By ANTHONY GORGES
Salina Post Contributor
In a battle of two unbeaten teams in the AVCTL - Division Two, the Andover Trojans beat Salina Central 48-21 in Salina on Thursday night.
Central started with the ball, and the first snap of the game went over the head of the Mustangs quarterback Griffin Hall. The Mustangs were well behind the chains and went three-and-out on their first possession.
The Trojans of Andover are a run-heavy team, and they stuck to their script on Thursday night. After forcing a quick punt, the Trojans ran their flexbone offense and got in the endzone on a three-yard rushing touchdown by their quarterback Will Quinn. It was the first of three rushing touchdowns on the night for Quinn. Andover led 7-0 at the end of the first quarter.
In second-quarter action, Andover threw the ball, something they rarely do, and completed it for a 32-yard gain. The Trojans had goal-to-go from the one-yard line, and Quinn, the QB, sneaked it in to give Andover a 14-0 lead.
Salina Central quickly responded, as the Mustangs converted on a crucial fourth and five at the Trojans' 24-yard line. On the very next play, Hall, the junior quarterback, kept the ball himself on a designed quarterback run, and the Mustangs trimmed the lead to 14-7 with 6:06 to go in the half.
Andover drove down the field, but the Mustangs' defense rose up near the goal line on a crucial third and goal from the three-yard line. The Trojans lined up for a 20-yard field goal. The snap was bad and went through the hands of the holder, Barrett Hill. Smartly, Hill tracked the ball down and threw it to the endzone, where the Mustangs were then called for pass interference in the endzone. After the penalty, on fourth and goal from the one, Quinn snuck in for his third rushing touchdown of the half, and the Trojans led 21-7 at the half.
Possessions were at a premium in this game, so to begin the second half, Salina Central started it off with some trickery. The Mustangs began the half with an onside kick by kicker Elijah Duxler, and the Mustangs recovered the ball at the Andover 49-yard line. After a fourth-down conversion on the drive, Central scored on a 33-yard touchdown connection between Hall and Abram Owings. It was 21-14 Trojans, with 8:56 to go in the third quarter.
The teams then began to go back and forth, trading quick scores. Central’s score was a two-yard run by senior running back Cooper Reves. Andover led 35-21 at the end of the third quarter.
In fourth-quarter action, the Mustangs moved the ball down the field but turned it over on downs twice, which in essence let Andover drain the clock with their powerful and punishing run game. Andover tacked on two touchdowns in the fourth, including one with minimal time left, to win 48-21 over the Salina Central Mustangs.
Central loses its first game of the season on Senior Night and drops to 6-1 on the season. The Mustangs are at Goddard High School next Friday night.
Andover improved to 5-2 on the season and clinched at least a share of the AVCTL - Division Two league title. The Trojans play at Andover Central next week.
You can watch the full broadcast of this game on demand below.