HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Zion Burgess and Kade Smith each rushed for over 100 yards apiece, as the Hutchinson Salthawks beat the Maize Eagles, 36-17, for its third straight win on Friday night at Gowans Stadium.
Burgess (23 carries, 106 yds, 3 TD) and Smith (11 carries, 103 yds, 2 TD) helped lead the Hutchinson (5-2, 5-1 AVCTL-I) ground attack that rushed for 328 yards on 54 carries (6.1 yds/carry). The Salthawks as a team ran 63 plays for 392 total yards of offense (6.2 yds/play).
Maize (2-5, 1-4) got the scoring started in the first quarter, working into the strong wind out of the north. The Eagles went on an 18-play, 80-yard scoring drive that was capped on a one-yard rushing score from quarterback Drew Kemp with 5:52 left in the first.
After the Salthawks and Eagles traded punts on the next couple of drives, Hutchinson went on an eight-play 69-yard drive that was capped on a two-yard Smith touchdown run to tie the game at seven with 11:02 left in the first half.
The ensuing Maize drive only lasted three plays, as Hutchinson defensive back Terrell King intercepted a Maize pass in front of the Eagles' sideline. Two plays later the Salthawks scored, as Smith found the end zone from 36 yards out to put Hutchinson in front for the first time, 14-7 with 9:41 left in the half.
Maize drove the ball 12 plays in nearly four minutes that resulted in a 36-yard Mason Teague field goal to pull the Eagles within 14-10.
The Salthawks then marched the ball right down the field with an eight-play 80-yard drive that saw Burgess find the end zone from six yards out to put Hutch in front 21-10 with just over three minutes left in the half.
Maize responded in a hurry, as Kemp found Alan Hanna for a five-yard touchdown pass to pull the Eagles within 21-17 with 47 seconds left in the half.
Neither team found points in the third quarter, as Hutchinson held on to a four-point lead entering the final frame.
The drive that really sealed the deal for the Salthawks started with 37 seconds left in the third quarter. Hutchinson drove the ball 59 yards on 14 plays that took nearly eight minutes of game clock off. Burgess scored from three yards out to give the Salthawks an 11-point lead with 3:48 to play.
Burgess then scored on a one-yard run with two seconds left in regulation to put the icing on the cake.
Kemp finished 21-for-33 passing for 209 yards, one touchdown and one interception, while Robert Hunter finished 5-for-9 for 64 yards for the Salthawks.
King led the Salthawk defense with nine tackles, while Jax Heneha had eight.
Hutchinson will travel to Andover on Friday, Oct. 20 to close out the regular season, while Maize will finish the regular season at Haysville-Campus.
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