Conway Springs advances to the state championship game with 34-19 victory over Medicine Lodge
Conway Springs boys accept the sub-state championship trophy. (Courtesy photos by Donita Clausen)
By Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — For the first time since 2011, Conway Springs will be playing in the state championship game. The Cardinals eliminated Medicine Lodge 34-19.
Conway Springs will play Jefferson County North at Fort Hays State University at 1 p.m. on Saturday for the Class 1A State Championship.
The Cardinals never trailed en route to a season sweep against its Central Plains League foe. What was a wild shootout in the first half turned out to be a defensive struggle in the second half. Conway Springs only score in the second half was a 3-yard Brayden Kunz touchdown plunge at the 8:14 mark of the fourth quarter. Medicine Lodge was held scoreless in the final two quarters.
Medicine Lodge had two more drives late in the game but could not get past midfield.
Isaac Winter had a great game with two touchdowns and 135 yards of rushing offense.
The statistics were remarkably similar to the first game, in which Conway Springs won 40-34. The Cardinals would rush for 469 yards, while Medicine Loege passed for 306 yards last night. In the first game Medicine Lodge passed for 360 yards. The big difference was on the ground. Medicine Lodge had 96 yards on the ground in October but could only muster 15 Friday night.
Conway Springs dominated the line of scrimmage, not punting once until late in the game.
On its first drive, the Cardinals performed a 90-yard drive that took over nine minutes to complete, ending on a 7-yard touchdown sweep by Isaac Winter.
Taylor Wykes gets one of his two interceptions here.
But Medicine Lodge, who brought over a huge visiting crowd, immediately tied the game up when quarterback Ke’Veon Ruiz threw a 68-yarder to Alexavier Nittler to tie the game up.
Before anyone could catch their breath, Winter would return the kickoff 84 yards for a touchdown, much like he did in the first game against Medicine Lodge.
It was 14-7, and we were just getting started.
Medicine Lodge then narrowed the margin to one when Ruiz completed two lengthy passes and then plunged in from the 1 to make it 14-13 at the start of the second quarter.
Kunz then scored the first of his three touchdowns to make it 21-13.
Connor Rusco and Nathan Berntsen sandwich Medicine Lodge quarterback Ke’Veon Ruiz.
He then added another touchdown late in the second on a 5-yard rushing touchdown, and Conway Springs was rolling 28-13.
But before the half, Ruiz threaded a pass between two Conway Springs defenders to wide receiver Derrek Randels for a 36-yard touchdown reception. Conway Springs nearly scored before the half but missed a field goal attempt to add to the score.
In the third quarter, Conway Springs seized back this game, playing its kind of ball – a slow, grinding rushing game. It would use up six solid minutes and got down to the 5-yard line when Medicine Lodge accomplished a rare feat, stopping the Cards on fourth down.
Medicine Lodge would get up to the 35 but failed to move any further. The next time, Conway Springs got the ball at its own 16 and then proceeded on another long drive that ended this time in a touchdown – a 3-yard Kunz touchdown plunge.
Nathan Berntsen had 39 yards rushing Friday night in the sub-state win.
The Indians could not get any closer and started chucking long balls to no avail. It was quite a season for Medicine Lodge, which turned a 3-6 2022 season into a 9-3 season. But this wasn’t their night.
Conway Springs dominated the time of possession with 31:19 minutes of offense to Medicine Lodge’s 11:21. Defensively, the Cardinals gave Ruiz fits, getting three sacks and intercepting him twice – both by senior Taylor Wykes.
Kunz had another great game, getting 279 yards while Winter had 135. Defensively, Grant Fisher led all tacklers with seven solo tackles.
The full stats can be found here.
