Unbeaten Andale tops Andover Center in Class 4A-I

Andale took the football field Friday against Andover Central for the second time this season.

In the Sept. 1 season opener, Andale edged Central by seven points.

This time around, Andale was looking to preserve its undefeated record and claim a spot in the Class 4A-Division I semifinals.

It was all Andale from the start.

Andale found the end zone on its first four offensive possessions and held Andover Central scoreless through three-and-a-half quarters on the way to a 40-10 victory.

“At the beginning of the season, if somebody would have told us that we’d be undefeated and playing in the semifinals, I’d say that feels pretty good,” Andale first-year coach Dylan Schmidt said.

Schmidt said his team has greatly improved since the opening game against Andover Central.

“We’ve gotten better, obviously, as the season went,” Schmidt said. “That’s the mark of a good team.

“In the first game we had a lot of new starters and made a lot of mistakes. Tonight we didn’t.”

Andale junior Sawyer Simon returned the opening kick deep into Andover Central territory. Senior running back Andrew Mohr capped off the ensuing seven-play scoring drive with a five-yard touchdown run to put Andale up 7-0 less than three minutes into the first quarter.

“We were ready from the very get-go,” Schmidt said.

Junior quarterback Ethan Baalmann found Simon for a 25-yard touchdown pass on the following Andale drive. Baalmann scrambled out of the pocket and broke a tackle before finding Simon along the left sideline. After a missed two-point attempt, Andale led 13-0 at the 4:09 mark in the first quarter.

Baalmann connected on four of his five passes for 69 yards and two touchdowns. He added 28 yards on the ground.

Andale put together a 13-play 60-yard scoring drive behind sophomore quarterback Easton Hunter on the following possession. Simon capped off the drive with a four-yard touchdown run to put Andale up 19-0 early in the second quarter.

Andale senior Parker Bruce returned an interception to the Andover Central 14-yard-line on the next play to set up another scoring drive for Andale.

Hunter found the end zone with a seven-yard touchdown run at the 9:16 mark to put Andale up 25-0.

Andale scored twice in the second half. A 25-yard touchdown pass from Baalmann to Bruce put the score at 33-0 early in the third quarter and a three-yard touchdown run from Simon stretched the Andale lead to 40-0 with 8:24 left in the ballgame.

Simon led Andale with 70 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries. Mohr added 55 yards on 13 carries.

Andover Central put their first points on the board halfway through the fourth quarter when sophomore Scotti Easter connected for a 22-yard field goal.

Andover Central scored a touchdown on its final possession of the game. Sophomore quarterback Regan Jones connected with senior Dante Rodd for a 25-yard touchdown pass in the final minute of the game.

Andale will move on to the state semifinals next Friday against McPherson.

McPherson ended Andale’s season last year in the first round of the playoffs.

Schmidt said that the team will need to bring their best effort to win against McPherson.

“We know a little bit about (McPherson). They are the team that knocked us out last year so we’re going to have to prepare well and bring our best stuff,” Schmidt said.

This story was originally published November 10, 2017 at 11:51 PM with the headline "Unbeaten Andale tops Andover Center in Class 4A-I."