Centre stuns Goessel; Marion, Hillsboro win
Staff writers
Centre came up with its first victory in more than a year as Marion and Hillsboro also posted victories Friday.
Centre and Goessel
The Cougars defeated county rival Goessel, winning 28-18 at home.
“This win means so much to our program and to these kids,” coach Thieen Antoszyk said. “Coming off a season where we didn’t get a win to stepping onto the field Friday night against Goessel and coming away with a victory is something we’ll never forget.”
Julian Resser guaranteed the victory late in the fourth quarter with a four-yard touchdown run that gave Centre a 10-point lead. He finished with 115 yards rushing and two touchdowns.
Micah Carlson scored two touchdowns and had 67 yards receiving. Sam Foster finished with 89 yards rushing.
“Our guys showed resilience, heart, and a belief in each other that carried them through,” Antoszyk said. “I’m proud of how the team performed; they played with energy, worked together, and refused to let adversity slow them down.”
The Cougars (1-1) will hit the road Friday to play Little River (2-0).
“It feels good to celebrate what these young men earned, and this week in practice we’ll keep working on execution, discipline, and consistency so we can continue to grow and build on this momentum,” Antoszyk said.
Goessel scored first with a two-yard run by Trey Gaddis but had to punt from its own end zone on the next possession.
The snap went over the head of the punter and out of the end zone for a safety
Centre took the lead with a 30-yard score in the second quarter. Goessel answered with a 33-yard pass to Gaddis from Brayton Base. Centre scored on a 61-yard pass, but Goessel retook the lead at halftime with just two seconds left.
In the second half, Centre scored from five yards, the Cougars intercepted a pass to kill a Bluebird drive, and Goessel recovered a fumble to kill a Cougar drive, but Centre scored again from five-yards to seal the victory.
Goessel is now 1-1 with a game Friday at White City.
Marion
The Warriors won again at home Friday, defeating Douglass, 24-14.
“We knew going into the game it was going to be a challenge to match their physicality, and they were returning most of their starters from a year ago,” coach Shaun Craft said. “But it was a good test to see where we are as a team and how we would stand in there against a bigger and more experienced team.”
Jameson Looper had 130 yards rushing and three touchdowns.
“We stressed all week we had to be great at tackling, especially against their big running back,” Craft said. “I thought we did an OK job there, but we still need to continue to improve in that area.”
Hitch Soyez finished with 11 tackles. Wyatt Soyez and Jameson Looper each had five. Ryker Salsbury and Cooper Jirak each had four. And Isaac Wesner intercepted a pass for a 22-yard return.
“I was proud of how the guys responded right after Douglas tied it up in the second quarter, and we were able to answer with a touchdown right before half to go back up,” Craft said. “Then in the fourth quarter, our offensive line took over the game, which allowed Looper to find some room to run and put together almost a seven-minute drive to end the game.”
The Warriors (2-0) will hit the road for the first time this season Friday to play Bennington (0-2).
Hillsboro
The Trojans posted a shutout Friday to win their first home game of the season, 35-0, against Larned.
“We’re proud of how our guys responded after Week 1,” coach Demetrius Cox said. “Coming off the 12-26 loss, they owned the corrections and bounced back with a focused, physical win in Week 2.
“Our first home game brought great energy — student section, community, the whole environment — and our kids fed off it.”.
Quarterback Zayne Haslett threw for 116 yards and one touchdown. On the receiving end of that touchdown was Braxton Hiebert for 41 yards.
“What stood out was our execution of the game plan,” Cox said. “The coaches prepped them well, but the credit goes to our players for understanding the plan and carrying it out.
“Our younger guys on the scout team were huge all week. They gave us a fast, honest look and got our starters ready.
“Our offensive line communicated better against pressure, our receivers were sharp with route depth, and our front seven played with a relentless motor.”
Hillsboro (1-1) will be at home Friday against Hesston (1-1).
Peabody-Burns
The Warriors dropped their second game of the season, 52-12, at home against Cunningham.
“Overall, I was pleased with our performance on Friday night, but the score will not show that,” coach Eric Dutton said. “From Week 1’s performance to holding the No. 1 team in the state to a 6-6 score at halftime and 20-12 halfway through the third shows what we are capable of.”
Peabody-Burns (0-2) will be back at home Friday to play Marais des Cygnes Valley (2-0).
“We still have a lot to grow on,” Dutton said, “but we made drastic changes from Week 1 to Week 2, and this week we will continue to fine-tune our offense and work on playing with aggression on both sides of the ball.”