Pictures courtesy of Tanner Colvin
EMPORIA — Salina Central got to its first Class 5A state championship game in 20 years with an offense reminiscent of the Mustangs’ glory days.
But when the Mustangs needed to get across the finish line, it was their defense and special teams that rose to the occasion.
With Basehor-Linwood leading 14-10 at halftime, Central forced three straight third-quarter turnovers and converted all three for touchdowns, before holding on for a 51-34 victory at Welch Stadium.
It was the Mustangs’ seventh all-time state championship but the first since 2005, as they finished the season with a 12-1 record. Basehor-Linwood, making its first-ever championship game appearance, also finished at 12-1.
Central also got four second-half touchdown runs from Cooper Reves, who ran for 208 of his 250 yards after intermission. Quarterback Griffin Hall completed 10 of 19 passes for 137 yards and touchdowns strikes to Bodie Rodriguez and Elijah Duxler, plus rushed for 69 yards and one score.
The Mustangs got a 27-yard field goal from Duxler as time expired in the first half, but still trailed 14-10 at the break. That’s when the defense and special teams took over.
Central’s Javyn Armstrong recovered a fumble on the second-half kickoff at the Basehor-Linwood 35-yard line and quickly went in front for good, 17-14, on Hall’s 45-yard touchdown run to cap a four-play drive. Then on the next possession, Eli Kreighbaum intercepted a pass, leading to a 17-yard Hall-to-Duxler touchdown pass.
The Mustangs thwarted another Basehor-Linwood drive with under three minutes left in the quarter and drove 70 yards in three plays to lead 31-14 on Reves’ 58-yard touchdown run. Reves padded the lead with a 26-yard score on the third play of the fourth quarter.
Basehor-Linwood made it interesting in the fourth quarter with two long touchdown passes, the second after recovering an onside kick, to cut the lead to 37-27 with 5:58 left. But Reves tacked on two more touchdown runs to keep the Bobcats in check.
In addition to Hall and Reves, who also had three receptions for 63 yards, Central got four catches from Rodriguez for 52 yards. Defensively, linebacker Jesus Delgado led the way with 10 tackles, three for loss, and a sack to go with an interception. Grayton Gross had five tackles.
Central got off to a fast start in the game, taking the opening kickoff and driving 75 yards in four plays, the last 26 on a perfect strike from Hall to Rodriguez. But Basehor-Linwood tied it on a 1-yard Gavin Mitchell run late in the first quarter and went up 14-7 on Carson Dixon’s 23-yard touchdown pass to Roman Miller.
Dixon had a big game for Basehor-Linwood, completing 14 of 27 passes for 319 yards and four touchdowns and running for 39 yards, but he was intercepted three times. Mitchell led the Bobcats in rushing with 60 yards, while Nash Morrison caught six passes for 125 yards and two touchdowns.
