Vastly improved Andover can’t quite salvage road opportunity at Maize in season opener
.JPG "Maize’s Colby Pivarnik and Andover’s Quentin Born battle in the end zone.")
Quentin Born had it pinched in his right hand, but the ball tumbled out at the vital moment.
On a fourth down, Andover sophomore quarterback Brady Strausz lofted a perfectly thrown ball to the left side of the end zone. Down two scores with less than six minutes left, the Trojans needed it to keep the game alive.
Maize held on to beat Andover 20-6 in the 2020 season-opener. But the fact Andover was that close is a testament to how far the Trojans have come.
Last year, Andover finished 3-7. The Trojans won their two regular season games by a combined 15 points and lost their six by an average of less than a touchdown.
On the other sideline, Maize went 10-2 last season. The Eagles reached their second straight Class 5A semifinal and enter 2020 as one of the favorites for the state championship.
Although Friday’s result shows a 14-point loss, first-year coach Ken Dusenbury was happy with his group’s effort.
“I’m so proud of them,” Dusenbury said. “They played their guts out, and most of them played both sides of the ball. They gave everything they had against not just a quality team but a quality program. They just left it all out there tonight.”
Strausz, like Dusenbury, was making his Andover varsity debut Friday night. Although the Trojans relied heavily on a power running attack, one that worked for 81 yards and a score from junior Max Middleton on their opening drive, Strausz shined.
In his pass attempt without play action, Strausz dropped back in the pocked, stepped up and heaved a dime down the left sideline to Born. The pass hit Born in stride and reaffirmed to the coaching staff the kind of player Strausz is becoming.
Dusenbury said entering the season, he had no intention of making Strausz the starting quarterback. He was ready to go with senior linebacker Ashton Ngo. That changed.
“He just took the job over,” Dusenbury said. “He’s a good kid. He’s a smart kid, and a great football player. He made so much improvement in week 1 of practice, and by week 2, I made up my mind.”
Maize coach Gary Guzman saw what Dusenbury did, too.
“When you have a young quarterback back there, and they’re bringing the heat, the game is moving so fast,” Guzman said. “It’s admirable when they can step in a do a good job, and he did a great job tonight.
“He’ll be a good one. He’ll be a good one.”
With 1:38 to play, Strausz took a hit to the head on a roughing the passer penalty against Maize senior linebacker Kyle Haas. An ambulance arrived, and Strausz was taken to a hospital. His status is unknown at this time.
Although the night ended on a hollow note, both teams carry away valuable positives from Friday night.
Maize has won five straight season-openers. The Eagles haven’t lost to a non-league opponent since Oct. 23, 2015, and they have found a few budding stars on the offensive side of the ball.
Senior running back Josh Sanders accounted for all three Maize touchdowns Friday night, including one on the opening kickoff in which he faked a reverse, kept the ball and went untouched the rest of the way. Sanders transferred from Wichita Heights for his senior season.
Sophomore quarterback Avery Johnson had sputtering moments with the offense, but he came to life in the second half. On what proved to be Maize’s game-winning drive, Johnson’s improvisation outside of the pocket was what made the difference.
“Hopefully we can get the passing game going as well,” Guzman said. “Once the passing game comes to life, it’s going to open up the run even more. We’ve got some work to do.”
Andover worked its power run game to near perfection in the losing effort. Dusenbury, who came from Garden Plain, introduced the offense in the shortened offseason, and the Trojans looked as if they had run it for years.
Defensively, Andover might be one of the most talented teams in the Wichita area. Linebackers Chandler Goodnight and Ngo were game-changers, and the defensive backfield was a rock all night. Dusenbury dialed up enough blitzes to keep Maize guessing.
Dusenbury worked under Guzman in the late 2000s at Wichita Southeast. Guzman was proud of what he saw.
“I was very impressed,” Guzman said. “It looks like they picked up right where they left off. They’re going to be good. I’m not surprised coach Dus has his team playing this well already.”
This story was originally published September 4, 2020 at 11:45 PM.