Conway Springs loses season opener to Garden Plain 20-14
Sumner Newscow report — Conway Springs traveled to Garden Plain for an unusual Thursday night game to open the 2023 campaign. Garden Plain came out the winner for the fifth consecutive year 20-14.
The game was played on Thursday because of the lack of high school officials. There will be more games throughout the season featured on Thursday night because of the official’s shortage.
Garden Plain held Conway Springs to 229 yards in total offense while building a 20-7 lead going into the fourth quarter. Conway Springs Isaac Winter would tick off a 23-yard run late in the fourth to narrow the margin to 20-14 with 4:54 to play. But the Owls would stave off Conway Springs the rest of the game to pick up a big Central Plains League win.
Conway Springs opened the game with a Winter 1-yard touchdown run. But Garden Plain would score the game’s next three touchdowns. And Emirick Hays scored all of them.
He tied the game at 7 with a 3-yard touchdown late in the first quarter. He then got another 3 yard touchdown run in the second to give the Owls a 14-7 lead. Hays then got open and scored on a 32-yard rumble midway through the third quarter to make the take a 20-7 lead.
Hays ended the game with 126 yards rushing on 26 attempts. P. McGregor accumulated 109 yards on 13 carries.
Winter was the leading rusher with 88 yards on 17 attempts and Brayden Kunz accumulated 70 yards on 19 attempts. A Cade Howell-to-Taylor Wykes 36-yard pass play, accounted for the biggest offensive play of the game for the Owls.
Conway Springs will host Kingman next Friday.
The box score can be found here.
