Czechland Polka Band At Hall

    Here is video of the The Czechland Polka Band at the Bohemian Hall, Rossville, KS 10-17-15.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIzEYIhzoNs

Willard Bridge Might Get Aid

From the Capital-Journal:

U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins says legislation approved Thursday by the House possibly would provide aid for replacement of the Willard Bridge and other projects in Kansas.

The legislation also would need to pass the Senate, which adopted its own highway program earlier this year.

Shawnee County commissioners last month approved a $24.7 million budget to replace the bridge with some uncertainty about where funding will come from.

Jenkins, a Topeka Republican, said the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015 would provide “necessary certainty” for planning while “our economy continues to struggle.”

If the House bill were to survive Senate scrutiny, the measure “sets aside funds specifically targeted to help improve local and rural infrastructure,” Jenkins said. “These funds potentially could aid the construction efforts across Kansas, like the Willard Bridge.”

Kylee Sims Business Is Successful

From the Capital Journal:

Rossville  resident Kylee Sims launched her business with a simple goal — figure out a way to work from home, so when her young children started school, she would have a reasonable income.

She started while her children were still home, figuring it would take a few years to make the business viable.

Instead, in a short amount of time, her Etsy business, DragonfliesNDahlias, grew to where she was losing sleep to meet orders.

“It’s just grown right out from under me. It is such a blessing. I love it,” Sims said.

Artists often refer to “happy accidents,” and for Sims, the accident was tapping into a booming market. She had seen jewelry on Etsy made from handwriting samples, and for Christmas last year, she wanted to order one for her mother to commemorate Sims’ maternal grandmother, who had died earlier in the year.

Sims wanted the necklace to say “love you so much mom,” in handwriting she had taken from a card her grandmother sent her mother.

But the Etsy artist making the handwriting necklace was so backed up with orders, she couldn’t get it done until January. So while she waited for the original gift, Sims created a single-use stencil of the words and transferred them to wood, and then painted the gift for her mother.

When her mother opened the emotional and heart-warming gift, Sims’ brother was stunned.

“My brother saw it Christmas morning, and he was like ‘Shut up. What are you doing?’ ” she said.

Her brother insisted she open an Etsy store making the special pieces of artwork that transferred everything from signatures to entire letters onto wood.

So often, the stories that accompany the customized artwork leave her “blubbering,” Sims admitted. There was the girl whose father died in June, a month before her parents’ 45th wedding anniversary. Her father sent his daughter to purchase an anniversary card when he knew that he was dying, and the daughter had the words on the card transferred by Sims into artwork.

“So what he wrote in that card about her being the best thing that ever happened to him and making his life whole, she got that after he was dead,” Sims said. “It feels so freaking important. His words were so beautiful. You can imagine what a heart-wrenching moment that must have been, for her to open that card on their anniversary.

“This customer wanted her mom to enjoy those words — and what they represent — every day. It truly is an honor to do this work. I pray over each piece — for the family they will impact, for healing, for peace. I am eternally grateful for this opportunity.”

Almost every story is like that.

At a Kansas City art fair, Sims met a couple who looked around her booth and left, and when they came back, she gave them her spiel about the handwriting signs.

“Both of them just kind of stopped and stared at each other,” she said. “The man looked at me and said ‘We both lost our spouses to cancer in the last 10 years or so.’ ”

With tears in his eyes, the man told Sims about a perfect note his late wife wrote to their son that he would like put on a sign.

“I got to write a note straight to (the son) to let him know what it was and who I was and how much his parents loved him,” she said.

Sims becomes a part of many family celebrations through her business. On a board for a wedding, she copied the signatures of eight grandparents who had passed away, but whom the family wanted to remember during the celebration. She has taken signatures from property deeds and sticky notes left on the mirror.

“I love what I do so much that when I have spare time, it’s what I want to do,” Sims said. “I probably don’t spend as much time catching up with my girlfriends.

“I run a business online, and we don’t even have Internet,” she added, laughing.

Sims does much of her Etsy work on her phone, but occasionally drives from her rural home into Rossville to use the Internet at the library.

Her husband, Jeff, often will come to remind her that it is time to stop for the night — although shortening her hours doesn’t look likely as she already is swamped with holiday orders.

“I feel very passionately about these pieces. … I feel like these sentiments are too important to be boxed up in the attic or tucked away in a book on a shelf,” she said. “We should enjoy the words our loved ones leave us every day — they help make us who we are.”

Wrestling Schedule

Dec.

5           @ Mission Valley Tournament
11-12    @ Eudora Invitational
18         Kaw Valley Duals at St. Marys

Jan.

8-9        Rossville Double Duals
15-16    Bobcat Classic at Basehor-Linwood High School in Basehor
22-23    @ Holton Tournament

Feb

4            @ Burlington Double Duals
6            @ Silver Lake Tournament
12          Mid-East League at Rock Creek
19-20     3A Sub-State at location to be announced.
26-27     3A State at Gross Coleseum in Hays

Girl's Basketball Schedule

Dec.

4      @ Wamego
8      Chapman @ Fighting Irish Classic at Chapman
11    Sacred Heart @ Fighting Irish Classic
12    El Dorado @ Fighting Irish Classic
18    Vs Frankford
21    Vs Perry Lecompton

Jan. 

5      @ Silver Lake
8      Vs Riley Co.
12    Vs Rock Creek
15    Vs St. Marys
26-30    Jeff Co. North Tournament

Feb.

2      @ St Marys
5      @ Wabaunsee
9      @ Osage City
12    Vs Silver Lake
16    Vs Wabaunsee
19    @ Riley County
25    @ Rock Creek
29- Mar 6    Sub-State
Mar 9 - 12   State

Boy's Basketball Schedule

Dec.

4      @ Wamego
8      Chapman @ Fighting Irish Classic at Chapman
11    Sacred Heart @ Fighting Irish Classic
12    El Dorado @ Fighting Irish Classic
18    Vs Frankford
21    Vs Perry Lecompton

Jan. 

5      @ Silver Lake
8      Vs Riley Co.
12    Vs Rock Creek
15    Vs St. Marys
19-23    Valley Falls Tournament

Feb.

2      @ St Marys
5      @ Wabaunsee
9      @ Osage City
12    Vs Silver Lake
16    Vs Wabaunsee
19    @ Riley County
25    @ Rock Creek
29- Mar 6    Sub-State
Mar 9 - 12   State

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

o                                              

                                              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