BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
WAMEGO – Great Bend’s Cody Miller capped a flawless 69-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run to draw the Panthers 14-7 within of No. 2 seed Wamego.
There was the hint of a surprise for the No. 15 seeded Panthers.
But a busted pass coverage and a fumbled kickoff made the upset bid a distant memory. Wamego outscored the Panthers 42-21 in Friday’s 4A football playoff opener.
It was time for the Red Raiders’ Division 1 prospect Hayden Oviatt to take charge after he visited the University of Kansas last week.
Oviatt scrambled for several seconds and found Ledjor Rowden wide open for a 50-yard reception. Collin Donahue scored on a 1-yard run. Wamego’s Lane Jeanneret recovered the ensuing short kickoff that bounced off a Panther. Oviatt’s next three carries were 34, 68 and 26-yard touchdowns in a dominating second half. He rushed for 242 yards from Wamego’s quarterback run package.
“It got away from us really fast,” said Great Bend coach Erin Beck. “That happens when you have a quarterback like they have. He made us pay.”
The Panthers’ defense kept them in the ballgame until Oviatt’s second-half 28-point burst.
After Wamego’s Hunter Phillimore scored for a 7-0 lead, the Panthers were poised for a tying score at the Wamego 6-yard line on 4th-down-and-1. But Cody Miller was tackled from shotgun formation by an unblocked Jake Meyer.
An offensive penalty on 3rd-and-1 handed Wamego a final first-half possession that Oviatt turned into a 6-yard touchdown pass to Hagan Johnson with 33 seconds left In the half for a 14-0 lead.
“You’ve got to capitalize when you get your chances,” Beck said. “We had plays that we liked. We’re at the 6-yard line. We made a mental mistake. The next time, we had a false start on third-and-2. Wamego scored a touchdown before halftime. Those plays were the difference.”
Miller dashed for 123 second-half yards led by blocking by tight end Colton Brack and Anthony Paez, who sealed the edge. Miller gained a career high 159 yards on 25 hard-earned carries.
“That was nice to see,” Beck said. “We had a run package that we executed really well that second half.”
Great Bend quarterback Cayden Scheuerman completed a 71-yard touchdown pass to Braylon Council, who avoided several tackles on a dazzling touchdown reception. Scheuerman scored on a 5-yard touchdown run after a horse-collar penalty.
Scheuerman completed 14 passes for 151 yards. The Panthers gained a season high 343 yards keyed by center Jason Scott, guards Danny Nieto and Matthew Johnson and tackles Anthony Paez and Brantley Schaffer. Council had seven receptions for 98 yards.
The Panthers (0-9) will ride a 17-game losing streak heading to 2022. Beck will always treasure how the players earned his respect by reporting to practice every week with a fresh attitude despite back-to-back winless seasons.
“This one hurts the worst. It hurts for our seniors,” Beck said. “I thanked our seniors. They came back every week and picked themselves up. They showed the type of grit you need to continue to compete. I’m proud of them. They’re Panthers for life. They are good kids. They will be outstanding citizens.”
Wamego gained 355 offensive yards and intercepted a pair of passes.
Great Bend 0 0 7 14 – 21
Wamego 7 7 14 14 – 42
W—Hunter Phillimore 3 run (Noah Fiske kick)—1:05; W—Hagan Johnson 6 pass from Hunter Oviatt (Fiske kick)—0:33; GB—Cody Miller 2 run (Alex Galindo kick)—9:06; W—Collin Donahue 1 run (Fiske kick)—5:56; W—Oviatt 34 run (Fiske kick)—4:55; W—Oviatt 68 run (Fiske kick)—3:42; GB—Cayden Scheuerman 5 run (Galindo kick)—11:14; W—Oviatt 26 run (Fiske kick)—9:00; GB—Braylon Council 71 pass from Scheuerman (Galindo kick)—2:23
INDIVIDUAL STATS
RUSHING—GB—32-192; Miller 25-159; Scheuerman 5-15; Council 1-10, Gavin Haberman 2-8; W—41-269; Oviatt 23-242; Fillmiore 10-25, Chase Cottam 3-8. Couture 3-4, Ledjor Rowden 1-(11).
PASSING—GB—Scheuerman 14-26-2, 151; W—Oviatt 5-13-0, 89; Collin Donahue 1-1-0, (-3).
RECEIVING—GB—Council 7-98, Colton Brack 3-29, Stefan Spray 2-15, Miller 1-5, Maddox Spray 1-4; W—Rowden 1-50, Chase Cottam 1-29, Johnson 2-12, Collin Donahue 1-4, Couture 1-(-3)
