Derby rolls in showdown with Hutchinson

DERBY — Three plays into Friday’s game with visiting Hutchinson, Derby had already run the gamut of emotions.

On the game’s first play, Derby quarterback Brady Rust ran 70 yards for a touchdown but had it called back on a block-in-the-back penalty. Two plays later, Rust threw an interception, which Hutchinson’s Marcus Tafolla returned 81 yards for the game’s first touchdown.

“We were headed down the same direction as we were last week,” said Derby coach Brandon Clark, whose team lost by seven at Mill Valley on Sept. 18. “What killed us last week was 10 penalties on offense and turnovers and just giving them cheap points.… I was like ‘No, no, not again.’ ”

The Panthers didn’t flinch and rolled to a 49-14 victory over Hutchinson, scoring 35 unanswered points. Derby, ranked fifth in Class 6A, is 3-1 as is Hutchinson, which is ranked third in 6A.

“It’s a big win,” Rust said. “It’s a big statement we sent to the whole state of Kansas that we’re not done and don’t count us out after one loss.”

Derby’s ability to pick itself up from its shaky start is a tribute to Rust and running back Garrett Xanders, both seniors.

“They’ve been through it all,” Clark said. “They’ve heard everything from us — just get coached up and get back out there (after a mistake). They’re very weathered veterans. They’re the leaders on the offense. They made some big plays.”

Rust had two passing touchdowns, as well as 13 carries for 165 yards and two touchdowns. Xanders, who left the game with an injury late in the third, had 11 carries for 141 yards and two touchdowns.

Derby started its fourth possession at the Hutchinson 38 and three plays in, Rust connected with Kai Lemons for a 28-yard score with 1:25 remaining in the first period.

On Derby’s next series, Rust threw to Kenyon Tabor, who dropped the pass. But Rust went back to Tabor, who scored on a 32-yard reception for the 14-6 lead.

Xanders took Derby’s first play of the second half 57 yards for the touchdown and a 28-6 lead. Derby’s second play of the half was a 72-yard touchdown run by Rust.

Rust clearly had shrugged off the early interception.

“It was just one play. That doesn’t define a whole game,” said Rust, who also had an interception returned for a touchdown against Mill Valley. “We put that behind us. We just kept playing.”

In Clark’s postgame speech to his huddled players, he noted that the offense improved and the defense played “lights out.”

“That means that we played the Derby defense and the Derby offense and also special teams were great,” linebacker Dan Conner said. “If every single unit does great, we will win the football game.”

Hutchinson had scored 139 points in its first three games. The Panthers’ goal was to hold Hutchinson to three yards per carry.

Eight Hutch players combined for 221 rushing yards with a 3.9 average.

“We stopped the run, and that’s what they do well,” Derby linebacker Tommy Carter said. “We made them pass. That’s what you’ve got to do.”

It was an impressive feat because of Hutchinson’s depth of talent on the offensive line, which is led by Josh Rivas and Austin Fletcher.

“It’s one of the best offensive lines in the state,” Clark said. “To begin the game, we had to control the line of scrimmage. I’m not sure if we really controlled it, but our defensive line played really well.”

While watching video of Hutchinson, Clark saw opponents getting pushed back five yards off the line of scrimmage, which affected what their linebackers could do. That didn’t happen with the Panthers’ line of Ryan Stang, Riley Cain, Peerlus Walker and Tanner Olmstead.

“They didn’t get pushed back. They held their ground,” Clark said.

This story was originally published September 26, 2015 at 12:34 AM with the headline "Derby rolls in showdown with Hutchinson."