NEWTON, Kan. — The Hutchinson Salthawks dug deep Friday night, rallying from a two-touchdown halftime deficit to edge the winless Newton Railers 15-14 at Fischer Field in Newton.
Newton (0-7) controlled the game early, scoring twice in the first half and taking a 14-0 lead into the locker room. Hutchinson’s offense struggled to find rhythm until midway through the third quarter, when quarterback Robert Hunter led a scoring drive capped by quarterback keeper for a 8 yard touchdown run. A blocked extra point left the Salthawks trailing 14-6.
Momentum shifted moments later when Hutchinson’s special teams pinned Newton deep at its own 6-yard line. On the next play, the Salthawk defense broke through for a safety with 3:32 remaining in the third quarter, cutting the deficit to 14-8.
Hutchinson (5-2) capitalized on the momentum, putting together a four-play, 46-yard drive capped by a 26-yard touchdown pass from Hunter to Lamar Govain with 1:14 left in the quarter. Zae Gillen’s extra point gave the Salthawks their first lead of the night, 15-14.
Newton had two late chances to reclaim the lead, but both field goal attempts missed the mark — a 35-yarder midway through the fourth quarter and a 25-yarder in the final 44 seconds. Hutchinson took over on downs and ran out the clock to seal the comeback victory.
With the win, Hutchinson improved to 5-2 and remains in contention for a good seed in the Class 5A West bracket. The Salthawks will close out the regular season next week at home against Maize South, while Newton travels to Arkansas City.
A Hutchinson win next week could secure a first-round home game when the 5A playoffs begin on Oct. 31.