HOISINGTON 74, HALSTEAD 24 (2A) — Hoisington's dazzling tailback Taylen Morales rushed for 253 yards and scored four touchdowns as the Cardinals roared past Halstead 74-24 in Friday's 2A state football playoffs.

Morales scored on runs of 3, 34, 35 and 66 yards. He zig-zagged across the field on the 66-yard score. Morales punched through several Halstead tacklers and spun off Halstead's Noel Diehl on his highlight-reel 35-yard touchdown. 

"Taylen is a dude," said Hoisington football coach Zach Baird. "He plays the game with the right juice. We need to get more players to play emotionally invested like he is. He made some great runs. Anytime we hand it to Tay, it's a good thing. We block it up pretty well."

Cardinal quarterback Mason Martin was on fire with 240 yards and a trio of touchdown passes. Carson Mason caught 9- and 74-yard touchdown passes on perfectly executed screen passes. Leyton Mooney threw the key block on the 8-yard score. Brody Pfannenstiel scored on a 44-yard scoring reception and on a 2-yard run. 

"Any type of postseason win is a good one," Baird said. "We saw some good things. We need to find a way to get better." 

Thomas Higgins contributed seven tackles and six assists.

The Cardinals (9-0) play Hillsboro (6-3) in next week's second round playoff game at home.

Halstead 0 3 14 7 — 24

Hoisington 24 20 14 16 — 74

HOIS—Taylen Morales 3 run (Morales run); HOIS—Carson Mason 9 pass from Mason Martin (Martin pass from Morales); HOIS—Morales 66 run (Morales run); HAL—Carlos Martinez 23 FG; HOIS—Morales 35 run (pass fails); HOIS—Brody Pfannenstiel 44 pass from Martin (run fails); HAL—Zorn 1 run (Martinez kick); HAL—Zorn 3 run (Martinez kick); HOIS—Martin 25 run (C.J. Bryant pass ); HAL—Noah Diehl 9 pass from Damien Whillock (Martinez kick); HOIS—Bryant 44 run (Morales run); HOIS—Morales 34 run (run fails); HOIS—Carson Mason 74 pass from Martin (Pfannenstiel pass from Morales); HOIS—Pfannenstiel 2 run (Pfannenstiel pass from Morales)

RUSHING—HAL—40-79; HOIS—32-368; Morales 15-253; Bryant 6-84; Kaidenn Chambers 3-34; P. Turner 2-25; Pfannenstiel 2-8; Rhen Galla 1-(-3); Martin 3-(-33).

PASSING—HAL—Whillock 11-29-0, 166; HOIS—Martin 10-17-0, 240

RECEIVING—HOIS—Mason 3-102; Pfannenstiel 2-76; Chambers 2-32; Morales 105