Travis Theis, Pratt run over Topeka Hayden for 4A-II championship
Jamie Cruce took over the Pratt football program in 2013 and won two games. Five wins in 2014, four in 2015. Progress, but far from a state championship.
On Saturday came the reward.
Pratt won the Class 4A-II championship with a 48-14 victory over Topeka Hayden.
“It’s been a work in progress,” Cruce said. “These guys weren’t alive the last time that this program won a state title (1995). This is something that we’ll cherish forever and hope that the process has just begun.”
The Greenbacks struck first following a fumble on Hayden’s opening drive. Hunter Kaufman followed his blockers and tight-roped the sideline for a 34-yard score.
“Getting a turnover and getting an early score is obviously how you’d like to start every game,” Cruce said. “I think our defense played really well and set our offense up with some great opportunities.”
The flexbone offense has been hard for any opponent to stop, including Hayden. The Greenbacks had 403 rushing yards, led by sophomore Travis Theis’ 26 carries for 266 yards and four touchdowns.
“It feels pretty good,” Theis said. “The whole town of Pratt is here to share this with us and I can’t wait to get home tonight. No one believed in us and we kind of liked being that underdog and surprising teams, (showing) that we are really good.”
After the Greenbacks forced a Hayden punt, Theis scored two plays later on a 63-yard score for a 14-0 lead. Hayden answered on a 21-yard pass on fourth down from Sampson Huston to Deshawn Hanika.
Pratt scored twice more before halftime. Theis pushed off defenders and lunged into the end zone for a 21-7 lead, then Landon Studer found a wide-open Logan Baird for 25 yards with 42 seconds remaining in the half.
“That was a big score right before half for us,” Cruce said. “We knew that we were going to get the ball to begin the second half, so to end the first half how we did was big for us.”
Pratt opened the second half with a few big runs from Theis, finished off by a 13-yard score. The Greenbacks continued to move the ball without being stopped.
Hayden scored to trail 35-14, but Theis responded 26 seconds later with a 70-yard touchdown run.
“I knew I had to make a move as the defender was coming at me,” Theis said. “I’ve been successful with my stiff-arm all season long, so I went to that and next thing I knew I followed my blockers and found the end zone.”
The Greenbacks’ scoring ended with a 53-yard fourth-quarter pass play from Studer to Noah Myers.
“This is an unbelievable feeling right now,” Cruce said. “I can’t thank these guys enough for all the hard work they put in in the offseason and it all paid off this afternoon. Every single one of these guys played a big role in today’s win.”
T. Hayden | 0 | 6 | 8 | 0 | — | 14 |
Pratt | 14 | 14 | 13 | 7 | — | 48 |
P — Kaufman 34 run (Myers kick)
P — Theis 63 run (Myers kick)
TH — Hanika 21 pass from Huston (kick failed)
P — Theis 7 run (Myers kick)
P — Baird 25 pass from Studer (Myers kick)
P — Theis 13 run (Myers kick)
TH — Huston 17 run (2pt pass good)
P — Theis 70 run (kick blocked)
P — Myers 53 pass from Studer (Myers kick)
Individual Statistics
Rushing — Hayden, Stringer 16-72, A. Smith 9-69, Huston 8-36, Hobart 5-19, Peavler 1-8. Pratt, Theis 26-266, Studer 9-46, Balderrama 2-5, Kaufman 1-34, Huber 1-2, team 1-(-2).
Passing — Hayden, Huston 12-32-1-107. Pratt, Studer 2-3-0-78.
Receiving — Hayden, Hanika 4-32, A. Smith 2-32, Guerra 2-26, D. Smith 2-14, Wilson 1-5, Stringer 1-(-2). Pratt, Myers 1-53, Baird 1-25.
This story was originally published November 26, 2016 at 4:58 PM with the headline "Travis Theis, Pratt run over Topeka Hayden for 4A-II championship."