By DUSTIN ARMBRUSTER
Hays Post

The Hays High Indian football program began the Bo Black era on Monday with the first two-a-days of the week. Just under 70 kids checked out helmets and pads for the season, which is a similar number to recent years.

Bo Black

 

A coaching change isn’t the only thing new for Hays High this season. The Indians have dropped to the newly created 4A Division 1 classification for the next two years. Lower enrollment combined with new schools and growing schools in metro areas of Kansas have pushed the Indians down in classification.

Along with a new coach and classification comes new opponents. Hays has never faced Olathe Northwest which is their week one opponent. That game will have a 5:30 kick-off and will be part of a double header. Game two will feature Olathe East and Garden City. Hays last played Buhler in 2003 and Abilene in 1990. Hays is coming off a 6-3 record, but went 1-2 in district play and missed the playoffs.

2014 Schedule
Sept 5. @ Olathe NW. Series: 0-0. Hays has never played an Olathe School.
Sept 12. @ Great Bend. Series: 35-40-1. Most played series in school history at 76 games. Hays has won 4 of 5 after losing 8 in a row. While we recently think of Hays and Great Bend as a late season game, this will be the 19th time they have met in week two of the season. The last though was in 1971.
Sept 19. v Liberal. Series: 11-26. Hays was won the past five games versus Liberal. Prior to that the Indians had 6 wins in 32 games.
Sept 26. @ Garden City. Series: 25-28. Hays lost 35-0 in a games called at halftime due to weather. It was the most lopsided game in the series since a 18-0 win by Hays in 2005. This is the 5th most played series for Hays.
Oct 3. v Wichita South. (Homecoming) Series: 6-0. The two have played every year since 2008. Hays has won by an average of 28.5 points versus the Titans. Hays is 11-6 against teams from Wichita.
Oct 10. v Dodge City. Series: 22-46-1. Hays has four of the last five meetings. The lone loss coming in 2010. This is the second most played series for Hays. At one point Hays won just one game in the series between 1969 and 1985. In fact Hays won just 8 of the first 45 games played. Since 1989 Hays is 14-10 against the Red Demons.
Oct 17. @ Buhler. Series: (District) 7-5. Buhler is the defending 4A champs. The two last played each other in 2003. The two played each other once in the playoffs. A 17-16 win by Buhler in 1990. They first played in 1981 and 1982.
Oct 24. v Abilene. (District) Series: 7-2. Hays and Abilene played from 1966 – 1972 and then again in 1989 and 1990. This will be the first district meeting between the two. In the 66-72 series the game was the first of the season.
Oct 31. @ McPherson. (District) Series: 15-9. Hays has won each of the past two seasons against the Bullpups. Before that the two were 5A district opponents. The 24 games that have been played between the two is tied for 12th most. They will break the tie with WaKeeney at the end of the year. Hays and WaKeeney last played in 1948. All but three of the games (74-75-76) have been in district play. This will be the 11th time the two have closed the regular season out against each other. (94-97, 04-09)