Conway Springs wins a state championship! Defeats Jefferson North 35-6
Conway Springs fans and players gather at midfield in Hays to celebrate another state championship.
By Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — On a snowy day in Hays, the Conway Springs Cardinals won their eighth state championship. Conway Springs did it relatively easily, beating Jefferson County North 35-6.
A new trophy will sit in the Conway Springs Hall of Champions next to state trophies from 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008, and 2011. Wow, what a run – a 27-year dynasty and counting.
Behind a tenacious offensive line of Jacob Osner, Lane Whitney, Cooper Koster, Ashton Stull, and Blake Pauly, running back Brayden Kunz went wild, hitting the 300-yard mark with three rushing touchdowns. Conway Springs would take a 13-0 lead in the first quarter, led 21-6 at the half, and capped the day with two touchdowns in the fourth for victory.
“It feels awesome. The boys really, really worked hard during the season,” said Matt Biehler, who has now won two state trophies as head coach and has been involved one way or the other since 1998. “We knew we had the kind of team at the beginning to win a state championship. But getting it done is always a different story. These kids are really special.”
The Cardinals opened the season with two losses against bigger schools and then would rattle off 11 straight wins to clinch the Class 1A crown.
But Jefferson North, a school that never played a state championship game, was in its way. The Chargers qualified after beating then No. 1 ranked St. Marys Colgan 20-13, overcoming a two-touchdown deficit.
There was some concern going in. Not only was it snowy, it was artificial turf, making for potentially slick situations that could slow down Conway Springs vaunted rushing game.
“But it wasn’t that bad,” Biehler said. “We could get a firm footing. I told the boys to just play football and forget about the weather.”
And Conway Springs did just that. On its opening possession after an impressive Taylor Wykes kickoff return, Conway Springs methodically drove downfield on a 12-play, 46-yard drive that ended with a Nathan Berntsen 5-yard touchdown run.
The defense would then force Jefferson North 3-and-out and took over on the 13. Kunz then went off the left tackle and took it to the house for 87 yards down the left sidelines. Conway Springs as up 13-0 with 4:34 to play in the first quarter.
The Chargers, looking for another two-touchdown comeback, would score on the next possession to make it 13-6. But that was short-lived when Kunz found another open seam and took it 54 yards for the score on the next possession. Conway Springs had a chance to add to the 21-6 lead but could not convert a half-back pass at the end of the first half.
After a scoreless third quarter, Conway Springs clinched victory in the fourth. Kunz got his third touchdown on a 4-yard plunge. Cade Howell then finished the day with a 3-yard touchdown scamper.
“I can’t say enough about the line,” Biehler said. “They opened the holes for Brayden. If we get Brayden one-on-one with a defender, we feel pretty good about our chances.”
For Kunz, he broke a single-season rushing record for Conway Springs, accumulating 2,806 yards and accounting for 210 of the Cards’ 396 points.
The Cardinals’ dynastic keeps beating on. There seems to be little to stop them.
(Pictures and a follow-up story is coming soon.)
