Since 2000, the St. Mary's Colgan Panthers are 46-10 in the state playoffs, entering their Class 3A sectional game Friday night against undefeated Rossville.
"We've got a really tough game," Colgan head coach Chuck Smith said. "We're playing the No. 1 3A team in the state and we know we have a tough game, but we're glad to be in it."
Yes, that's 46-10, good for a .821 winning percentage, four state titles (2000-03) and four state runner-ups (2004, 2005, 2007, 2010) this century and 56 playoff games (57 coming up Friday) translate into more than six regular seasons. Colgan also made the state title game in 1999 and last missed the playoffs in 1998, in the days of taking just one playoff team from each district.
The Panthers (9-2) make a visit for the first time in several years to Carnie Smith Stadium, home of the nationally-ranked Pittsburg State Gorillas, on Friday (5 p.m. kickoff). Pittsburg (9-1) hosts Shawnee Heights (6-4) in a 5A sectional at 7 p.m. Friday at Hutchinson Field.
Colgan looks for its first 3A semifinal appearance, after being stalled out the last two seasons at sectionals by Mid-East League powers Silver Lake (last season) and Rossville (2012).
The Panthers won at Galena's Abbey Field for the second time this season, 35-18 on Saturday behind 21 unanswered points in the second half to build a 28-6 lead after the Crawford-Neosho-Cherokee League rivals played to a 7-6 halftime score. Ryan Cedeno passed for more than 150 yards, Ian Duncan caught six passes for 120 yards and the ground attack produced four TDs.
Opponents have not scored more than 22 points in a game against Colgan: The Rams of Riverton reached 22 in Week 3, Humboldt hit 20 in Week 8, and Southeast and Galena each managed 18. All those games were Colgan victories and their only two losses this season came against Frontenac (14-7) and Columbus (14-12), teams a combined 19-1 headed into sectionals. Frontenac (10-0) travels to Carbondale to play Santa Fe Trail (8-2) and Columbus (9-1) hosts defending 4A champion Holton (9-1).
The Panthers' D allows 11.9 points per game and that number will be challenged Friday night by an explosive Rossville squad.
SCOUTING THE 'DOGS
The numbers Rossville accumulated over the first 11 games define ridiculous: 614 points, 55.8 per game, 470.9 yards per game, 331 rushing, 139 passing, 81 total touchdowns, 56 TDs rushing and 10.7 yards per carry. The Bulldogs dialed up 168 points in back-to-back wins over Oskaloosa (77-8) and Osage City (91-22); keep in mind that Colgan's surrendered 131 points over 11 games.
"They're real good," Smith said. "I watched the Silver Lake game last night and I thought they really put it on Silver Lake. Silver Lake's one of the top teams in the state of Kansas and Rossville really took it to 'em. That's a big rival game for 'em but they still did it."
Junior dual-threat quarterback Tucker Horak leads the offense: 20 TDs both on the ground and through the air. He's both rushed and passed for over 1,000 yards — 1,587 rushing, 1,409 passing. Horak averages right around 15 yards per carry or a first-down-and-a-half per carry and he's completed 75 percent (93-124) of his passes.
Read more: http://www.morningsun.net/article/20141112/Sports/141119939#ixzz3IzcRoNoz
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