(Updated) Wellington ends season with 34-13 loss to Ulysses
(Saturday update)— Wellington head coach Zane Aguilar said Gabe Smith suffered a concussion, but otherwise is fine. Smith was injured in the third quarter of Friday’s game at Ulysses and had to be carted away by ambulance.
by Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — The Wellington football team finished 0-9 – the first time in the program’s history. If it makes you feel better, Salina Central, another storied program, also went 0-9.
The Crusaders took a 248 mile, four-hour voyage out west to Ulysses courtesy of the Kansas High School Activities Association district scheduling. Wellington would lose 34-13.
With 10 players in street clothes, the Crusaders were tremendous underdogs. But for a moment in the third quarter, Wellington had control of this game.
After playing an evenly played first half, the Crusaders were driving and were inside the Ulysses 10 on a third and inches, down just one, 14-13.
But after quarterback Cade Phelps made the first down, he had the ball stripped from his grasp and Ulysses Ben Como recovered at the 3.
He ran backwards, nearly getting tackled in the Ulysses end zone for a safety. But he shook off the Crusader tacklers and found an open field in front of him. He took it 99 yards for a touchdown.
It was a frustrating moment to a frustrating season for the Crusaders. Ulysses had a 21-13 lead when it could have easily been at least a five-point Wellington lead.
Worse, on the play, junior offensive lineman Crusader Gabe Smith was hurt. He was taken by ambulance off the field. There has been no report on his injury.
In the first half, Ulysses took a 14-0 lead. But Wellington had one of its most impressive quarters of the season in the second. After a Ulysses fumble, Colton Glover scored on a touchdown run. He added the PAT to cut the lead in half.
Then after Aaron Schoemann created a fumble, Wellington scored on a 25-yard touchdown throw from Phelps to DeAndre Washington. The missed PAT made it 14-13 Ulysses at the half.
When the third quarter opened, Ulysses went 3-and-out. That set up what was a very promising drive which included a Phelps pass to Caleb Reichenberger to the Tiger 19. Then Glover got 9 yards to the 10 and Wellington was facing a third and inches.
But disaster then struck.
After that 99 yard fumble return and Smith injury, the wind had seemed to have vanished from the Crusaders’ sails. Ulysses would go on to score two touchdown and win by 21.
