🏈 Central upsets Great Bend to return to 5A state title match for first time since 2005

By ANTHONY GORGES
Salina Post Contributor

The top two seeds in 5A West faced off on Friday night in Great Bend to decide who would be playing for a State Championship next week. As everyone expected, this one came down to the wire. Central pulled the upset and won 30-28 over the previously unbeaten Great Bend Panthers.

Salina Central won the toss and deferred to the second half. Great Bend received the opening kickoff and brought its high-powered offense onto the field. Central was ready to play, forcing a quick three-and-out and starting their first offensive drive of the game at the Panther 44. Similar to last week’s game, the Mustangs rode senior running back Cooper Reves in this substate game. Reves scored the opening touchdown of the game on a four-yard rushing touchdown behind the left side of the offensive line. The extra point was no good, and quickly, the Mustangs led 6-0.

Great Bend quickly responded with their own rushing touchdown by running back Connor Holladay. Similar to Central, the extra point was not good, as the Mustangs blocked it. At the end of the first quarter, the game was tied at 6-6.

In the second quarter, the tricks came alive for the Mustangs. Junior quarterback Griffin Hall is also the punter for the team. He dropped back to punt deep in their own territory, but instead of punting on fourth down, he completed a pass to wide receiver Keaton Smith to keep the drive alive and move the chains. Central ended up scoring on the drive on a 16-yard rushing touchdown by Reves, his second of the evening and 29th total touchdown on the season. The Mustangs led 13-6 midway through the second quarter. Central’s defense continued to hold Great Bend’s high-powered offense in check, turning them over on downs. Before halftime, Central had a chance to double up by scoring before halftime and getting the ball out of halftime. They faced fourth down and five at their own 30-yard line. Backup quarterback and punter Eli Kreighbaum came into the game out of a timeout. Kreighbaum pretended to run to the right for a rugby-style punt. Instead of punting it, he threw the ball to wide receiver Bodie Rodriguez for a first down to again keep the drive alive. The Mustangs connected on a 32-yard field goal to end the half by kicker Elijah Duxler. Salina Central led 16-6 at the break.

In the second half, Reves picked up right where he left off. He continued to gain four, five, six, and eight yards on carries as he helped chew up the clock and drive the Mustangs down the field. On fourth and goal from the eight-yard line, it appeared Salina Central would try a 25-yard field goal. Instead, more trickery. This time, quarterback and holder Griffin Hall took the snap, tossed it to Abram Owings, who hit Bodie Rodriguez in the end zone for a huge special teams touchdown to extend the lead to 23-6 with under five minutes to go in the third quarter.

As any good football team does, the Panthers responded with a quick strike on a 56-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Daxton Minton to senior receiver Cooper Ohnmacht, their first of two long touchdowns on the night. Following the touchdown, Great Bend went for two and got it, now trailing 23-14. On the ensuing possession, Central went three and out, and the Panthers again scored quickly on a 23-yard touchdown run by Minton to cut the lead down to two points at 23-21 at the end of the third quarter.

In fourth-quarter action, things got wild. Both defenses stepped up in a big way. Great Bend forced two turnovers, both fumbles, one on Hall and the other by Reves. The Mustangs’ defense held firm and turned the Panthers over on downs both times. Then, Salina Central had a chance to put the game away, and they did. They methodically moved down the field and faced a fourth down and three from the Great Bend 23-yard line with 40 seconds to go in the game. Hall connected on a 23-yard touchdown pass to put the game out of reach for the Panthers. The PAT was good, and Salina Central led 30-21 with 33 seconds to go.

Great Bend scored just two plays later on another long connection between Minton and Ohnmacht. Twenty seconds remained, neither team had any timeouts, and it all came down to the onside kick. Salina Central’s Abram Owings recovered the onside kick, the Mustangs took a knee in victory formation, and stunned #1 and previously unbeaten Great Bend by a final score of 30-28.

With the win, the Salina Central Mustangs will play for a State Championship next Friday in Emporia at Welch Stadium on the campus of Emporia State University. Salina Central will play Basehor-Linwood, who beat St. James Academy 28-20 on Friday night. It is the Mustangs’ first state appearance since 2005, when they won the State Title.

For Great Bend, the loss ends their season at 11-1, one of the best seasons in program history. Great Bend senior tight end and five-star recruit Ian Premer will now head to Notre Dame to play college football next season.

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