By Dustin Armbruster

The Hays Indians were able to take advantage of multiple Great Bend mistakes on their way to a 49-6 win Friday night. After a three and out and punt that resulted in negative yardage, Hays needed just two plays to score from 16 yards out and take 7-0 lead with 9:40 remaining in the first quarter following a Alex Delton 13 yard touchdown run. Great Bend punted on their second possession after three plays to set up the Indians at the Panther 35 following a personal foul by the Panthers on the return. Hays needed just five plays to navigate the 35 yards to increase the lead to 14-0 on a Dalton Stout one yard plunge. Hays scored pushed the lead to three touchdowns before the end of the first quarter when Shane Berens picked off a pass and scored from 25 yards out. The Indians led 21-0 after the first quarter and cruised rest of the way.

Following a scoreless second quarter, the Indians struck on the first play of the second half when Delton broke off an 82 yard touchdown score grabbing a 28-0 lead. The troubles that Great Bend experienced in the first half continued in half number two. Isaiah Blackmon stripped and recovered the football for the Indians on the Panthers first drive of the second half leading to a seven play scoring drive capped by a two yard Stout score pushing the lead to 35-0.

Perhaps the craziest touchdown of the season happened on the Indians next drive. Delton threw a 44 yard pass to junior Keith Dryden and as Dryden fought for the end zone he fumbled the ball at the two yard line. Tight End Shane Berens who had scored on a defensive play earlier in the game scooped up the loose ball and dove into the end zone give the Indians a 42-0 lead with 4:06 remaining in the third.

The Indians final score of the night came midway through the fourth quarter when Adam Klaus scored on a four yard run capping a four play 25 yard drive following a fumble recovery by Berens.

Great Bend would get their first points of the season on fourth and goal when Trenton Uselton scored on a three yard run for the final 49-6 tally.

Hays rushed for 208 yards and passed for 133, totaling 341 yards on the night. Great Bend was held to 144 total yards only 11 of which came through the air.

The game was also a night of penalties and turnovers. Hays was penalized 12 times for 105 yards and Great Bend 11 times for 109 yards. Hays lost four fumbles and Great Bend totaled six turnovers, four interceptions and two fumbles.

Hays is 2-0 and 1-0 in the Western Athletic Conference. Great Bend drops to 0-2, 0-1.

Hays plays at home for the first time this season as they take on the Liberal on Friday Night.

By DUSTIN ARMBRUSTER
Hays Post

It wasn’t pretty. But it was a win. And the Hays High Indians started their season with a 12-10 victory on the road in Olathe.

Neither Hays nor Olathe Northwest could get much going offensively during the game that was over cast and rainy at times. Hays High scored their first points of the season on a Connor Rule two yard touchdown plunge on fourth down, set up by Hayden Kruetzer’s 50 yard punt return. But even that series had its struggles. Hays scored on the first play from two yards out, but was waved off due to a penalty. Due to more penalties and a sack, Hays ended up with third and goal from the 20. A 18 yard run by Brendan Ibarra set up Rule on fourth down to score the game’s first points. The extra point missed and Hays led 4-0 with 4:59 remaining in the first quarter.

Bo Black Postgame Interview

On the ensuing drive, Northwest went on a 69 yard scoring drive that was aided by 20 penalty yards. The Ravens hit the extra point and led 7-6 after the first quarter.

Hays High had one more opportunity to score in the first half after a punting miscue by Northwest set up Hays at the Raven’s 15 yard line. Indian’s quarterback Alex Delton was intercepted on the next play in the endzone though.

Olathe Northwest would add a field goal in the third quarter after having the ball first and goal at the eight yard line. Hays trailed 10-6 going in the fourth quarter.

The Hays High Indians offense really clicked for the first time in the fourth quarter. Backed up their own 6 yard line after a punt by the Ravens, Hays drove 94 yards and capped it off with an Delton one yard touchdown plunge on third down. Hays converted on five third down conversions on the drive after starting the game 1 of 8. Hays missed the extra point again leaving the score at 12-10.

The Ravens did have one last drive in them. After converting on 4th and 13 to keep the drive alive, the ravens next three plays set up a 47 yard field goal that came up short and right sealing a victory for the Indians.

Game Highlights

The Hays High Indians totaled 215 yards 142 on the ground and 73 in the air. Olathe NW was held to 179 yards, 95 rushing yards and 84 passing.

Hays is 1-0 and on the road again on Friday night to face their rivals the Great Bend Panthers.

By DUSTIN ARMBRUSTER
Hays Post

Alex Delton has been a hot commodity in college football circles over the past 18 months. Delton had already let his intentions be known early in 2014, that he was going to attend Kansas State University. Thursday at Hays High School, he made it as official as he could by signing his scholarship agreement. He will still have to sign a National Letter of Intent in February 2015.

Signing in late August does two things for Delton. First it puts his mind to rest about picking where to continue his education and football career. Secondly, it allows him to attend KSU in the spring of 2015 and get a jump at competing for the quarterback job with the Wildcats. Alex worked out a plan with administrators and counselors at Hays High to graduate in December.

In his Indian career, Delton has thrown for 1,878 yards and 26 touchdowns against 9 interceptions. Delton is a dual-threat, rushing for 1,390 yards and 21 scores. Alex though garnered most of the college scout’s attention at camps that he attended, including the Under Armour camp in Florida.

While Delton could spend time talking simply about himself, he instead spends time praising coaches, family and teammates for helping him achieve his dream of playing college football.

Alex Delton

Delton enters his third season as the starting quarterback for the Indians. He played limited time as a freshman as a backup QB and missed part of his junior season to a leg injury.

New Indian head coach Bo Black has the unique experience of not only having Delton on his team for 2014, but also coached against him the past two seasons.

Bo Black

Former Indian head coach and current Hutchinson Salthawk coach Ryan Cornelsen made the trip to watch his former quarterback sign. Cornelsen was asked by Delton to attend Thursday’s signing, but didn’t agree to make the trip until coach Black had given his approval first.

Ryan Cornelsen

The Hays High Indians will kick-off the 2014 season next Friday, as the travel to Olathe. The Indians will take on the Northwest Ravens at 5:30 on 96.9 KFIX and hayspost.com.

By DUSTIN ARMBRUSTER
Hays Post

The Hays High Indian football team closed out their first week of practice with a scrimmage Saturday morning at Lewis Field Stadium. Hays finally caught a break from the warm morning weather with a cool 73 degree, 7:45 a.m. scrimmage. The Indians ran approximately 90 plays broken up among all three levels of the team. The first team offense and defense took the largest number of snaps, looking so solidify the depth chart.

Coach Bo Black is pleased to have the first week of practice in the books.

Quarterback Alex Delton will sign is National Letter of Intent to play football for Kansas State this coming Thursday. Hays will also host their Maroon and Gold all sport scrimmage on Friday at Lewis Field Stadium.

Hays is less than two weeks away from their first game of the season at Olathe Northwest. The kickoff will be at 5:30 and be the first game of a doubleheader as Olathe East will host Garden City following the Hays game on the same field. Follow the Hays High Indians on 96.9 KFIX and streamed live on Hays Post.

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)

By DUSTIN ARMBRUSTER
Hays Post

Kade Parker had some decisions to make when it came to his college plans.  The former Hays High Indian and Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year made that decision this week to play baseball at Barton Community College.   Parker turned his senior year into a campaign that made people stand up and take notice both as a pitcher and at the plate.

On the mound, the left handed throwing Parker (4-3, 1 save) held a 0.81 ERA over eight appearances.  Over 43.1 innings pitched he demonstrated masterful control, allowing just 24 hits, striking out 42 and walking just nine.  Parker allowed 14 total runs, five of which were earned.  His 0.81 ERA was fourth best in Hays High history for a single season, while holding opponents to a .158 batting average ranked him seventh on the season. Parker baffled much of the Western Athletic Conference throwing no-hitter against each Dodge City and Garden City.  Then he threw a three-hit shutout versus Great Bend.

Kade Parker

HHS coach Frank Leo

Over the course of his career as a pitcher, Parker appeared in 13 games, compiling a 7-3 with a 0.83 ERA over 72.1 innings pitched.  He allowed just 44 hits, walked 19 and struck out 75 in those appearances.

At the plate Parker hit safely in the first 14 games this season, nine of which were multi-hit games.  Parker batted .400 (26-65) on the season. He struck out just three times in 79 plate appearances.

Parker says the coaches at Barton plan to use him as a starting pitcher.

Parker becomes the second senior off the Indians pitching staff to sign.  Layne Downing inked his letter of intent with Dodge City Community College earlier this year.

By DUSTIN ARMBRUSTER
Hays Post

The Hays High softball team seemed to be in control of their state quarterfinal game in Manhattan on Thursday. That is until the 6th inning. Leading 4-0 into the top of the 6th, Hannah Hearld walked the lead-off hitter and then allowed three straight singles which produced three runs. Madison Prough relieved Hearld but managed to record just one out before Hearld returned. Kapaun took a 5-4 lead on a controversial call at the plate and eventually led 6-4 before Hays could retire the side.

Albany Schaffer led off the bottom of the 6th with a double, but Hays couldn’t take advantage of the hit stranding her at third base. The Crusaders tacked on an insurance run in the top of the 7th that proved to be the difference.

Trailing 7-4, Hays took advantage of two Kapaun errors to score a run and load the bases.  Hays trailed 7-6 after a ground out, but couldn’t drive in the tying run from third base with two outs.

Hearld allows four runs (three earned) on two hits striking out 11 but walking six over 6 2/3 innings and takes the loss. She also had two hits and one of the Indians four RBI’s in the game.

By DUSTIN ARMBRUSTER
Hays Post

The Hays High softball team is headed to the 5A state tournament after a 3-0 victory over Great Bend in the regional championship on Wednesday evening in Great Bend.

Albany Schaffer knocked in Nicole Dinkel on a two-out single in the sixth break a scoreless tie and give the Indians the lead. Dinkel scored again in the seventh on a Haley Wells single to grab a 2-0 lead. Wells scored the Indian’s third run of the game later in the inning on a Tessa Stickel single.

Hannah Hearld picked up the victory, striking out nine.

Earlier in the day, the Indians beat Goddard-Eisenhower 9-4 to reach the regional championship game. Hays scored four in the bottom of the sixth to break open a one-run game. Hearld struck out only one in the complete game victory but homered and drove in three. Madison Prough also had three RBI’s. Albany Schaffer and Haley Wells both had three hits.

The Indians are now 18-4 on the season and will play next Thursday in Manhattan in the 5A state tournament.

Abby Maska Postgame Interview

Game Highlights (Goddard-Eisenhower)

Game Highlights (Great Bend)

By DUSTIN ARMBRUSTER
Hays Post

The Hays High Indians shot a team score of 321 on Monday, earning a trip to Wichita and the 5A State Golf Tournament.  Hays High definitely had to be considered the favorite in the field playing on their home course at Smoky Hill Country Club.  Hays won by 23 strokes over Valley Center who shot a 343.  Valley Center and Salina Central (362) also qualified for the state tournament.

The Indians placed four in the Top 10.  Payton Ruder and Kaden Beilman both fired a 76 to tie for first.  The playoff was won by Ruder on the first hole.  Nathan Romme was 5th with an 82 and Cash Hobson ended the day in a three way tie for 8th, carding an 87 and finishes eighth by winning the playoff on the second hole.

Hays will play at the Wichita Country Club on Tuesday, May 27th.  State information can be found at https://www.kshsaa.org/Public/Golf/StateBoys.cfm

HHS Coach Mark Watts

Related story: TMP golfers take regional title in Norton.

By DUSTIN ARMBRUSTER
Hays Post

Salina Central 3 – Hays 2

Hays and Salina Central played an intense final game to the second day of the Western Plains Diamond Classic on Friday night.  The game started over an hour late due to the first three games each running long.  The final game of the night took just 80 minutes to complete.

Salina Central posted a 3-0 lead after the top half of the second inning, scoring an unearned run in the first off of two Indian errors.  Back to back RBI doubles by Salina Central put them in front at 3-0.  Hays plated their only two runs in the bottom of the second innings.  Hays loaded the bases on three singles by Connor Rule, Dalton Stout, and Layne Downing when Jared Haynes walked to drive in Rule.  With two out and Downing was able to score from third base on a wild pitch getting the Indians with one run at 3-2.  There would be no more scoring for the night.

Central starting pitcher JW Maldaner retired the next 11 Indians until the sixth inning.  Kade Parker walked and courtesy runner Garrett Pfannenstiel stole second them moved to throw on the pick-off attempt.  Hays though couldn’t capitalize with the runner in scoring position.

Hays had one last chance in the seventh when Jared Haynes lined a two out single to right field keeping the Indians alive.  Pinch runner Adam Klaus stole second on a close play, but then was thrown out trying to steal third to end the game.

Hays’ eight game winning streak comes to a close and falls to 11-6.  Salina Central moves to 7-8 and at 3-0 in the Western Plains Diamond Classic has claimed the championship with one day remaining.

Hays will play Goddard at 2:30 for the final game of the three day classic.  The game can be heard starting at 2:15 on 96.9 KFIX.

By DUSTIN ARMBRUSTER
Hays Post

Four sport athlete at Hays High School, Lane Clark signed his letter of intent Thursday to kick at Division 1 Tennessee State University.  Clark was on the football team three of his four high school years and also played soccer during the same fall season.  He also was on the 4th place state basketball team where he was a three year starter and also a varsity member of the golf team in the spring.

This summer Clark spent time honing his football kicking skills at the KCKicking camp as was named MVP and also won the Last Man Standing Competition, Punt Championship and Kick-Off Championship.  According to KCKicking.com “Lane Clark proved at this camp that he is one of the most consistent kicker we’ve ever worked with.”

During Clark’s junior season he made 33 of 38 PATs and was 4-4 on field goals hitting from 27 yards twice, 33 yards and 37 yards.

His senior year Clark missed just one PAT making 30 of 31 and was 7-9 of FG.  He converted from 28, 29, 31, 36, 37, 38, and 48 yards.  His only misses in two years were from 47 and 50 yards.  Clark also played wide receiver and defensive back during his senior season.

Tennessee State University is located in Nashville, Tennessee and is a Division 1 Football Championship Subdivision school.  The Tigers compete in the Ohio Valley Conference.