BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisuns@gbtribune.com
BUHLER — Give legendary Buhler football coach Steve Warner credit — he limited Great Bend's most dangerous offensive weapon Ian Premer.
One year after Premer torched Buhler's man-to-man defense for five touchdowns, Warner shadowed him with defenders Landon Martinez and Jacob Miller.
Receiver Cooper Ohnmacht turned Great Bend coach Erin Beck into an offensive mastermind with 13 receptions for 169 yards, a 5-yard touchdown reception, a 10-yard touchdown pass to Daxton Minton, an interception and a forced fumble in a dominating 38-14 victory over Buhler Friday.
Highlight-reel plays on Friday nights are Ohnmacht's specialty.
His 5-yard scoring reception was a masterpiece with a crafty fake inside and a step outside for a 20-0 halftime lead. He tiptoed inbounds on a late-game interception against a scrambling Asher Zachary, his favorite play of the night.
"Coach Beck made great calls and that got me open," Ohnmacht said. "Obviously, catching the football is fun. My touchdown was just feeling where the defense was. I credit Daxton for making great throws. Our offensive line gave Daxton protection, and that allows him to get the football to our play-makers.
Minton threw for 266 yards on 21 of 30 attempts and added a 2-yard touchdown dive where he was roughed up by Buhler's Jacob Burklow.
Tailback Conner Holladay scored on 5- and 10-yard rushes and gained 69 yards. The Panthers gained 370 yards offense keyed by LT Trenton Kern, LG Jace Deines, C Karter Brown, RG Brady Mendez and RT Keeton Bray.
Despite Buhler's aggressive approach, Ian Premer delivered a trio of game-changing plays.
Premer's 18-yard reception on 4th down from the 23-yard line produced the Panthers' third touchdown. His dazzling 30-yard punt return set up Holladay's 10-yard score for a 26-0 lead. Premer's 42-yard touchdown against single coverage by McCade Zachary capped the Panthers' scoring.
Coach Beck scrapped his initial game plan and isolated Ian Premer to provide the Panthers a rare opportunity to operate with 10 offensive players against nine defenders.
"Offensively, we did nice things taking what they were giving us. If you take away No. 14 (Premer) we've got other guys," Beck said. "We came out focused. We had a good first half. We executed our defensive game plan to stop Buhler's run game and held them under 150 yards rushing."
The Panthers (3-0) roared to a 32-0 lead and the defense created four takeaways. Ohnmacht and Ian Premer intercepted passes. Trenton Kern recovered a fumble. Cal Schartz recovered a fumble on a kickoff that Ohnmacht forced for the Panthers' final score.
The bruise brother linebackers, Kale Kern (13 tackles) and Trenton Kern (10 tackles), shut down Buhler's run game and delivered back-to-back tackles for losses. Buhler gained 103 yards rushing and 115 yards passing.
Buhler (2-1) was sparked by lighting-fast Landon Martinez, who scored on a 76-yard reception and an 89-yard kickoff return. Martinez returned Minton's late-game interception 34 yards for 199 yards on three explosive plays.
"We knew this Buhler team had 'no quit' in them," Beck said. "They're a team that gets better as their games go along. There's things we can clean up."
Buhler coach Steve Warner paid homage to the Kern brothers.
"Their two linebackers (Trenton Kern/Kale Kern) were outstanding," Warner said. "They're athletic and good. I'm tired of seeing No. 51 (Trenton Kern). They were better in the defensive line that I thought they were."
After leading 34-0 and 32-0 the past two weeks, the Panthers have been outscored 35-12 in the second halves.
A late-hit penalty by Buhler's Burklow was followed by several second-half flags. One sequence started when Panther Hayden Kelly pushed Buhler's Ben Clouse that started a scrum that earned five players unsportsmanlike penalties.
The strangest play occurred when a blitzing Kale Kern jumped, but was launched higher into the air by Ben Clouse's block. Kern was tagged with a penalty when he landed on Buhler quarterback Asher Zachary.
Great Bend 14 6 12 6 — 38
Buhler 0 0 7 7 — 14
GB—Conner Holladay 5 run (Christian Alcala kick); GB—Daxton Minton 10 pass from Cooper Ohnmacht (Alcala kick); GB—Ohnmacht 5 pass from Minton (kick blocked); GB—Holladay 10 run (pss fails); GB—Minton 2 run (kick blocked); B—Landon Martinez 76 pass from Asher Zachary (Nathan Wells kick); GB—Ian Premer 42 pass from Minton (kick blocked); B—Martinez 89 kickoff return (Wells kick)
RUSHING—GB—26-94; Holladay 13-69; Minton 12-27; team 1-(-2); B—36-103; Ben Clouse 20-71; Asher McConnaughy 4-23; Max Harmony 5-13; Asher Zachary 5-0; team 2-(-4).
PASSING—GB—Minton 21-30-1, 266; Ohnmacht 1-1-0, 10; B—A. Zachary 7-14-1, 115; Clouse 0-1-1..
RECEIVING—GB—Ohnmacht 13-169; Ian Premer 4-67; Hayden Kelly 3-20; Minton 1-10; Holladay 1-0; B—Martinez 1-76; Dylan Scripsick 1-21; Eli White 1-8; Jacob Miller 1-7; Jaxon Pratt 1-2; Clouse 2-1.
