 18, 10 and 18 yards and had passing touchdowns of 10, 34 and 43 yards.
      The Dawgs finished with 475 yards of total offense behind the offensive line of Zach Jensen, Chayne Hulbert, Tyler Sage, Gabe Marney, Kole Davoren and Jackson Reeves.
      “That was a Rossville show,” Rossville coach Derick Hammes said. “It’s a team deal, it really is. Our kids blocked really well. Tucker is a special kid, but he’d be the first to tell you it’s a team deal here at Rossville.”
      Horak scored on a 70-yard run on the game’s second play and it was all Rossville after that. Rossville scored on all five of its possessions in the first half and both possessions in the third quarter before the Bulldawgs’ backups finished with a running clock in the fourth quarter.
      “Our front five showed up,” Horak said. “They came to play. When they show up to play, it makes it easier for all of us.”
      Horak was 10-for-10 passing. He had two touchdown passes to Cole Schumacher of 10 and 43 yards and had a 34-yard TD pass to Jacob Bradshaw. Schumacher had five catches for 73 yards.
Wellsville finished 10-3, outscoring its previous eight opponents 383-34, but never could get it going Friday night. Wellsville turned the ball over on downs five times and fumbled a kickoff return that led to Rossville’s fourth touchdown. The Eagles never got closer than the 30-yard line until they got to the 25 on their final drive as time expired.
      “We played a great football game, and that was a good team,” Hammes said. “What our kids were able to do through their preparation and effort tonight, and beat a good team like that, says a lot about our kids.”
      Rossville, which beat Scott City 21-14 in the 3A title game last season, is one win away from back-to-back state championships.
      “That was the goal from the beginning of the year,” Horak said. “To get this win takes a big weight off our shoulders. It’s what we’ve been going for all year. It’s a great feeling to get back.”
Zachery Strawn led Wellsville with 69 yards rushing on 15 carries.
Wellsville (10-3)  0   0   0  0 — 0
Rossville  (13-0) 14 21 14  0 — 49
Ross — Horak 70 run (Nascimento kick)
Ross — Schumacher 10 pass from Horak (Nascimento kick) Ross – Bradshaw 34 pass from Horak (Nascimento kick)
Ross — Schumacher 43 pass from Horak (Nascimento kick)
Ross — Horak 18 run (Nascimento kick)
Ross — Horak 10 run (Nascimento kick)
Ross — Horak 18 run (Nascimento kick)
GAME IN FIGURES
                         Well      Ross
First downs        15        20
Rushes-yards 45-186 36-328
Passing yards     43        147
Total offense     229       475
Passing            7-18-0  10-10-0
Fumbles-lost     3-1         0-0
Punts-avg.      2-31.5       0-0
Penalties-yards 8-70       6-60
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — Wellsville: Strawn 15-69, Winton 9-56, Dougan 16-30, Smith 3-26, Williams 1-3, See 1-2. Rossville: Horak 18-263, Hammes 8-40, Cavanaugh 4-20, Balch 3-5, Roduner 1-5, Gfeller 2-(minus 5).
PASSING — Wellsville: Dougan 7-18-0, 43 yards; Smith 0-1-0, 0. Rossville: Horak 10-10-0, 147.
RECEIVING — Wellsville: Strawn 3-19, Williams 2-16, Winton 1-4, Breithaupt 1-4. Rossville: Schumacher 5-73, Roduner 3-35, Bradshaw 1-34, Hammes 1-5.

Dawgs Take Early 35-0 Half-time Lead (updated)

    On the second play of the game from scrimmage,  Tucker Horak went up the center and cut to the left sideline for  70 yards for his first TD of the night.
    After 14 minutes and 10 seconds,  The Dawgs were up 28-0 and finished the half 35-0.
    The Dawgs had 236 yards rushing of which Rucker had 211 yards.
    Announcer Tim Woodcock announced that Tucker Horak is the first Kansas high school football player to run for 2,000 yards and also pass for 2,000 yards.
    Be sure to check after the game for video from KSNT and WIBW.


    The game is now over.  Dawgs won 49-0
Dawgs had 324 yards rushing of which 264 was by Horak. Hammes had 39 yards and Cavanah had 19.  Horak had 143 yards passing.

    Wichita Collegiate beat Halstead 21-0 tonight to also advance to the 3A title game.

 

Computer Football Predictions

    The Capital-Journal has published the following 3A football predictions for Nov. 20 games,  which includes a predicted victory of Rossville over Wellsville by 21 points.    Considering that Wellsville has won their last 8 games, including playoff victories of 63-0 over Erie, 56-7 over Neodesha, and 31-14 over Sabetha,  the computer calculations might be questioned.
     The home team is in caps and the favored team on the left.

105.5 ROSSVILLE 20.7 Wellsville 84.8
107.7 Wichita Collegiate 12.6 HALSTEAD 95.1

Rossville & Wellsville Ready

From the Capital-Journal
By Brent Maycock

brent.maycock@cjonline.com

ROSSVILLE — Finally.

In a word, it sums up the emotions Wellsville felt after ousting Sabetha 31-14 last Friday in the Class 3A playoffs. It wasn’t so much the foe the Eagles had conquered, but rather the timing of the victory.

After playing in four state championship games from 1982-96, Wellsville had hit a playoff wall. From 2002-2014, the Eagles qualified for the playoffs 11 times yet couldn’t find its way back to the semifinals let alone the championship game.

Four trips ended in the first round. Another four stalled in the second round. And three ended in the quarterfinals — all at the hands of Silver Lake, including last year’s heartbreaking 20-14 overtime loss to the Eagles.

“We did not feel good after that Silver Lake game last year,” Wellsville coach Brad Burkdoll said. “We felt we controlled a lot of the game, but Silver Lake made some big plays to win it. It’s always tough this time of the year and for our guys to finally get over that hump and beat a very good Sabetha team was big. Our guys are on a mission this year and want to get to that state game bad.”

The roadblock standing between Wellsville (10-2) and its first title-game appearance since losing to Beloit in the 1996 3A title game is a big one, No. 1 and defending champion Rossville (12-0). The Bulldawgs enjoyed their own playoff breakthrough a year ago, finally getting past Silver Lake in the semifinals and rode the momentum to a 21-14 win over Scott City in the championship game.

Rossville hasn’t slowed down this year in its quest for back-to-back crowns. On pace to set a state record for yards per game, averaging 346.3 per contest, the Bulldawgs have worn the bull’s-eye well this season, handling even their stiffest tests with relative ease.

Rossville dominated the second halves of showdowns with Silver Lake and Nemaha Central to break free from tight games at halftime. In last week’s 42-32 win over Colgan, the Bulldawgs overcame two second-half turnovers and near flawless play from the Panthers to keep their undefeated season alive.

“We knew these tests were coming and the fact that we’re still alive, speaks volumes about the kids meeting those challenges,” Rossville coach Derick Hammes said. “We’re a veteran group who has been down this road before and that’s beneficial for us.

“We’ve had three turnovers the last two weeks and we’ve been very good through the course of the year of taking care of the football. We’ve got to clean that up because your opponent this time of the year will take advantage of those mistakes.”

Wellsville got the season off to a somewhat slow start, going 2-2 with losses to Prairie View (7-6) and Eudora (20-6). That might have been expected with the Eagles have to replace leading rusher Brett Osbern, quarterback Cole Silsby, their top-four receivers and their top lineman.

But starting with a hard-fought 14-7 win over 4A Division II quarterfinalist Santa Fe Trail in week five, the Eagles have hit their stride. Wellsville has allowed just 34 points in its past eight games, while putting up 383.

Zach Strawn has replaced Osbern as the feature back and run for 1,140 yards and 18 touchdowns, while quarterback Tony Dougan and tailback Daryon Winton have each added more than 450 yards on the ground and combined 17 touchdowns. Dougan has also thrown for 1,041 yards and 12 touchdowns.

“What I’m getting from coaches I’ve talked with who have played them, they really talk about their team speed,” Hammes said. “They said, ‘Be ready for it,’ and sometimes that’s easier said than done. We’re expecting a very athletic team that has many ways to move the football.”

Rossville showed its offensive balance in the Colgan victory as receiver Christian Roduner and running back Dawson Hammes combined for 179 yards rushing and two touchdowns with Roduner also catching a 35-yard touchdown pass. Hammes has now topped 1,000 yards on the ground (1,101) and Roduner is one of four Rossville receivers with at least 270 yards (574).

Tucker Horak led the way with 188 yards and three touchdowns on the ground, pushing his season total to 2,441 yards rushing and 41 touchdowns. With 1,900 yards passing, Horak is just 100 yards from becoming the first player in state history to rush and pass for 2,000 yards in the same season.

Despite all of Rossville’s offensive weapons, Burkdoll thinks his team matches up well with the defending champs.

“They remind me of our team,” Burkdoll said. “I think we can throw the ball a little bit, have a physical running game too just like they do. The thing that jumps out at me is their speed on defense, and we’re the exact same way. They’ve got athletes all over and that’s going to be a challenge, but our schedule gave us confidence knowing how well we played against the good teams we saw. We couldn’t ask to be playing any differently than we are right now.”