This blog is for posting all news of Rossville residents and Rossville High alumni. Bookmark this page and send any appropriate news (births, deaths, engagements, marriages, anniversaries, job changes, honors, etc.) items to: Frank.Ruff@juno.com . Feel free to add comments to any of the articles. Check this site often because I sometimes delete items. There are SEARCH (top left of page) and LINK (bottom of page) features. For photos, see link at bottom.
Sunday, November 29, 2015
Video From 3A Title Game
Video of the 3A title game can be seen at:
http://ksnt.com/2015/11/28/rossville-beats-collegiate-20-19-wins-back-to-back-state-titles/
Rossville 3A State Champs
From the Hutchinson News:
Tied 7-7 with Wichita Collegiate at
halftime, Rossville senior quarterback and safety Tucker Horak channeled his
inner Joe Namath to his coach and teammates in the locker room and made a
guarantee.
The
Bulldawgs’ engine told coach Derick Hammes to relax before he addressed the
team and there was nothing to worry about. He reminded the team that they
haven’t exactly clicked and played their best in first halves throughout the
season. He said he guaranteed a win despite the fact the team that had been
blowing everybody out throughout the season was in a battle on an icy field
with freezing rain dropping down throughout the game Saturday at Gowans
Stadium.
Horak
maintained this stance when the Spartans jumped ahead 19-7 in the third
quarter.
“I walked
over on the sidelines and I told our right tackle that we are going to score
twice and we’re going to win this thing,” Horak said.
Horak did
exactly that. He scored an offensive and defensive touchdown in a 56-second
span during the first 1:01 of the fourth quarter to give the Bulldawgs a lead
which they never relinquished in a 20-19 victory.
The
Bulldawgs’ 28th consecutive win that clinched the program’s second-straight
title wasn’t easy and the miserable conditions took the teams out of their
comfort zones. But Hammes said his team showed the heart of true champions.
“This was
one of those games that field conditions didn’t probably allow either one of us
to maybe play the game we wanted to play,” Hammes said. “I think probably more
than anything because of the conditions it was just a battle. It was a game of
will. Not that they didn’t want it but our kids wanted it bad. They came up
with the plays down at the end of it.”
The
Spartans took the lead in the third quarter when quarterback Austin Waddell hit
running back Nathan Burgoyne on a screen pass. Burgoyne broke a tackle and
busted loose for a 60-yard score to give the Spartans a 13-7 lead with 7:55
left. Around five minutes later, Waddell completed another screen pass to
fullback John Egan for 36 yards on third and 18 down to the Bulldawg 2-yard
line. Waddell eventually scored on a 1-yard plunge to give the Spartans a 19-7
edge.
The
Bulldawgs didn’t fret and Horak orchestrated a 62-yard, 11-play scoring drive
and scored on an 8-yard touchdown run on the first play of the fourth quarter
to bring Rossville to within 19-14.
The
Spartans quickly advanced to the Rossville 32-yard line, but then Horak came up
big on the defensive side of the ball. Horak caused Burgoyne to cough up the
ball at the 35-yard line. Horak recovered and took it 65 yards for a touchdown.
“I saw he
was trying to do a little too much and hung it out a little bit,” Horak said.
“I guess I just did what I could and made a play.”
Collegiate
coach Mike Gehrer said it was a huge blow for the Spartans and he was overall
pleased with how the Spartans played in the sloppy conditions.
“That’s who
he (Horak) is,” Gehrer said. “He’s a been a big player. My hats off to him.
He’s their all-everything and he proved it again.”
The
Spartans tried one last time to get the win and drove down to the Rossville
16-yard line with under 30 seconds left. But Rossville came up with the stop it
needed in the red zone and junior cornerback Jacob Bradshaw clinched the win
with an interception in the end zone as time expired.
Horak, who
rushed and passed for over 2,000 yards this season and nearly combined for
5,000 yards of total offense, was held relatively in check most of the game by
the Spartans’ defense. He said the way Collegiate squeezed their defensive ends
gave the Bulldawg offense fits as he finished with 150 yards rushing and 29
yards through the air. But he said the whole Rossville squad stepped up and did
just enough to secure another state championship.
“We made
some adjustments to it and other people had to make plays,” Horak said. “That’s
what they did. They stepped up when they needed to.”
Key stat:
Rossville won despite the fact Wichita Collegiate out gained the Bulldawgs
342-256 yards and won the possession battle 28:33 to 19:27.
Turning
point: With just under 11 minutes left, Rossville safety Tucker Horak forced
and recovered a fumble and returned it 65-yards for a touchdown to give the
Bulldogs a 20-19 lead they never relinquished.
Players of
game: Horak finished with 150 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 24 carries
while also scoring the game-winning touchdown on defense. For the Spartans,
Waddell passed for 177 yards and two touchdowns while also adding 101 yards and
a score on the ground. Nathan Burgoyne caught four passes for 96 yards and a
touchdown for the Spartans.
He said it:
“We weren’t relaxing,” Collegiate coach Mike Gehrer said when his team took a
19-7 lead late in the third quarter. “We wanted to get the ball back. We wanted
to go march down and score one more time. Then we would have been more relaxed
at that point. We knew that you don’t play a team like that that scores so many
points and have so many weapons.”
Up next: Rossville (14-0) enters the offseason
as state champion while Wichita Collegiate finishes its season at 13-1.
Eagle Story on 3A Game
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.
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
— 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.
Saturday, November 28, 2015
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.
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.
Friday, November 27, 2015
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.
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.”
Thursday, November 26, 2015
Eagle Preview of Saturday's Game
BY JOANNA CHADWICK
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
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
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
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/
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
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.
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