Things were intense when Jackson Curry had to take the ball out of the endzone last weekend, and Wellington was clinging to a 25-21 lead in the third quarter.

By Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — Wellington travels to Winfield tomorrow. If it is half as exciting as last week’s game, then it will be pretty exciting.

The Crusaders are a beat-up unit at the moment. Defensive end Cole Zeka has a torn MCL and a bruised bone. He’s out until the playoffs. Offensive lineman Cayson Ramirez is out with a knee injury. Center Ethan Brungardt is an unknown with an elbow injury.

That Augusta game was a bruiser. On average high school football game has around 100 plays. Last Friday night reached into the 140s. And that fourth quarter may have lasted more than an hour in real time. It was the kind of game, the players will be talking about at their 25-year reunion.

Wellington appears to have, on paper, another opportunity to secure a win. The Vikings are sitting at 1-4 and got their first win last week against Circle 28-21, another 1-4 team.

However, the Crusaders have traditionally struggled against Winfield, with the exception of last year, when they defeated the Vikings 63-29.

The Vikings are under the direction of Monty Lewis, who is in his fifth season as the head coach for the Winfield Blue. The team plays a tough brand of football under his direction.

Winfield likes to pass. They have accumulated 765 yards in the air, while rushing for 549 yards. Kellen Gibson is 43-of-76 this year with two touchdown passes and two interceptions. He also has rushed for 239 yards. These aren’t Colton Elmore numbers, but he can move the ball.

Wellington Cheerleaders will be there to cheer the Crusaders on Friday night.

Dane Chattam leads the Viking team in rushing with 216 yards.

For Wellington, this is a significant game, particularly in terms of playoff positioning. It is currently fourth in the Class 4A-West, which means if it keeps winning, it can host at least two home playoff games — provided it wins, of course. Wellington has Winfield, Rose Hill, and El Dorado left on the schedule. That isn’t daunting, but Wellington has a history of not making it easy on itself.

Whether Winfield can rise up and give Wellington a game, won’t be determined until tomorrow night. For Wellington, it couldn’t be any more intense than last Friday.

Wellington (4-1) at Winfield (1-4), Friday at 7 p.m. 

Broadcast: KLEY-FM 104.1, KWME-AM 1120, Crusader radio.net. The game will be live streamed on Hudl. Tweets: Sumner Newscow will be having live tweets. Click here. We will have the wrap-up thereafter.

Weather: 80 degrees and clear.

Season so far:

Wellington
Wellington 32 Collegiate 13
Andale 77 Wellington 20
Wellington 18 Clearwater 14.
Wellington 25 Labette County 14
Wellington 49 Augusta 48

Winfield
Arkansas City 7 Winfield 6
Labette County 27 Winfield 20
Augusta 40 Winfield 0
McPherson 46 Winfield 27
Winfield 28 Circle 21.

Wellington-Winfield history: 

Wellington leads series 38-16-5
1920 — Wellington 30 Winfield 7
1921 — Winfield 46 Wellington 0
1922 — Winfield 31 Wellington 0
1923 — Winfield 70 Wellington 0
1924 — Wellington 20 Winfield 7
1928 — Wellington 64 Winfield 0
1929 — Wellington 12 Winfield 0
1930 — Wellington 3 Winfield 0
1931 — Winfield 7 Wellington 0
1932 — Wellington 6 Winfield 6
1941 — Wellington 18 Winfield 6
1942 — Winfield 7 Wellington 0
1943 — Wellington 58 Winfield 12
1944 — Wellington 34 Winfield 6
1945 — Wellington 34 Winfield 7
1946 — Wellington 44 Winfield 2
1947 — Wellington 7 Winfield 6
1948 — Wellington 7 Winfield 0
1949 — Wellington 7 Winfield 7
1950 — Wellington 65 Winfield 0
1951 — Wellington 31 Winfield 6
1952 — Wellington 39 Winfield 13
1953 — Wellington 26 Winfield 14
1954 — Wellington 32 Winfield 0
1955 — Wellington 34 Winfield 13
1956 — Wellington 37 Winfield 0
1957 — Wellington 13 Winfield 12
1958 — Wellington 13 Winfield 6
1959 — Wellington 13 Winfield 6
1960 — Wellington 25 Winfield 13.
1961 — Wellington 7 Winfield 7
1962 — Wellington 0 Winfield 0
1963 — Wellington 27 Winfield 0
1964 — Winfield 7 Wellington 6
1965 — Wellington 7 Winfield 0
1966 — Winfield 14 Wellington 13
1967 — Wellington 20 Winfield 14
1968 — Wellington 27 Winfield 0
1969 — Wellington 16 Winfield 9
1970 — Wellington 36 Winfield 15
1971 — Wellington 14 Winfield 0
1972 — Wellington 19 Winfield 7
1973 — Winfield 15 Wellington 6
1974 — Wellington 14 Winfield 8
1975 — Winfield 14 Wellington 7
1976 — Winfield 27 Wellington 0
1977 — Wellington 37 Winfield 7
1979 — Wellington 10 Winfield 3
1980 — Winfield 29 Wellington 0
2010 — Wellington 35 Winfield 19
2011 — Winfield 47 Wellington 28
2012 — Winfield 21 Wellington 7
2013 — Winfield 41 Wellington 18
2016 — Winfield 21 Wellington 20 (OT)
2017 — Wellington 14 Winfield 7
2018 — Wellington 22 Winfield 7
2019 — Wellington 14 Winfield 13
2022 — Winfield 31 Wellington 28 (play-in game)
2024 — Wellington 63 Winfield 29.

Wellington Statistics:

District standings:

Roster: