Andover Central earns first championship game berth (+video)

Five weeks had passed since Andover Central received the message from Topeka Hayden and an ultimatum from its coach.

The Jaguars were humbled by Hayden, allowing 419 rushing yards and three backs to reach the 100-yard plateau in a nine-point loss.

“That might be the turning point in our season,” Central junior Cole Taylor said. “We knew we’d have to get a lot more physical.”

Jaguars coach Tom Audley said as much on that mid-October evening. And Friday, on the same field, his team took it to heart, dismantling Hayden 28-2 in the Class 4A-I semifinals to advance to its first state football championship game.

Andover Central (10-2) will play defending champion Bishop Miege (11-1) next Saturday at Topeka’s Hummer Sports Park. Miege rolled over Eudora 52-20 in Friday’s other semifinal.

In their first meeting to start 4A-I District 6 play, Hayden ran 74 plays to Central’s 39 and used long, methodical drives to control the game.

The Jaguars had none of it Friday. Led by senior Jordan Birch’s 188 rushing yards, efficient passing from quarterback Peyton Huslig and a swarming defense, Central totally flipped the script.

“We were mismatched the first time,” said Audley, Central’s only head coach since it opened in 2002. “Our kids just played well and kept grinding.

“They’re pretty good on offense, and we shut down what they like to do. Late in the game, they were doing stuff they didn’t want to do.”

The Jaguars missed a field goal on their first possession, and Huslig threw an interception in Hayden territory to halt a 13-play drive early in the second quarter. But there was no panic. Central broke through with a 19-play, 87-yard drive that included a fourth-down conversion near midfield and an 18-yard pass from Huslig to Darraja Parnell on third and 14.

Huslig capped the 8-minute drive with a 5-yard slant pass to Parnell for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead.

Central quickly forced a Hayden punt and doubled its advantage shortly before halftime. The Jaguars marched 51 yards in four plays, scoring on Huslig’s 7-yard run with 10 seconds remaining for a 14-0 lead.

At the break, Central had outgained Hayden 243-29, made 15 first downs to Hayden’s one and ran 42 plays to the Wildcats’ 13.

“They have some outstanding athletes and they can really put you in a pickle defensively,” said Hayden coach Bill Arnold, whose team was trying to return to the final after losing to Miege in 2014. “We didn’t do a very good job of tackling. We’d have them stopped at the line and they’d get through.”

Hayden, which finished with 155 yards, failed to convert on fourth and 2 from its own 40 on the opening drive of the third quarter. The Jaguars made them pay, as Huslig connected with Isaac Anthemides on a 27-yard touchdown pass to make it 21-0.

Central’s knockout punch came one play after Hayden turned the ball over on downs at the Jaguars’ 18. Birch broke free down the Central sideline, and used a stifling block from Parnell on an 82-yard touchdown run with 9:53 remaining.

On that play, Birch gained 20 more yards than he had the entire first game against Hayden.

“That game was definitely a wake-up call,” Birch said. “If we wanted to make it far in the state playoffs, those are the type of teams we had to beat. We took it to heart. We went to practice and put in a lot of work.”

To that point, Audley echoed his standout running back. The Jaguars won their fifth consecutive game Friday, and the Central coach said his team’s practices have been great down the stretch.

As the Jaguars fought the chill of a bitter north wind by celebrating with their student section, an often-stoic Audley cracked a smile as he pondered his program’s longest journey in 13 playoff appearances.

“I’ve been wondering if this was ever going to happen,” Audley said. “We’ve still got one more game, and we need to have the same mentality and see if we can play with Miege.

“We know they’re pretty good. At least we’re there and we’ve got a chance.”

This story was originally published November 20, 2015 at 11:23 PM with the headline "Andover Central earns first championship game berth (+video)."