Collegiate blanks Halstead in Class 3A semifinal (+video)

Collegiate senior Jack Larsen jumped around screaming “whooo” amidst the crowd of Spartans fans Friday night on Halstead’s football field.

He chestbumped a few teammates and screamed again. Larsen was a picture of utter joy. And why not?

Collegiate defeated Halstead 21-0 to advance to the Class 3A title game against Rossville (13-0) on Nov. 28 at Hutchinson’s Gowans Stadium.

“It’s just unbelievable,” Larsen said. “Last year, when we got to (the quarterfinals) and we lost, it was really disappointing.”

The Spartans carried that with them, and instead of taking a month off to recuperate mentally and physically, they were back in the weight room two days later.

“I can’t wait for next weekend,” said Collegiate quarterback Austin Waddell, who had 107 passing yards and a rushing touchdown. “It’s been a great ride. It’s sad that I only have one more week left.”

On a night when Collegiate’s offense had its rocky moments — the Spartans punted four times, turned it over on downs twice and Halstead’s Blake Beckett intercepted Waddell — the defense was stellar.

Halstead (12-1) entered the game averaging 43.1 points and had scored 32 or more points in the five games since its top back, Beckett, suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

A tough, physical team, Halstead relies on its run game.

Collegiate gave up 45 rushing yards.

Larsen and Cody McNerney each had an interception. WHalstead quarterback Eli McKee had 95 passing yards, but they all came in the fourth quarter.

“They’re a smash-mouth football team,” Collegiate senior Levi Aldag said. “We had to come out, hit ’em hard. We had to show them who was who.”

Collegiate has often been labeled as more of a finesse team.

Not these Spartans.

“A team like Halstead ... great team, hard-nosed team,” Larsen said. “They hit hard, they play fast, they play aggressive ... to hold them to no points speaks for itself.”

“We try to play as physical as possible,” Collegiate’s Will Locke said. “That’s one of our greatest attributes. We have a really tough group of guys.”

Collegiate coach Mike Gehrer agreed.

“I don’t think they were prepared for us to play that physical,” he said. “They had made their living on being a physical team and tonight we were the more physical team.”

It was a disappointing end for Halstead, which also lost in the 2014 semifinal game.

“Right now I’m not feeling very well,” McKee said. “I know a lot of these seniors are going to take this one hard.

“I don’t know. I’m really proud. I love this team so much. This is the most fun I’ve ever had in my life. I can’t overlook that. This one’s going to be tough.”

Halstead’s defense gave it some chances, even after Collegiate’s Nathan Burgoyne scored his first of two touchdowns on the Spartans’ second possession. He had 126 rushing yards.

Halstead forced Collegiate to punt on its next possession, and then Beckett intercepted Waddell with 10:49 to go in the second quarter.

Halstead drove to the Collegiate 35, but McNerney intercepted McKee. Collegiate failed to take advantage, but after its defense forced a Halstead three-and-out, Collegiate scored on a six-play drive.

One of the game’s biggest plays came early in the fourth quarter with Collegiate facing a fourth and seven from the Halstead 11.

Waddell threw to Burgoyne, who caught it over his shoulder for the first down. It set up Waddell’s three-yard scoring run on the next play for the 21-0 lead with 9:27 to go.

“That was massive,” Aldag said.

With a comfortable lead, Collegiate forced Halstead to turn the ball over on downs on its next two drives, and then Larsen got his interception.

“We didn’t use a ball all practice (defensively),” Gehrer said. “We did it without a ball because we knew they’d run triple-option football, and you have to tackle every guy. It doesn’t matter where the ball is. It showed today they didn’t care where the ball was. They were going to do their assignments. It was assignment football, and the guys executed the game plan.”

This story was originally published November 20, 2015 at 11:05 PM with the headline "Collegiate blanks Halstead in Class 3A semifinal (+video)."