BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
BUHLER — Great Bend's defense kept battling facing a 21-6 deficit when Buhler quarterback Asher Zachary delivered a touchdown pass that ignited a 42-point second half.
The Panthers were one play away from forcing a punt down two scores. But Garrett Gleason rolled into the secondary uncovered for a 45-yard backbreaking touchdown for a 28-6 lead.
The Crusaders routed the Panthers 49-12 in Friday's 4A playoff showdown. Buhler scored on six consecutive second-half touchdown drives covering 7, 37, 60, 61, 70 and 80 yards.
Buhler's victory is a positive sign. The Panthers were eliminated by 5A state champion Salina Central and 5A state runners-up Kapaun Mt Carmel and Hays High the past three years.
Great Bend's senior class finished with a 33-9 record tying last year's class for the best 4-year mark in school history.
Lightning-quick Buhler tailback Landon Martinez ran on cruise control with 349 yards on 36 carries.
The 5-10, 165-pound Martinez scored four touchdowns and gained 248 second-half yards behind Buhler's powerhouse offensive line. Time-after-time, Martinez cruised outside when the Panthers failed to contain the edge.
Great Bend's all-time receiver Cooper Ohnmacht provided the Panthers' first-half touchdown on a 1-handed 18-yard reception in the middle of Crusader defenders. Ohnmacht soared above Martinez, Garrett Gleason and Asher McConnaughy.
Ohnmacht's dazzling reception came after an official ruled a perfectly executed touchdown pass from Maxson Smiley to Alec Premer out of bounds. Premer toe-tapped inbounds, but an official at the 15-yard line ruled him out-of-bounds.
Smiley completed 15 of 29 passes for 166 yards. Kansas State commit Ohnmacht caught nine passes for 105 yards.
Buhler's Grayson Brinar intercepted a pass and keyed an aggressive secondary that played disciplined pass defense. The Crusaders committed no defensive penalties in the secondary.
All-state linebacker Kale Kern keyed a near-perfect defensive first half. Kern and Alec Premer tackled Asher Zachary at the Panther 1-yard line to stop a 82-yard drive.
The Panthers nearly stopped Buhler a second time at the goal-line. Gabriel Edmund recovered McConnaughy's fumble in the end zone one play after it appeared the officials missed a false start third down penalty.
Sophomore Jakoby Council delivered the Panthers' lone second-half highlight on a dazzling 85-yard kickoff return. Council was spun around by Braylon North, but raced up the field was landed on Buhler's Nate Wells.
Premer recovered an onside kickoff executed perfectly by Ohnmacht, but the drive fizzled.
The Panthers defense yielded 1,810 yards in the final four games, a 452-yard average.
Great Bend (7-3) 0 6 0 6 — 12
Buher (8-2) 0 7 21 21 — 49
B—Edmund fumble recovery (Fletchall kick); GB—Ohnmacht 18 pass from Smiley (kick fails); B—Martinez 1 run (Fletchall kick); B—Gleason 45 pass from Asher Zachary (Fletchall kick); B—Martinez 18 run (Fletchall kick); B—Martinez 7 run (Fletchall kick); B—Martinez 28 run (Fletchall kick); GB—Council 85 kickoff return (pass fails); B—Welch 11 run (Fletchall kick)
RUSHING—GB 23-107; Schartz 19-120; Smiley 3-(-13); Kern 1-0; B—48-404; Martinez 36-349; McConnaughy 7-31; A. Zachary 3-13; Welch 1-11; Blackburn 1-1.
PASSING—GB—Smiley 15-29-1, 166; Ohnmacht 0-2-0; B—A. Zachary 2-4-0, 71.
RECEIVING—GB—Ohnmacht 9-105; Premer 2-21; Kern 1-21; J. Wondra 2-11; Schartz 1-8; B—Gleason 2-71.
