TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Fort Hays State took to the road for the second time in 2016 as they took on Northeastern State in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. The two played to a first quarter stalemate with neither team getting inside of the other’s 45 yard line.
The Tigers looked to have their fist score early in the second quarter, but a holding penalty brought back a passing touchdown. The Tigers would have that drive end on a missed 51 yard field goal. Fort Hays defensively continued to pressure the Riverhawks and eventually forced quarterback Dimonick McKinzy into mistakes. The sophomore quarterback hadn’t thrown an interception in the first three games of the season. That all changed when Rashad Dunigan picked off a pass. The Tigers turned that into a five play drive capped off by a one yard run by Malik Thomas to put Fort Hays up 7-0. On the very next drive McKinzy threw his second interception when DeAndre James intercepted a pass and returned it 32 yards for a touchdown and 14-0 lead.
Highlights
The Tiger special teams then came up with a big play at the end of the first half when Layne Bieberle blocked a punt to give the Tigers the football in Riverhawk territory with twenty-five seconds left before half time. Fort Hays converted on third down on a pass to Isaiah Maxi and stopped the clock with a spike at the 15 yard line allowing Brandon Brown to come onto the field for a 32 yard field goal and 17-0 half time lead.
Northeastern State opened the second half on a 105 yard kickoff return for a touchdown but was called back on a hold. The Riverhawks though would score on the drive on a 38 yard pass from McKinzy to Reshawn Eubanks cutting the Tiger lead down to 17-7. Fort Hays responded on the next drive with a 27 yard scoring run from Shaq Cooper to regain a three possession lead at 24-7. The Tigers put the Riverhawks out of reach early in the fourth quarter when Doyin Jibowu blocked a field goal attempt and Raheeme Dumas returned it 65 yards for a touchdown. Fort Hays added a 17 yard field from Brandon Brown following a Tanner Hoekman interception for the final margin of 34-7.
Coach Chris Brown
Fort Hays moves to 3-1 on the season. Northeastern State falls to 1-3. The Tigers are at home on Saturday versus Lindenwood for homecoming.
The Hays High had to wait until week three of the football season to play their first home game. On a picture perfect Friday night the Indians hosted the Liberal Redskins at Lewis Field Stadium.
Hays took their first drive of the game to the end zone over ten plays capped by a Hunter Brown five yard run. Liberal scored immediately when freshman Syris Dunlap took the ensuing kickoff 95 yards for a tie ball game.
The rest of the first half was scoreless and Liberal punted the ball on three straight possessions of three plays. Hays drove into Liberal territory on their next three possessions but couldn’t convert on fourth down each time at the 36 yard line.
The Hays defense held Liberal to zero yards at half time. Hays compiled 187 yards, but remained tied with the Redskins 7-7.a
Highlights
Hays recovered fumble on the first play of the second half and four plays later took a 13-7 lead after a three yard run by Kohlton Meyers. Hays botched the extra point missing out on the extra point.
Liberal faced 3rd and 16 on their next drive when it looked like the Indians had intercepted a pass. But the Redskin’s Ty Johnson wrestled the catch away and gained 40 yards for a first down. Liberal finished the long 13 play drive off with a six yard run by Cesar Burciaga taking a 14-13 lead.
Hays looked like they would take the lead traveling inside the Redskin’s 10 yard but fumbled the ball away on third down after 16 plays. Liberal took over at their own nine yard line and went backwards a yard on the next two plays. Liberal though converted on 3rd and 12 and later on 3rd and 5. Liberal then busted out the longest play on offense with a 67 yard run by Burciaga to give Liberal a 21-13 lead.
The Indians had one last chance getting the ball at the 20 yard. Hays traveled to the Liberal 35 yard line but lost the ball on downs, their fourth such turnover of the night. Liberal used three plays to run out the clock and claim the 21-13 win.
Highlights
Liberal gets their first Western Athletic Conference since 2013 and moves to 2-1 overall. Hays falls to 1-2 and 0-2 in the conference. Hunter Brown led the Indians with 130 yards and touchdown. Kohlton Meyers ran for 87 yards and one score. Hays compiled 324 yards compared to the Redskins 179.
Hays heads on the road to 3-0, state ranked Garden City next Friday Night.
Hays and Great Bend met for the 79th time since 1923 as the two opened up Western Athletic Conference play on Friday night. For Hays it was the second consecutive week they had faced a ranked opponent after beating then ranked Scott City on the road 31-21. Great Bend entered the game ranked #5 after a 57-13 win over Coffeyville in week 1.
Hays fumbled the football away on the third play of the game setting up Great Bend’s quarterback Jacob Murray for a one yard touchdown plunge. The Panthers had returned the fumble to the one yard line to set up the short field. Hays went 11 plays on the next drive and reached the Panther 21 yard line before losing the ball on downs. Great Bend responded with a 13 play 79 yard scoring drive to take a 13-0 lead after missing the extra point with four seconds left in the first quarter.
Highlights
The Indians again got into Great Bend territory but punted the ball away. Leading by two scores the Panthers drove into Hays territory but threw an incomplete pass on fourth down. The Indians finally got their offense going on the ensuing drive as Keaton Markley finished off an 8 play 63 yard drive, scoring his first career varsity touchdown on a 7 yard rush. Great Bend punted for the first time all season on the next drive giving Hays the ball at their own 33 yard line with 31 seconds left before the half. With the wind at their backs and no time outs Hunter Brown hit Collyn Kreutzer on a 54 yard pass to the fifteen yard line. After spiking the ball to stop the clock Brown hit Kruezter again this time for 15 yards and a touchdown. Logan Clark hit both extra points of the first half to give Hays a 14-13 lead with nine seconds before half.
Coach Randall Rath
Great Bend took the opening drive of the second half for ten plays and 35 yard touchdown by Cal Marshall. Murray flipped the ball to the corner of the end zone for a two point conversion to go up 21-14. Great Bend stayed with the ground and pound attack in the second half as Jacob Murray scored from a yard out and Cal Marshall bolted to the end zone from 53 yards. Great Bend outscored Hays 22-0 in the second half, taking the 35-14 win.
Hays falls to 1-1 on the season and will play at home for the first time this year. The Indians host 1-1 Liberal who won 14-0 at Guymon, Oklahoma on Friday.
Great Bend is 2-0 and travels to Wichita NW.
Kohlton Meyers ran for 106 yards for the Indians while quarterback Hunter Brown threw for 128 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Great Bend’s Cal Marshall ran for 160 yards and two scores. Quarterback Jacob Murray threw for 152 yards and score. Murray also scored twice from one yard out.
SCOTT CITY, Kan. – Hays High opened the 2016 football season with a trip to #4 4A-II Scott City on Friday night. The Beavers are one of three new teams on the schedule for the Indians. Overall it was the fourth meeting between the two teams.
Hays High used their first possession of the season to travel 54 yards over 10 plays taking a 7-0 lead on a Kohlton Meyers six yard run. Scott City drove into Hays territory on each of their first three possessions but came up empty.
Hays expanded their lead to 10-0 in the second quarter with a Logan Clark 20 yard field goal. Hays kept the drive alive with a 48 yard pass on third down from Hunter Brown to Keaton Markley. The Beavers used a big pass of their own to convert on 3rd and 18 late in the second quarter. Bo Hess hit Justin Faurot on a five yard pass to tighten the score to 10-7 at half time.
Highlights
Scott City controlled the third quarter scoring on their first two possessions to take a 21-10 lead. Following a Hays High punt late in the 3rd quarter Scott City looked to put the game away. Hays High wouldn’t go quietly. The Indians forced four consecutive turnovers on interceptions by Chantz Brungardt, Dylan Schmidtberger and Keaton Markley and a fumble recovery by Freddy Haines. The Indians converted those turnovers into 21 points all on 4th down pass plays. Hunter Brown completed a pass of 29 yards to Collyn Kreutzer who made a bobbling catch in the end zone to make the score 21-17. Freddy Haines recovered a fumble on the next Beaver possession setting up more 4th down heroics for the Indians. Brown threw a jump ball to the end zone to Shane Berens giving Hays the lead 24-21. Hays forced two more turnovers the second of which led to another 4th down touchdown pass from Brown to Berens to ice the game at 31-21.
Coach Randall Rath
Hunter Brown was 10-10 through the air for 170 yards and two touchdowns. The Indians totaled just 247 yards of offense but were five for five on 4th down attempts converting three for touchdowns.
Hays High is 1-0. Scott City drops to 0-1.
Hays High heads on the road again next week to start Western Athletic Conference play in Great Bend.
The first of two practices of the 2016 football season came to a close Monday evening. Around 60 players checked out gear on Monday starting with a practice at 8 a.m. and then again at 4 p.m. The Indians enter their second season under coach Randall Rath. Rath already noticed a difference during the summer time before this season, noting the players understood how he wanted them to work in the summer time.
Coach Randall Rath
Hays will look to improve on their 2-7 record from a last season. Some of the key returners include Seniors Shane Berens, Conrad Vanjar, Chantz Brungardt and Kohlton Meyers and Junior Hunter Brown Hays opens the season September 2nd at Scott City.
TMP-Marian had 39 players greeted new head coach Jason Cauley as they held their first workout early Monday morning. Cauley takes over a Monarch team that finished 1-8 in 2015.
The Hays High School boys team soccer camp begins today for both high school and middle school students. The camp dates are July 11th, 12th & 13th and will be held from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm at the Pratt-Optimist Park. Cost for the camp is $25 per player and includes camp shirt. Forms can be printed online at https://www.hayshighindians.com/Athletics/index.html. under the Athletics Information section.
The Hays High girls team soccer camp is right around the corner for seventh through twelfth graders. The camp is July 5th, 6th & 7th from 7:00pm to 9:00pm at Pratt-Optimist Park. The cost is $25 per player and includes a camp t-shirt. Forms can be printed off from www.hayshighschool.com at the athletic page and under athletics information where you can find the 2016 soccer camp form.
Two five run innings by the Kansas City Piper Pirates was too much for Hays High to overcome Friday at the 4A-1 state tournament. Hays fell 10-5 to the top seeded Pirates to end their season at 10-11. Hays led off the game with a pair of singles but could not capitalize. Piper scored five runs and sent ten to the plate to take the lead for good.
Hays did get within a single run with two outs in the top of the third. The Indians loaded the bases for Tessa Stickel who launched a grand slam over the fence in right center field. The Stickel blast put Hays back into the game, trailing 5-4. The momentum though was short lived. In the bottom half of the same inning Piper added five more runs to increase their lead to 10-4.
Highlights
Stickel narrowly missed another homer to left field when the ball hit the fence just eighteen inches from the top. That double drove in the Indian’s fifth and final run of the contest.
Coach Erin Wagner
Piper’s Abby Henry who has signed to play at Washburn took the victory in the circle for the Pirates who are now 19-2. Kaitlyn Brown was tagged with the loss allowing five runs over just two-thirds of an inning. Jaysa Wichers allowed five runs over 5.1 innings pitching in relief.
The Hays High Indians finished the Diamond Classic with a win and 3-1 record, plus a victory on the official Senior Day. What the Indians needed though was a six run victory to claim the tournament title. Hays High, Salina Central, and Great Bend all finished with a 3-1 tournament record. Great Bend took the team title with at plus 16 runs, Hays High finishes runner up at plus 14 and Salina Central was plus 11.
Highlights
Goddard used a three run second inning to jump up on Hays early. The Lions added a single run in the third to go up 4-0. The chances to score for Hays looked bleak with two outs in the bottom half of the third. Marcus Altman walked and stole a base to get into scoring position for Brayden Delzeit to drive him in for the Indian’s first run. Hays used that momentum to score five runs all with two outs in the third. Hays tied the game on a bases loaded walk by Cole Schumacher and took a 5-4 lead on a single by Dalton Stout. Hays added a run in the fourth and two more in the sixth for the 8-4 victory.
Coach Frank Leo
Palmer Hutchison earned his second career win pitching 5.2 innings in relief of Grant Coffman. Hays is now 11-5 on the year. Goddard used five pitchers in the game and falls to 3-15.
Hays returns to action on Tuesday at Liberal. Regional seedings will come out on Wednesday. Hays will then play their final games of the season in a makeup contest hosting Garden City on Thursday.
Great Bend 6 – Salina Central 1
Salina Central suffered the only loss of the tournament with a 6-1 loss to Great Bend in the second of three games at the Diamond Classic on Saturday. Great Bend scored four runs in the third then took a six run lead with two in the top of the sixth. Salina Central scored their only run in the sixth inning. The Mustangs did get a lead-off single to start the seventh, but the Great Bend defense used a force out and a ground ball double play to end the game.
Great Bend and Salina Central both go 3-1 in the Diamond Classic. Salina Central is 8-8 on the year and Great Bend is 12-4.
Goddard 3 – Life Prep Academy 1
Goddard scored all three of their runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and held on to claim their first win of the tournament Saturday morning. The Lions led off the inning with three consecutive singles and totaled four of their eight game hits in the fourth.
Life Prep answered back with one in the fifth then loaded the bases with one out in the top of the seventh inning but did not score. For Goddard it is their third win of the season and breaks a streak of five consecutive one run losses.
Hays got strong pitching performances from two young players in a 4-2 loss to Salina Central on Friday night. Sophomore Cole Murphy pitched in his first varsity game going 3.1 innings allowing three runs and four four hits while walking four and striking out four. Murphy took the loss on the night. Freshman Trey Riggs came to just his third game, entering with the bases loaded and only one out. Riggs induced an inning ending double play to end the Salina Central threat. Riggs went on to pitch the final 3.2 innings allowing two hits and one run striking out three and walking one.
Coach Frank Leo
The young arms were out-dueled though by Salina Central’s Andrew Stratman and Ethan Kickhaefer. Hays managed just three hits over the seven inning game. Hays plated two runs in the bottom of the third inning to tie the game at 2-2. Central responded with single runs in the fourth and seventh. Stratman threw five innings for the victory giving up the two runs on three hits striking out seven and walking three. Kickhaefer came in for a two inning save, his second of the season, facing the minimum six possible.
Highlights
Central improves to 3-0 in the tournament and 8-7 overall. Hays falls to 2-1 in the tourney and 10-5 overall.
Hays finishes their tournament play tomorrow against Goddard at 2:30. Goddard will open Saturday with a 10:00 game with Life Prep Academy. Salina Central and Great Bend will play the middle game at 12:30
Great Bend 13 – Life Prep 1
Great Bend scored seven runs in the first inning and had no trouble in beating Life Prep Academy 13-1. The win moves Great Bend to 2-1 in the tournament and 11-4 on the year.
Salina Central 4 – Goddard 3
It took an extra inning for Salina Central and Goddard to finalize their game on Friday. The Central Mustangs took a 3-0 lead after the first four innings but gave them back allowing two in the fifth and one in the sixth. Neither team threatened to score in the seventh and Goddard did not get a base runner in the eighth.
Salina Central scored in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI single by Ben Driver for the 4-3 victory. It is the ninth one run loss for Goddard this season who falls to 2-14.
Great Bend 5 – Goddard 4
Goddard scored four runs in the top of the first inning, but would not score again and fall 5-4 to Great Bend. Great Bend did not score until the fourth inning when they plated three getting within in a run at 4-3. Great Bend tied the game on a RBI single with one out leaving runners at second and third. Goddard then elected to load the bases on an intentional pass. The Panthers scored the winning run on the ensuing walk. Great Bend moves to 10-4. Goddard drops to 2-13.
It has been a long road for Drew Young at Hays High. But at the same time, the journey went very quickly. In the fall of 2015 Young broke his ankle playing dunk ball at a friend’s house. That injury help him realize something though. Young realized how much basketball meant to him and how important it was to put in the effort to continue his playing days behind high school.
Drew Young
On Friday Young inked his letter of intent to play for Colby Community College just down Interstate 70 from Hays. This past season Young was second on the team in scoring at 12 per game, lead the team in assists at 4.6 per contest, was second in steals and first in charges taken. Young scored in double figures fifteen times his senior season and eighteen in his career. Young also finished just outside the top 20 in career assists despite logging just 46 games.
Assistant Coach Tim Nunnery
Young says he will be hitting the weight room to add muscle, improve his quickness and speed of his shooting release before heading to Colby in August.
The Hays High Indian baseball team opened up the 34th Annual Western Plains Diamond Classic Baseball Tournament with two wins on Thursday.
Hays 10 – Life Prep Academy 0 (6 Innings)
Hays got six innings of five hit ball from Marcus Altman as the Indians run-ruled the Life Prep Fire 10-0. Hays scored three in the first and third innings to build their lead to 6-0, then capped the game with a two runs in each the fifth and sixth innings. Altman struck out seven and walked just two in his fourth win of the season and is now 4-2 in six appearances.
Marcus Altman helped his own cause by collecting three hits and driving in two runs at the plate. Brayden Delzeit added two hits in the 11 hit attack from the Indians. Eight different Indians scored runs in the 10-0 victory.
Highlights v Life Prep Academy
Hays 8 – Great Bend 6
On their way to the Western Athletic conference baseball title, Great Bend swept Hays just one week ago 15-6 and 8-5. In both games the Panthers scored four runs in the first inning. Their third meeting eight days had an similar start.
Great Bend sent eight to the plate in the first inning score two runs with two outs but left the bases loaded leading 2-0. The Panthers then added another run in the second inning to go up 3-0. Hays starter Jarett Pfannenstiel was still facing the Panthers in the second inning with the bases loaded and nobody out when he caught a head high line drive and completed the double play to third base. It would the first of five double plays completed by the Indians on the evening.
Despite allowing eight hits and committing three errors in the first three innings, Hays trailed by just 3-0 entering the bottom half of the inning. With the first two batter retired, Indians Jace Armstrong and Cole Schumacher were both hit by pitches. Dalton Stout collected the second of his four hits with a deep line drive off the bottom of the 320′ fence. The hit gave the Indians just a single run as Armstrong scored but Schumacher was thrown out at the plate on a strong relay from the fence.
After turning another double play in the fourth inning, the Hays offense grabbed the lead in the home half. Jarett Pfannenstiel drove in a run on a single with a throwing error leaded to the tying run to cross. Hays took their first lead of the game on a Drew Young sacrifice fly and lead 4-3 after the fourth inning.
Hays plated three more runs in the fifth inning two off a double from Brayden Dezleit and one from single off of Jared Haynes bat. Leading 7-3 after five innings the Hays defense again would shine.
Highlights v Great Bend
Hays thought they had turned a double play in the sixth inning only to have player interference called leaving runners at first and second with no outs instead of two outs and nobody on. Pfannenstiel wlked in a run after loading the bases, cutting the Indian’s lead down to 7-4. Dalton Stout moved from second base to pitcher with the bases loaded and no out when he induced a ground ball double play to freshman third baseman Palmer Hutchison, stepping on third and getting the runner at first. Great Bend added run on the double play but added no other runs and Hays escaped the sixth inning still leading 7-5.
Hays got back one of the runs in the bottom of the sixth on a Connor Rule single that scored Cole Schumacher. It was the Hays defense that again came up big, this time with their fifth double play of the game. Great Bend scored a run cutting the Hays lead to 8-6 and had runners at second and third with no outs. Drew Young fielded a line drive and touched second base for a double play and Marcus Altman caught a lazy fly ball to left field to seal the victory.
Coach Frank Leo
Jarett Pfannenstiel picks up the victory going five innings, allowing twelve hits but only five runs. He struck out one but walked only two. Dalton Stout picks up his second save of the season working two innings of one run ball. Pfannenstiel is 2-0 on the season and Hays High improves to 10-4 with the two wins. Great Bend falls to 9-4. Hays tallied ten hits in the victory, four of the coming from Dalton Stout and two each from Connor Rule and Brayden Delzeit. Great Bend recorded 14 hits and left 10 on base.
Hays will play two more games at the Diamond Classic. The Indians take on Salina Central at 7:15 on Friday and Goddard at 2:30 on Saturday.
Salina Central 14 – Life Prep Academy 1 (5 Innings)
Salina Central scored six runs in the second and four in the third to open their play at the Diamond Classic versus Life Prep Academy. The Mustangs pounded out 14 hits, stole nine bases and played 18 different players in the game. Ethan Kickhaefer takes the win pitching three innings.
A renewed dedication to the weight room did more that just improve the throwing marks of Hays High senior Jake Gaughan this spring. It also landed him a track and field scholarship with Fort Hays State University.
The senior signed his national letter of intent on Tuesday morning, joining his brother and sister as FHSU athletes. Kylie ran cross country and track while Zach just finished up his senior season with the football team.
Jake Gaughan
While a little bit of natural sibling rivalry pops up from time to time, Jake said watching his older sister and brother compete for the Tigers allowed him to become comfortable with the FHSU atmosphere.
Coach Mitch Harris
Gaughan threw just javelin on varsity last season leaving him off of college radars. Gaughan believed though he could be good enough to throw collegiality and knew that way there would take him through the weight room. This season Gaughan has steadily improved his distances landing him with the 13th best throw in the discus this season at 159′-6.5″. Discus naturally is also his favorite event.
