Five Wichita-area games you need to read about from Week 1 high school football

With Week 1 of the Kansas high school football season officially in the books, The Wichita Eagle picked out five key games to highlight.

You can find a list of Wichita-area game scores from Friday at Kansas.com.

1. Kapaun rallies from behind to win over Andover

With only a handful of starters back from last year’s team that played for the Class 5A championship, Kapaun Mt. Carmel coach Weston Schartz was eager to see how his team would respond to adversity in Friday’s season-opening game against Andover.

Little did he know the Crusaders would fall behind by 14 points in the first six minutes.

But Kapaun didn’t panic, methodically chipped away at the lead and finally surged in front late in the fourth quarter on a 24-yard touchdown run by Noah Schreck to lift the Crusaders to a dramatic 28-21 home win.

“When you’re down 14-0 with 15 new starters, you’re going to find out real quick who is in it for the long haul and who is going to gut it out,” Schartz said. “We didn’t have one single guy check it in. We just kept fighting.”

Despite the final result, it was a head-turning performance from first-year head coach Jamie Cruce after the Trojans finished last season with an 0-9 record.

In a new run-heavy offense, Andover punched in its opening drive with a score by senior Logan Warkentine. After Warkentine forced a fumble on defense, Andover scored again when quarterback Quincy Jonas pitched to Luke Farley on an option for a 30-yard touchdown and 14-0 lead.

Kapaun clawed back when senior Jackson Daniel came down with a 38-yard touchdown grab on a fade pass from Dylan Burr. Schreck scored his first rushing touchdown of the game to tie the scorehalfway through the third quarter, while Andover would answer back with its own touchdown drive, capped by a 1-yard plunge by Jonas.

Once again, it was Daniel who swung momentum back in Kapaun’s favor when the senior weaved his way through traffic to score a 92-yard touchdown on the ensuing kickoff.

The game flipped late in the fourth quarter when a low snap led to a botched punt by Andover. Instead of pinning Kapaun deep with a punt from midfield, Kapaun’s Cole Tarantino tackled Andover’s punter for a 27-yard loss at the Andover 33-yard line with 4:23 remaining.

The game-winning play came on fourth-and-1 with 2:15 left, as Kapaun came out of a timeout and lined up in a Wildcat package with Schreck, a running back, set to take the snap. Andover’s defense sold out for an inside run, but Schreck bounced the play out wide and Kapaun’s Cal Purvis provided the sealing block that allowed Schreck to race untouched into the end zone for the game-winning score.

A trick play on a running back pass from Ezekiel McCaskill to Trey Kelly down to Kapaun’s 40-yard line gave Andover a chance, but Schreck broke up a fourth-down pass on the sideline shortly after to seal the victory.

“We were very fortunate to win,” Schartz said. “If we go in and lose that game, they start to question themselves. It’s their team now. We’re 0-0. Last year’s record doesn’t mean a thing. Our guys came in and competed and they did some good things. I’d rather win a game like this early than a blowout.”

2. Goddard stuns Maize for first win in rivalry since 2008

Goddard’s defense came up with four stands inside its own 30-yard line, including a late goal-line stop, to hold on for a 7-3 home victory over Maize.

It was the Lions’ first win over their west-side rival since 2008, snapping a nine-game losing streak to the Eagles. It was particularly meaningful to the returners at Goddard after a lower-seeded Maize ended their season in the second round of the Class 5A playoffs with a 31-22 win last October.

Goddard head coach Tommy Beason deflected credit to his first-year defensive coordinator, Shaheem Sanders, following the dramatic opening-week win.

“He’s a high-energy guy with high expectations and our defensive guys lived up to everything he asked from them,” Beason said. “He did a great job of coaching and they did a great job of getting coached. That was an unbelievable performance against a team like Maize. They’ve got some dudes over there and they’re going to win a lot of games, so this feels pretty good for us to win a game and only give up three points.”

Maize’s offense applied pressure throughout the game, but only had a 32-yard field goal by Mason Teague to show for it in the end.

The Eagles’ final trip to the red zone was the most painful, as they trailed 7-3 and had a first-and-goal at the 4-yard line with six minutes left in the fourth quarter. After Goddard’s defense stonewalled two straight runs, Goddard senior cornerback Jaden Cohens broke up a third-down pass in the end zone. On fourth down, Maize sophomore quarterback Pearce George once again targeted senior receiver Bryson Hayes, a Nebraska commit, but Goddard safety Erv Phillips batted it down to end the threat.

The bend-but-don’t-break performance by Goddard’s defense was spearheaded by senior linebacker Preston Hagel, while junior nose guard Trey Wright also came through with a timely sack to end a Maize drive.

“We played within ourselves this game,” Beason said. “We know what our strengths are as a defense. Last year they kind of exposed us early, so we knew if we could start the game strong defensively and communicate well, we would have a chance. And our guys communicated the best I’ve ever seen from them. I’m really proud of that.”

The lone touchdown came on a 10-yard run with 1:19 left before halftime by Goddard sophomore quarterback Brock Sullivan, the younger brother of Blake Sullivan, who led the Lions to a state championship game appearance in 2016. In fact, Beason said that Brock scored on the same read-option play that Blake scored on so many times during his career.

It will be a short celebration for Goddard, which must soon turn its attention to its crosstown rival, Eisenhower, picked by many as the favorite in AV-CTL Div. 2 this season.

3. Jace-to-Jace connection spurs Andover Central to win at Hutchinson

The Jace-to-Jace connection at Andover Central could very well prove to be one of the most potent in the state this season.

On Friday, it was downright lethal for the Jaguars in a convincing 37-7 road victory at Hutchinson. Jace Jefferson completed 15 of 21 passes for 215 yards and three touchdowns, which all went to receiver Jace Adler.

Adler hauled in eight passes for 171 yards.

“They really do have a great connection,” Andover Central coach Derek Tuttle said. “They are good in their own ways and they put in a lot of time on and off the field. It’s exciting to see them excel in so many different sports here at Andover Central and it’s a lot of fun to coach them. They’re both great kids and it’s a great combination.”

Hutchinson returned the bulk of its defense from a seven-win team last season and figured to be a strong Class 5A team.

But Andover Central, coming off an appearance in the 4A championship game, was dominant from start to finish. Jefferson and Adler connected on two touchdown passes in the first quarter, then Maddox Archibald (111 rushing yards) tacked on a rushing score for a 21-0 halftime lead. And then, on the first drive of the second half, Jefferson found Adler behind the defense for a 69-yard score and a 27-0 lead.

Andover Central’s defense limited Hutchinson to just 211 total yards, as Tuttle commended linemen Dawson Rodd, Carson Green and Jaylen Wilson, linebacker Landon Preston and cornerback Brody DeGarmo for standout performances in the season-opening win.

“Our guys played really well and that was huge for our guys, but it’s just a step in the process that we’re working on,” Tuttle said. “We told the guys in the preseason that what we’ve got to do is in front of us every day and we have to earn it every day. That’s our mindset. We’re not worried about the next day. We’re focused on earning it every single day and we’ve got to take care of our business.”

4. Nothing Bland about Northwest’s defense in west-side win over Carroll

Ja’Mari Bland stole the show for Northwest in its annual season-opener against its west-side City League rival, as the junior linebacker had two interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown, in a 34-13 road win at Bishop Carroll.

Both of Bland’s interceptions came at pivotal points in the game for Northwest. The first occurred when Carroll was threatening to trim its deficit to one score, as Bland stepped in front of the intended receiver and picked off a pass right in front of the end zone. The next swung momentum even more, as he returned the interception 38 yards for the game’s final score with 8:01 remaining in the fourth quarter.

“Ja’Mari is our general on defense and he does an amazing job of leading by example and lining us up,” Northwest coach Steve Martin said. “I’ve had one really outstanding linebacker (Josh Carter) who I didn’t know if I would ever have another one like him. But Ja’Mari is that type of kid. He knows where to be and he feels things and just does a great job.”

After a slow start, Northwest’s new-look offense piled on the points with three touchdowns in the final four minutes of the second quarter. Junior Augie Fast, a Maize transfer who finished with 201 rushing yards, scored back-to-back touchdowns, then Jaylen Mason connected with Chase Carter for his second passing touchdown of the game to put the Grizzlies up 27-10 at halftime.

Carroll’s defense pitched a shutout of Northwest’s offense in the second half, but the Golden Eagles struggled to generate much of an offensive attack. Their lone score of the game came on a 5-yard passing score from Carter Clupny to Drew Ferguson that came on fourth down late in the second quarter.

An under-the-radar performance on Northwest came from junior Franklin Ekue, a backup running back last year who excelled in his debut as a starting outside linebacker on Friday and also lifted the Grizzlies’ special teams with two long punt returns.

After its second straight win over Carroll, Northwest will move on to a highly-anticipated rematch with East in Week 2. The Blue Aces beat Northwest twice and ended the Grizzlies’ season in the second round of the Class 6A playoffs last season.

“We’ve got some things to shore up, like some fumbles and misalignments, but overall I’m pleased with how we played,” Martin said. “We played physical and I thought we imposed our will on the line. It wasn’t always pretty, but sometimes you’ve got to gut it out on the road against your rival. I like where we’re at for Game 1.”

5. Collegiate nips Wellington in AV-CTL Div. 4 showdown

In his first start at quarterback, senior Harrison Simon scored the game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter to lift Collegiate to a 22-19 home victory over Wellington.

Trailing halfway through the fourth quarter, Simon sparked the Spartans with a 34-yard punt return that started the drive on Wellington’s 21-yard line. A few players later, Simon faked a handoff in the backfield and scampered untouched up the middle for what proved to be the winning score with 5:17 remaining.

Simon, the grandchild of former Collegiate head coach Mike Gehrer, was more known for his defensive play last season. But he accounted for all three of his team’s touchdowns, which included a pair of passing scores to sophomore AJ. Batiste, in his debut as a quarterback.

“I’m so proud of Harrison because he hasn’t played a ton of football growing up,” Collegiate coach Troy Black said. “He’s not a natural passer, but he’s worked really hard to add that to his game and he’s just got great natural football instincts. He had a lot of pressure on him (Friday) and he gutted it out for us.”

Wellington, expected to be a contender in Class 4A West, rallied from a 15-7 halftime deficit with a pair of third-quarter scores. The first came on a 7-yard touchdown run by Grady Norris, followed by a 21-yard scoring pass from Dusty Bannister, a reigning MVP of AV-CTL Div. 4, to Carter Burnett for a 19-15 lead.

After Simon put the Spartans in front, Wellington’s attempt at a comeback fizzled out on its own side of the field.

Collegiate’s defense was spearheaded by linebackers Jaden Parker and Cooper Arneson, while senior cornerback Jack Grace excelled in the secondary. Black also noted the play of senior Will Strecker, who was supposed to start at tight end but moved to guard on the offensive line due to a late scratch and filled in admirably.