Hays High played their first home game of 2018 Friday night hosting the Liberal Redskins.

Hays turned the ball over on three of their five first half possessions and Liberal punted on three of the six and lost the ball on downs once.  The result of the first two quarters was a tie at seven points a piece.

Liberal’s Jaylin Staten ripped off a 65 yard run to give the Redskins a 7-0 after picking off an Indian pass.  Hays responded on the next drive in the first quarter driving 81 yards on 9 plays which was capped off by a six yard Palmer Hutchison score.

Highlights

Liberal’s first drive of the second half was kept alive after Hays ran into the punter on 4th and 4.  Syris Dunlap took advantage with a 60 yard touchdown run for a Liberal 14-7 lead.

The Indians responded right back on a seven play seventy yard drive finished off by a second Hutchison score to even the game at 14.  The next Liberal drive ended when Tavian Creamer picked off the first pass of his career for Hays.  The Indians drove to midfield then on 4th and 2, Hutchison ran for 48 yards to the three yard line.  Hayden Brown punched in the go ahead run two plays later.  Cole Schroeder hit his third extra point of the night for a 21-14 lead.

The Indians recovered an uncovered kickoff on the next play but gave the ball back after four plays.  Liberal drove the field converting on third and fourth downs, scoring on a twelve yard pass from Dunlap to Lee Hatcher for a 21-20 score.  The score remained the same as Keaton Markley, a few plays after leaving with an injury, blocked the extra point.

Hays recovered the Liberal onside kick and with a first down took a 21-20 victory.

Coach Tony Crough

Hayden Brown ran for 151 yards and Palmer Hutchison for 157.  Hays moves to 1-2 on the year and is 1-1 in the WAC.  Liberal drops to 1-2 and 0-1.