Andale High School coaches, cheerleaders and fans celebrate the team’s Kansas Class 4A state championship. Andale defeated Topeka Hayden 36-19 Saturday afternoon at Gowans Stadium in Hutchinson. CREDIT Mackenzie Weller/Sports in Kansas
By John Mesh
Seven more Kansas state champions were crowned on Saturday to go along with two state champions on Friday night.
Andale (Class 3A), Conway Springs (1A), St. Thomas Aquinas (5A), Andover Central (4A), Hoxie (Eight-Man I), Axtell (Eight-Man II) and Weskan (6-Man) won championships Saturday.
Friday’s state champions were Southeast of Saline (2A) and Gardner-Edgerton (6A).
Southeast of Saline, Andale and Conway Springs won their state titles at Hutchinson’s Gowans Stadium. All three teams finished with 13-0 records.
The 6A, 5A and 4A state champions were crowned in Emporia. The Eight-Man I, Eight-Man II and Six-Man state champions were crowned in Greensburg.
Class 3A: Andale 36, Topeka Hayden 19
The Andale High School Indians capped off their unbeaten run to the Kansas Class 3A state football championship with a 36-19 victory over the Topeka Hayden Wildcats Saturday afternoon at Gowans Stadium in Hutchinson.
Andale posted a 13-0 record in winning the state title. Topeka Hayden finished the season with an 11-2 record.
Dylan Schmidt has a 97-4 record at Andale and five state titles in eight seasons as Andale head coach. This is Andale’s eighth overall state title (all came after 2006). Schmidt now has 100 career victories.
Andale got on the scoreboard first on a 1-yard Sam Harp quarterback keeper. He put the Indians on the 1-yard line with an 11-yard run.
The 2-point conversion pass fell incomplete. Andale led 6-0 with 9:05 left in the first quarter.
Topeka Hayden tied the score on 5-yard TD run by Jensen Schrickel on a pitchout at the 5:47 mark in the first quarter. The 2-point conversion failed.
Andale took a 12-6 lead on an 8-yard TD run by Harp with 4:04 left in the opening frame. The conversion failed.
After a 65-yard punt pinned Topeka Hayden deep, the Wildcats marched 99 1/2 yards to take a 13-12 lead with 4:03 in the first half. Jett Wahlmeier threw a TD pass to Everett Tourillot and the Wildcats kicked the extra point.
Andale fumbled the kickoff and Brady Heinen of Topeka Hayden recovered at the Andale 23-yard line.
On a fourth-down-and-4, Wahlmeier threw a 9-yard TD pass to Kade Mitchell. The PAT kick was blocked and Hayden led 19-12 with 1:28 left in the first half.
Andale again fumbled the kickoff and Hayden recovered at the Andale 35-yard line. Andale held the Wildcats without scoring on the series. Hayden led at halftime 19-12.
Harp scored two rushing touchdowns on runs in 1 minute, 13 seconds, and the Indians added two 2-point conversions to take a 28-19 lead. That was the score at the end of the third quarter.
Andale’s Horsch rushed 10 yards for another touchdown for Andale. The Indians led 36-19 with 7:11 left in the game. Andale’s scoring drive went 83 yards in three plays.
Class 1A: Conway Springs 41, Centralia 6
The Conway Springs Cardinals won the school’s ninth state football championship, posting a 41-6 victory over Centralia in the Kansas Class 1A state football championship Saturday at Hutchinson’s Gowans Stadium.
Conway Springs finished the season with a 13-0 record and won back-to-back Class 1A state championships to go with seven Class 3A state titles.
Centralia finished the season with an 11-2 record.
Conway Springs blocked a Centralia quick-punt and Grant Fisher picked up the football and ran 58 yards for a touchdown (the PAT kick was good). Conway Springs led 7-0 with 7:20 left in the first quarter.
On 4th-down-and-11 at the Conway Springs 21-yard line, Jacob Flentje hit cousin Ben Haverkamp for a 21-yard TD pass with 5:15 left in the first quarter. The conversion run failed.
Centralia cut the Cardinals lead to 7-6. That was the score at the end of the first quarter.
Conway Springs’ Isaac Winter bulled his way into the end zone from 3 yards (the 2-point conversion was successful). Conway Springs led 14-6 with 11:54 left in the second quarter.
On the Cardinals’ next possession, Fisher broke a tackle and raced 33 yards for another TD (the PAT kick was good) with 8:46 left in the second quarter. The drive went 93 yards in 3 plays. Conway Springs took a 21-6 lead into the locker room at halftime.
After forcing a 3-and-out on Centralia’s first possession, Conway Springs marched 53 yards to make the score 28-6. Winter capped the drive with a 20-yard TD run. The PAT kick was good.
Winter broke loose for a 56-yard TD run (PAT pass failed) and Conway Springs led 34-6 at the end of the third quarter. For Winter, it was his third TD of the game.
With 7:16 left in the fourth quarter, Winter broke off a 64-yard run but took a knee at the 1-yard line. Logan Osner scored from 1 yard out on a quarterback keeper. The PAT kick was good for 41-6 Conway Springs lead.
Fisher intercepted an overthrown Centralia pass with 1:23 left in the game to clinch the victory,
Class 5A: St. Thomas Aquinas 35, Hays 13
The St. Thomas Aquinas Saints knocked off the Hays High School Indians 35-13 in the Kansas Class 5A state championship Saturday night at Welch Stadium in Emporia.
Coach Randy Dreiling added his third state title with St. Thomas Aquinas to go with the seven he won while he was head coach at Hutchinson High School. He now holds the Kansas record for most coaching state titles with 10.
Dreiling has a career won-loss record of 289-105 and is the winningest active coach in Kansas. Buhler’s Steve Warner ranks second with 284 wins. Warner’s 37-year head coaching record is 284-115.
Dreiling has won state titles in Classes 4A, 5A and 6A. Aquinas moved up to 5A this year (the Saints won the Class 4A state title last year) and finished the season with a 13-0 record.
Hays, which knocked off Great Bend, Hutchinson and Goddard Eisenhower in the playoffs to reach the state title game, finished 8-5. Hays is coached by Tony Crough.
Aquinas scored the game’s first TD on a 41-yard TD pass from Elzie Slaughter to Brett Yankovich and a PAT kick for a 7-0 lead with 1:24 left in the first quarter.
With 8:28 left in the first half, Aquinas’ Calin Arndt scored on a 24-yard TD run (PAT kick good) to put the Saints ahead 14-0.
Slaughter scored his second touchdown on a 35-yard TD run to put Aquinas ahead 21-0 with 5:54 left in the game. That was the halftime score and the score at the end of the third quarter.
Hays got on the scoreboard with 11:08 left inthe fourth quarter on quarterback Ian McGuire’s 23-yard touchdown pass to Holden Lind. The TD came one play after the Indians’ Wyatt Kirkpatrick partially blocked an Aquinas punt.
Aquinas’ Conor O’Donnell intercepted a pass and Slaughter scored on a 26-yard TD run to give Aquinas a 28-7 lead with 5:54 left in the third quarter.
The Saints’ Carter Arndt scored on a 16-yard run with 3:42 left in the game to make the score 35-7.
Hays scored on the final play of the game. McGuire connected with Jonathan Cano on a 12-yard TD pass to make the final score 35-13.
Class 4A: Andover Central 49, Shawnee Mission Miege 42
Andover Central’s Maddox Archibald rushed for 341 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Jaguars (12-1) to a 49-42 victory over Shawnee Mission Bishop Miege Saturday afternoon at Welch Stadium in Emporia.
Bishop Miege (5-8), the only team with a losing record playing in the nine Kansas state championship games, scored first on a 58-yard TD pass to Teryn Jackson from Marco Rodriguez.
The TD pass capped an 80-yard scoring drive by the Miege Stags. The Stags intercepted an Andover Central pass in the end zone.
Andover Central tied the score at 7-7 on a 35-yard touchdown run by Archibald with 1:53 left in the first quarter.
Miege scored on a 28-yard TD pass from Michael Blount to Jackson to tie the score at 14-14 with 2:46 left in the second quarter.
Rodriguez connected with Jackson for a 36-yard TD pass with 2:25 left in the first half to make the score 21-14 Miege.
The Andover Central Jaguars tied the score 21-21 at halftime on a Jace Jefferson touchdown run.
The Miege Stags took a 28-21 lead with 2:41 left in the third quarter on a rushing TD by Vinny George.
Archibald tied the score at 28-28 on a 40-yard TD run with 44 seconds left in the third quarter.
Jackson scored his third touchdown of the game with 11:18 left in the fourth quarter to give the Stags a 35-28 lead.
Andover Central marched the ball down the fires on an 85-yard TD drive to tie the score at 35-35 with 5:36 left in the game. Jefferson connected with Logan Taggart on the game-tying TD pass.
Archibald’s 3-yard touchdown run gave the Andover Central Jaguars a 42-35 lead with 2:20 left in the game. Archibald broke loose for a 39-yard TD run with 1:15 left and scored the 2-point conversion to push the score to 49-35.
Miege cut the deficit to 49-42 with 30 seconds left.
Eight-Man I: Hoxie 46, Central Plains 0
Hoxie overpowered the Central Plains Oilers 46-0 in the Kansas Eight-Man I state championship game Saturday at Kiowa County High School in Greensburg.
The game ended on the 45-point rule after Hoxie scored on the opening series of the third quarter.
Hoxie completed a 13-0 season and won its second state championship. Central Plains posted a 10-3 record.
In the first quarter, Hoxie’s Easton Nickelson ran for a 56-yard touchdown and set up another TD by recovering a Central Plains fumble.
Duncan Bell connected with Sam Watkins for a 9-yard TD pass. Bell hit Watkins and Braydon Scheetz for the 2-point conversions after the first two TDs for a 16-0 lead. That was the score at the end of the first quarter.
Bell connected on TD passes of 42 and 41 yards to Trent Fenner at the 10:29 and 7:59 mark of the second quarter. Hoxie made 1-of-2 2-point conversions for a 30-0 lead.
Bell hooked up with Braxton Munk on a 42-yard catch-and-run TD pass. The PAT run by Scheetz was good. Hoxie led 38-0 with 2:32 left in the first half. That was the halftime score.
Bell and Watkins hooked up for a 28-yard TD pass to Watkins. Scheetz ran in the 2-point conversion to make the final score 46-0.
Eight-Man II: Axtell 50, Victoria 0
Axtell scored 22 first-quarter points against Victoria en route to a 50-0 victory over Victoria in the Kansas Eight-Man II state football championship game at Kiowa County High School in Greensburg.
Axtell quarterback Brandon Schmelzle ran for three touchdowns and passed for three touchdowns.
Axtell, under head coach Eric Detweiler, finished the season unbeaten with a fourth straight 13-0 record. The Eagles won their fourth straight Eight-Man II state titles and extended their Eight-Man state-record winning streak to 52 games.
Axtell played just one full game this season it didn’t win by point rule.
Victoria finished the season 12-1.
Axtell took an 8-0 lead over Victoria on a touchdown run by Schmelzle and a 2-point conversion with 3:18 left in the opening frame.
Axtell’s Wyatt Detwiler returned a fumble 20 yards at the 2:57 mark for a 14-0 lead.
The Eagles scored again on a long touchdown pass from Schmelzle to Detwiler. Eli Broxterman’s 2-point conversion run made the score 22-0 with 28 seconds left in the first quarter.
With 4 minutes left in the first half, Schmelzle scored on 1-yard touchdown run. Broxterman added another 2-point conversion for a 30-0 halftime lead.
With 9:56 left in the third quarter on a 3rd-down-and-22 situation, Schmelzle hit Broxterman with a 22-yard TD pass to give Axtell a 36-0 lead.
Schmelzle added a rushing TD with 1:27 left in the third quarter and Axtell converted a 2-point conversion for a 44-0 lead.
Schmelzle threw a 31-yard TD pass to Landon Schmitz with 2:01 left on the clock to end the game at 50-0.
Six-Man: Weskan 49, Cunningham 48
The Weskan Coyotes captured the Kansas Six-Man state championship with a 49-48 victory over the Cunningham Wildcats Saturday at Kiowa County High School in Greensburg.
Weskan, which regained eligibility as a KSHSAA school in 2024, finished the season with a 13-0 record.
Cunningham, which went on a 22-0 run to take a 48-43 lead, finished the season with a 12-1 record. The Wildcats won the 6-Man championship in 2022.
Weskan struck first at the 6-minute mark of the first quarter on a Trexton Allen touchdown run.
Weskan’s Karsyn Wright made the lead 14-0 on scoop-and-score with 3:32 left in the quarter. Teammate Austin Smith stripped the ball loose from a Cunningham runner.
Cunningham’s Dagim Reed caught a TD pass to put the Wildcats on the scoreboard with 1:18 left in the first quarter. Cunningham trailed 14-6.
Cunningham tied the score at 14-14 on a TD pass from Will Wegerer to center Trenton Schnittker (and the 2-point conversion) with 9:26 left in the second quarter.
Weskan took a 35-14 lead at halftime on two touchdowns by Allen and another by Wright.
Cunningham opened the second half on a 3-yard TD pass from Wegerer to Luke Albers. The 2-point conversion failed. The Wildcats cut Weskan’s lead to 35-20.
Weskan answered with a 39-yard TD pass from Wright to Allen with 4:30 left in the third quarter.
Cunningham answered back 25 seconds later with a 3-yard TD pass from Wegerer to Luke Albers (the PAT kick was blocked), cutting the Coyotes lead to 43-26.
The Wildcats cut the Weskan Coyotes lead to 43-34 on a 2-yard TD pass from Wegerer to Albers (Reed kicked the extra point) with 4 minutes left in the third quarter.
After stopping Weskan on its next drive, Cunningham’s Wegerer connected with Reed for a14-yard TD pass to cut Weskan’s lead to 43-42 with 5:58 left in the game.
Cunningham took a 48-43 lead on its next possession when Skyler Thimmesch caught a 13-yard TD pass from Wegerer with 3:15 left in the game(the PAT kick was blocked).
Weskan’s Wright scored on a 30-yard TD run with 1:42 left in the game to put the Coyotes ahead for good at 49-48.
Kansas state high school football championship final scores
Class 6A @ Emporia Friday, Nov. 29, 2024
Gardner-Edgerton 36, Manhattan 33
Gardner-Edgerton (12-1), Manhattan (12-1)
Class 5A @ Emporia Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024
St. Thomas Aquinas 35, Hays 13
St. Thomas Aquinas (13-0), Hays (8-5)
Class 4A @ Emporia Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024
Andover Central 49, Shawnee Mission Bishop Miege 42
Andover Central (12-1), Shawnee Mission Bishop Miege (5-8)
Class 3A @ Hutchinson Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024
Andale 36, Topeka Hayden 19
Andale (13-0),Topeka Hayden (11-2)
Class 2A @ Hutchinson Friday, Nov. 29, 2024
Southeast of Saline 36, Nemaha Central 28
Southeast of Saline (13-0), Nemaha Central (11-2)
Class 1A @ Hutchinson Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024
Conway Springs 41, Centralia 6
Conway Springs (13-0), Centralia (11-2)
8-Man DI @ Greensburg Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024
Hoxie 46, Central Plains 0
Hoxie (13-0), Central Plains (10-3)
8-Man DII @ Greensburg Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024
Axtell 50, Victoria 0
Axtell (13-0), Victoria (12-1)
6-Man @ Greensburg Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024
Weskan 49, Cunningham 48
Weskan (13-0), Cunningham (12-1)