Sub-State Champs!
Indians Defeat Wichita Co. - Advance To State Championship Game
The St. Francis Indians advanced to the 1A 8-Man Division-1 State Championship Game by defeating the #4-ranked Wichita County Indians 66-20 on Greene Field in St. Francis on Friday, November 22. The Indians will now face the #2-ranked Canton-Galva Eagles in the State Championship Game to be played on Fischer Field in Newton, Kansas, on Saturday, November 30 at 11:00 a.m. Canton-Galva advanced by defeating the #3-ranked Madison-Hamilton Bulldogs 46-6 in a game played in Madison on November 22.
Fischer Field is located at 1 Athletic Drive in Newton, Kansas. Newton is 333 miles from St. Francis. Click here for a map detailing the route from St. Francis to Newton.
Click here to view an aerial view of the Newton area.
Click here to view a more detailed map of Fischer Field. Entrance gate to grandstands is on the northwest corner of the stadium.
St. Francis won the coin toss and elected to receive. Wichita County's kick-off was high and short. Preston Witzel caught the football and knelt immediately at the St. Francis 28 yard line. On the first snap of the contest, junior running back Shadryon Blanka sprinted 52 yards over the left side for a touchdown. Adam Krien ran over the left side for the conversion points. With only 9 seconds gone in the game, St. Francis led 8-0
Brady Dinkel's kick-off was returned by the visiting Indians to the WC 26. On the opening snap of the possession, WC quarterback Kayde Rietzke (155 lb Jr.) ran around the right end and was tackled by Kobe Tice. The play was good for eight yards. On the next play, WC was flagged for holding and the situation changed to 2nd-&-13. Rietzke then passed to Sheldon Whalen (155 lb. Jr.) in left flat. Whalen sprinted down the left sideline 58 yards to the end zone. Rietzke's conversion attempt was stopped short by Adam Krien. At the 11:21 mark of the first period, the score stood at 8-6. It had not taken WC long to answer.
Devian DeLeon's second kick-off was also high and short. Josiah Sims returned the kick to the SF 37 where the Indians set up offense. Sims was tackled by Tristen Porter (150 lb Jr.) on the return. On the first snap of the Indians' possession, Shadryon Blanka dove into the middle, cut right, and sprinted for what appeared to be his second touchdown of the contest. Blanka was forced out-of-bounds at the 5 yard line by Kayde Rietzke. On the ensuing play, Blanka drove up the middle for the second Indian touchdown. On the conversion attempt, Adam Krien was stopped almost immediately by Kendrix Loy (210 lb Jr.) who earned good penetration through the offensive line. With less than a minute gone in the contest (11:03), the score stood at 14-6;
Tristen Porter returned the Indians' kick-off for excellent yardage, but a block-in-the-back penalty erased the nice return and backed WC up to their 12 yard line. Rietzke's first down pass attempt intended for running back Teagan Bishop (165 lb. Jr.) fell incomplete. On 2nd down, senior running back Jesse Gardner (185 lb.) banged into the middle and was met Brady Dinkel and Jayce Nider, but not before Gardner had powered for 8 yards. On the next play, Josiah Sims tackled Gardner for a 4-yard loss as he attempted to round the left end. Facing 4th-&-6, the visiting Indians punted. The punt was high and bounced in WC's favor rolling dead at the SF 28. A penalty on St. Francis during the return backed the Indians up to near the 15 yard line.
On the first play of the possession, Shadryon Blanka sprinted around the left end, following his blockers well, and bolted to the WC 34. On the following snap, Blanka banged into the middle for another 4 yards. Blanka earned two more on his next carry before being tackled by Jesse Gardner. On 3rd-&-4, Blanka carried around the left end breaking a few tackles for another first down at the WC 8 yard line. Teagan Bishop made the touchdown-saving tackle. On 1st-&-goal, Blanka carried again, but was stopped by Kendrix Loy for a one-yard loss. Blanka scored on a 9-yard touchdown run on the next play. With an strong run, Adam Krien scored the conversion points diving for the pylon on the left side. St. Francis led 22-6 with 7:54 left in the first period.
The Indians' kick-off was short and fielded by Waylon West (145 lb. Jr.). Wichita County set up offense on their own 36 with good field position. On the first snap, Kayde Reitzke targeted Sheldon Whalen in the right flat. The play was good for 6 yards before Brady Dinkel made the tackle. Rietzke rounded the left end on the next play and Dinkel again made the stop after the visiting Indians had earned enough for a first down at the SF 34. A pass to Jesse Gardner in the right flat was stopped by Jayce Nider for a three-yard loss. Rietzke's next pass fell incomplete with Nider defending. On 3rd-&-13, a deep pass intended for Whalen was well defended by Dinkel and was also incomplete. Josiah Sims forced Rietzke out-of-bounds on 4th down, and the Indians took possession at their own 36.
Before the next snap, WC used a time-out (6:14). On the snap, Dinkel rounded the left end and bolted all the way to the WC 19. The Indians were threatening again. Unfortunately on the next play, Dinkel fumbled on a carry up the middle and WC recovered at their own 15.
The Indians went to the air immediately. Rietzke passed to Sheldon Whalen on the left side. Brady Dinkel stopped Whalen's advance at the WC 27. Rietzke then gained four yards up the middle before being tackled by Dinkel and Jayce Nider. Rietzke's 3rd-down run was met by a host of Indians after a 3-yard gain. On 3rd-&-3, Rietzke passed to Whalen, but Whalen was impacted by Dinkel immediately and the ball fell incomplete. Rietzke's strong fourth-down run was ended by Josiah Sims, but not before Reitzke had earned a new set of downs at the WC 38. Rietzke then carried around the right end where he was met by Jesse Baxter. A chop-block penalty on WC erased the play and backed up the opponents. Facing 1st-& 28, WC continued to throw. Consecutive passes to Teagan Bishop on the left side moved the situation to 3rd-&-11. Rietzke then attempted a deep pass to Aron Castillo (185 lb. Sr.) deep downfield, but the pass was incomplete. Before the next snap, WC was penalized for illegal procedure. The Indians punted the ball away. The ball rolled out-of-bounds with no return.
St. Francis took possession at their own 26. Shadryon Blanka earned a first down on the initial snap before being forced out-of-bounds at the WC 39 by Rietzke. Blanka then ran up the middle but was stopped for no gain by a host of WC defenders. On the next play, Brady Dinkel rounded the left end and was tackled by Aron Castillo after a 6-yard gain. On 4th-&-4, Dinkel ran middle and was stopped just inches short of a measured first down.
Wichtia County took possession on downs at the WC 29. Tristen Porter ran over the left side and was tackled by Josiah Sims after a short gain. On the next snap, Shadryon Blanka tackled Jesse Gardner for a loss. On 3rd-&-8, Rietzke passed to Sheldon Whalen in the right flat. Whalen was tacked by Dinkel and Sims after a gain of 3 yards. The play expired the first quarter clock. After the change of direction, WC attempted a fake punt on 4th-&-5. The attempt was short of the line to gain due to a tackle by Neitzel, Krien, and Dinkel.
St. Francis set up offense at the WC 38 yard line. Shadryon Blanka earned two yards on the first play before being forced out-of-bounds. On the next play, Brady Dinkel ran over the right side for another Indian touchdown. The conversion attempt failed. With 11:38 remaining in the second quarter, St. Francis led 28-6.
Erhik Hermosillo (125 lb. Fr.) returned the kick-off to the WC 34 where he was tackled by Shadryon Blanka. On the first snap of the possession, Kayde Rietzke hit Gabe Hernandez on an angle route over the middle. Hernandez scored on a 46-yard touchdown reception. Rietzke started left on the conversion try and then cut back to the right to score untouched. St. Francis led 28-14 with 11:24 left in the first half.
A strong return run by Josiah Sims brought the Indians to the SF 38. A run to the right by Shadryon Blanka was followed by a carry by Adam Krien on a reverse to the left side. The result of the two plays was four total yards. Brady Dinkel tried the right side and was stopped for no gain by Teagan Bishop. On 4th-down, Dinkel attempted a pass to Blanka deep downfield. WC was called for pass interference on the play moving the Indians to the 33 yard line. Carries by Dinkel and Blanka earned four more tough yards as the opponents' defense stiffened. Blanka then tried the middle and was stopped by an ankle tackle by Teagan Bishop for a very short gain. On 4th-&-5, Dinkel tried the left end but was stopped short of the line to gain by a motivated WC defense.
Wichita County took possession at their own 16. Jesse Gardner was stopped for a two-yard loss by Adam Krien and Jayce Nider on the first play of the possession. Gardner then powered up the middle for 11 yards. On 3rd-&-1, Nider stopped Rietzke for a 1-yard loss. WC called time-out at 6:21 to discuss strategy. Rietzke then scrambled up the middle earning a first down at the 30 before being stopped by Krien and Blanka. Teagan Bishop carried over the left side on the next play earning 6 yards. On the ensuing play, Rietze ran the right side. A face mask penalty on the Indians advanced the ball to the SF 26. Nider tackled Reitzke after a 1-yard run into the middle, and then a procedure penalty backed up WC five yards. Teagan Bishop earned three yards around the left end but was stopped by Colton Neitzel and Krien. On 3rd-&-11, Reitzke passed to Aron Castillo on the right side. The play was good for another first down at the 8 yard line. Blanka stopped Gardner's right side run for a 2-yard gain. Kobe Tice and Krien combined to end Reitzke's next run at the 5. With 3:04 left and the visitors threatening, St. Francis called time-out. Rietzke's scramble on the next snap ended with a crunching tackle by Blanka. Unfortunately, Rietzke was injured on the play, left the game, and did not return. After the stoppage of play, WC still had one more down and a yard to go to score. WC's run into the middle was stopped by Blanka and others approximately 18 inches from the goal. St. Francis took possession on downs after a strong defensive stand.
Runs by Brady Dinkel and Shadryon Blanka earned 5 yards on the first two snaps of the possession. On third down, Dinkel's carry to the left side was stopped for a 3-yard loss. With the Indians facing 4th-&-8 deep in their own territory, WC called time-out with 1:24 remaining hoping to preserve some clock. When play resumed, the Indians tried a long count. The WC defenders did not flinch, and St. Francis used a time-out. On the next play, Dinkel carried around the right side for good yardage, but fumbled. WC recovered at the 16 yard line with 1:15 showing on the clock.
Before WC's first snap, a penalty for illegal procedure was accessed backing the visiting Indians up to the 20 yard line. With Tristen Porter replacing Kayde Rietzke at quarterback for the remainder of the game, a pass intended for Sheldon Whalen was incomplete on first down. Jesse Baxter deflected the next WC pass. On third down Porter's pass intended for Whalen fell incomplete in the right flat after Baxter again applied good defensive pressure. A 4th-down pass intended for Whalen also fell incomplete on the opposite side on the final play of the possession.
St. Francis took over on downs with 57.3 seconds remaining. Brady Dinkel sprinted around the right side for a 5-yard gain on first down before being tackled by Waylon West. Dinkel ran the same side on 2nd down and was tackled by Kendrix Loy moving the down-and-distance to 3rd-&-2. St. Francis called time-out with 17 seconds left in the first half. On the next play, Shadryon Blanka banged over the left side for a first down at mid-field. The big gain was followed by a Dinkel-to-Blanka pass deep near the left corner of the field. The play resulted in another SF touchdown and expired the first half clock. Adam Krien ran up the middle for the conversion points. St. Francis led 36-14 at halftime.
Brady Dinkel's second half kick-off sailed into the end zone for a touchback. Beginning at the 15, WC muffed the first snap but recovered losing 4 yards. A run by Aron Castillo picking up 4 yards on second down was followed by a pass from Castillo to Sheldon Whalen in the right flat. Facing 4th-&-6, WC punted. The ball rolled dead at the SF 24.
On the first SF snap of the second half, Shadryon Blanka sprinted around the left end for a 56 yard touchdown. Josiah Sims ran for the conversion points. With 10:13 remaining in the third period, the Indians had increased the margin to 44-14.
The St. Francis kick-off went out-of-bounds. WC elected to take the ball at the 25. Consecutive carries by Jesse Gardner earned 5 hard yards. Tristen Porter's 3rd-down run added 3 more. On 4th-&-2, Porter sprinted up the field to the WC 39 where he was tackled by Blanka. Porter followed with a 3-yard run around the left end before being tackled by Adam Krien. On the next play, Porter's pass attempt was intercepted by Brady Dinkel. Dinkel returned the pick for another Indian touchdown. Before the conversion try, St. Francis was penalized for illegal procedure. Dinkel ran around the left end and was met soundly by Sheldon Whalen before reaching the goal line. St. Francis led 50-14 with 7:58 left in the third period.
Whalen had a nice return on the Indians' kick-off; moving the football to the WC 36. Tristen Porter scrambled for 8 yards on first down. A procedure penalty resulting in a 5-yard loss preceded the next WC snap. A carry by Teagan Bishop into the middle netted 5 yards, and a run by Jesse Gardner gave WC a new set of downs at the SF 33. On the next play, Porter passed to Whalen deep for a touchdown. The conversion try failed. With 5:58 remaining in the third, WC trimmed their deficit to 50-20.
WC's on-side kick attempt was recovered by Ben Busse for the Indians at the 27 yard line. Runs by Dinkel and Blanka netted 3 yards. On 3rd down, Dinkel ran over the left side earning a first down at the WC 39. Blanka then earned 5 going left. Blanka gained good yardage on the next snap but a holding penalty on the Indians erased the play. Josiah Sims carried over the right side earning one yard. On 3rd-&-14, Dinkel attempted a pass to Jayce Nider across the middle. The pass was low and incomplete. The Indians punted the ball back to WC.
Dinkel's excellent punt came to rest at the WC 4 yard line. After 4 straight scrambling plays by Tristen Porter due to pressure by the Indian defenders (led by Colton Neitzel and Josiah Sims), the Indians took over on downs at the WC 10 yard line.
WC stopped Blanka's first run for no gain. An encroachment penalty on WC advanced the ball to the 5. A pass from Dinkel to Adam Krien moved the ball within a foot of the goal. On 3rd down, Dinkel scored on a quarterback sneak. The conversion run was also good moving the scoreboard to 58-20.
The kick-off was touched by WC and nearly recovered by the Indians. WC set up offense at the WC 24. WC's first down snap was fumbled and nearly recovered by Colton Neitzel, but WC retained possession. The play ended the third period. On 2nd-&-18, Jesse Baxter sacked Tristen Porter for a 2-yard loss. Porter's pass attempt on the next snap was intercepted by Shadryon Blanka and returned for a touchdown, his 6th of the game. Brady Dinkel ran up the middle for the conversion points. The game ended with 11:23 remaining in the fourth period due to the 45-point rule. St. Francis advanced to the State Championship Game with a 66-20 victory over a very good Wichita County team.
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