Great Bend (10-0) vs. Hays (8-2)
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BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
Great Bend football coach Erin Beck constantly "self scouts" his team during the year.
Beck understands the value of breaking tendencies and being flexible running plays from a variety of formations.
It's especially important when the Panthers (10-0) face a rematch for the third time in the past six years when rival Hays High (8-2) invades Memorial Stadium for a 5A quarterfinal showdown.
Hays won the rematch with Great Bend 19-14 last year and Wichita Northwest completed a 2-game sweep in 2019 (31-0, 48-14).
"We self-scout every week to see tendencies," Beck said. "There's small wrinkles you want to implement. It's making your team aware of tendencies you can break. It happens more offensively. You try and find a weak spot you can exploit."
The Panthers average 48 points, 217 yards rushing and 167 yards passing per game. Quarterback Daxton Minton has thrown for 23 touchdowns and 1,505 yards. Ian Premer has contributed 635 yards passing, 484 yards rushing and 28 total touchdowns.
Conner Holladay has rushed for 725 yards and nine scores. Ian Premer has contributed six interceptions, Cooper Ohnmacht five and Koehn Ribordy four.
Hays tailback Holden Lind has rushed for 1,984 yards, a 198-yard average. He rushed for 253 yards against the Panthers in the first meeting.
"He's fast, a home-run hitter who can change the scoreboard," Beck said. "Lind is patient where he gets back behind those offensive linemen and wait until he sees a seam. Hays put some drives together, but our defense bowed up and made plays. You want to limit the big plays."
Hays quarterback Zane Viegra hit several long-yardage pass plays off play-action fakes. He completed four passes for 120 yards last week.
"When you run the ball effectively, you'll get 'eyes' in the backfield," Beck said. "You've got to read your 'keys' and play disciplined defense. If not they can catch you sleeping."
Carter Dreiling and Blake Soupes led the Panthers' kickoff coverage with Wichita Carroll's average drive starting at the 20-yard line. Placekicker Geovanni Cruz has kept improving after Beck recruited him from a physical education class.
Coach Braden Shultz, coach Bill Maddy and Beck have focused on sharpening up kickoff coverage.
"Geovanni's kickoffs have been placed perfectly," Beck said. "We've made adjustments on our kickoff teams."
"You want to play your best football in November," Beck said. "You start off in September, and you want to keep getting better every week and every day in practice. We're appreciating the moment of playing football in November."
Hays coach Tony Crough is a past Great Bend head football coach.
The Panthers have intercepted 17 passes (Premer 6, Ohnmacht 5, Koehn Ribordy 4). Premer ranks second all-time with 14 thefts. Great Bend has earned 24 takeaways, second all-time.
Kale Kern's single season mark of 13 tackles for loss ranks second behind Aiden Davidson (14).
5A QUARTERFINALS—Great Bend (10-0) vs. Hays High (8-2); Salina Central (9-1) vs. Salina South (3-7); Basehor-Linwood (10-0) vs. Leavenworth (8-1); Mill Valley (8-2) vs. Lenexa St. James (9-1)
HAYS HIGH (8-2)—W—Derby 22-21; W—Choctaw, Okla. 21-19; L—Manhattan 8-10; W—Garden City 48-20; W—Junction City 34-28; W—Dodge City 42-19; L—Great Bend 19-43; W—Liberal; 49-28; W—Goddard Eisenhower 49-28; W—Hutchinson 27-6
GREAT BEND (10-0)—W McPherson 42-7; W Olathe South 40-21; W Buhler 38-14; W Wichita South 75-8; W Dodge City 41-0; W Liberal 55-6; W Hays High 43-19; W Garden City 41-14; W Newton 49-14; W Wichita Carroll 49-7
PANTHER OFFENSE—2 WR—Cooper Ohnmacht; 5 WR—Jacob Hall; 12 QB—Daxton Minton; 14 TE—Ian Premer; 22 RB Conner Holladay; 51 LT—Trenton Kern; 52 LG—Jace Deines; 55 C—Karter Brown; 56 RG—Blaine Ensley; 58 RT—Colby Spore; 7 WB—Kale Kern or 3 WB—Alec Premer
PANTHER DEFENSE—1 CB—Cal Schartz or 20 CB—Grant Watkins; 2 FS—Cooper Ohnmacht; 5 LB—Jacob Hall; 7 LB—Kale Kern; 10 DE—Cole Fanshier; 11 CB—Koehn Ribordy; 14 SS—Ian Premer; 22 DT—Conner Holladay; 24 DE—Jaxon Wondra; 51 LT—Trenton Kern; 73 DT—Josue Bustamante
PASSING (TD-INT)—Minton, 93-138, 1,505 (23-3); RUSHING-TD—Holladay, 86-725-9; Minton, 67-770-10; Ian Premer, 35-484-13.; RECEIVING-TD—Ian Premer, 31-635-13; Ohnmacht, 40-538-4; TACKLES—Kale Kern, 106; Trenton Kern, 93; Hall, 52; Premer 46; Wondra 46; TACKLES LOSS—Kale Kern, 13; Holladay, 7; INTERCEPTIONS—Ian Premer, 6; Ribordy, 4; Ohnmacht, 5; SACKS—Fanshier, 3; Holladay, 3.
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