RHS Overcomes Ice

From  cjonline.com

The weather conditions for Saturday’s Class 3A state championship game in Hutchinson were downright awful.

The field conditions were arguably even worse with Gowan Stadium’s turf covered in more than an inch of ice that quickly evolved into a slick and slushy mess.

Hardly the optimal conditions for two of the state’s top offenses to show their true colors.

Yet in that rainy, icy, chilly mess, Rossville managed to put its true self forward. All season long, Bulldawg coach Derick Hammes has preached about the completeness of his team and against Wichita Collegiate the point was driven home.

“It was a great effort by everybody,” Hammes said after Rossville rallied with 13 fourth-quarter points to nip Collegiate 20-19 and secure a second straight undefeated 3A state championship. “It was one of those days where the field conditions didn’t allow either one of us to play the game the way we wanted to play. More than anything, because of the field conditions, it was a battle, a game of will. Not that they didn’t want it, but our kids wanted it bad and came up with the plays down the end to get it done.”

Even with its high-powered offense slowed by not only treacherous field conditions but a Collegiate defense bent on containing Bulldawg record-setting quarterback Tucker Horak, both still had their moments. Rossville opened the game with a 65-yard scoring drive, capped by a 5-yard run from Horak, and down 19-7 late in the third quarter, mounted an 11-play, 62-yard drive which Horak finished with an 8-yard scoring run on the first play of the fourth quarter.

The state’s all-time leader in total offense, Horak rushed for 150 yards on 24 carries but only had five runs of 10 yards or more after coming into the game averaging 15.4 yards per carry. His longest run of the game was 41 yards, which moved Rossville into field goal range late in the first half, but the Dawgs were unable to convert.

“They were doing some really good things on defense, making it tough on our line,” said Horak, who also only threw for 29 yards, finishing with 179 total yards and coming up 73 yards shy of reaching 5,000 yards of total offense this season. “They were really squeezing their D-ends and that made it tough on us today. We practiced that all week and adjusted to it, so other people had to make plays and they stepped up when they needed to.”

After Horak’s second touchdown run made it 19-14, it was Rossville’s defense that truly stepped up. Despite yielding touchdowns to Collegiate on both of its third-quarter possessions and giving up an 18-yard run on the Spartans’ first play of the fourth quarter to Spartan quarterback Austin Waddell, who had a great day with 278 yards of total offense, the Bulldawgs buckled down when they had to.

Two plays after Waddell’s run, Rossville stacked up standout Spartan back Nathan Burgoyne in the backfield and Horak stripped the ball and took it 65 yards for the game-winning score.

The Bulldawgs then forced a three-and-out, but still had to come up with one last stop when the Rossville offense couldn’t deliver a final dagger.

In the final 7:42, Collegiate methodically moved the ball down the field, converting a third-and-9 on a Rossville pass interference and a fourth-and-1 near midfield. A pair of throwback screens that had simply killed Rossville in the third quarter — a 60-yarder from Waddell to Burgoyne produced their go-ahead score and a 36-yarder from Waddell to John Egan set up their final touchdown — moved it deep into Rossville territory, a 25-yarder to Burgoyne set Collegiate up at the Bulldawg 16 with 29 seconds left.

After two straight incompletions, including a drop by Collegiate inside the 10, and a false start, the Bulldawgs had to dodge one last bullet. Horak and Jacob Bradshaw ensured they did, both in position for a game-clinching interception with Bradshaw hauling it in.

“Both of us definitely had explosive offenses this year,” Bradshaw said. “For it to come down to defense, it’s just will for us. We had to fight back the entire game and it was just huge plays by us that got it done.”

It marked the second straight year Rossville rallied in the fourth quarter for the state title, last year coming from 14-7 down with 7:15 left to edge Scott City 21-14.

Offense, defense, even special teams — Augusto Nascimento’s PAT kick that just squeaked over the crossbar after Rossville’s second touchdown proved to be the difference — Rossville delivered whatever was necessary to pull off back-to-back titles.

“Before the game, that was one of the things that we laid out, that it would be a game of sudden changes,” Hammes said. “We just had a belief we were going to do it. ... Things were looking a little bit bleak for us, but it was poise and determination of the kids that got us through it.”

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

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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/