SEAN BOSTON
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Central Christian School football team is one win away from locking up the district title, and the Cougars can accomplish that feat on Friday night at Pretty Prairie.
"It's a huge step for us," head coach Matt Barnett said. "I mean these guys have been working hard for the last couple of years here to really put themselves in this situation, so it's really the guys that have put that work in, and we're starting to see the rewards of that, so it's a nice thing to see."
The Cougars started the season with a 54-50 loss to Sunrise Academy, but since then CCS has won five straight games.
"It was definitely a tough test for us to have in the first game," Barnett said. "We also learned a lot from that game and we've made some changes moving forward, so we actually got better from it."
CCS has district wins over Fairfield (46-6) and Argonia-Attica (28-12) with two games to go. The Cougars hold a 0.5 game lead on Argonia-Attica, but with a win on Friday, the Cougars would hold any possible tiebreaker scenario.
The offense has put up 45 or more points in five of the six games, and are averaging 45.3 points. Three of the five wins have come via the 45-point mercy rule.
"Coach Barnett, my brother actually, he's the offensive coordinator and he's really had them going this year," Barnett said. "We've had a lot of different weapons, especially when we stay healthy. Nathan Reed at quarterback is such a solid guy to have at the helm and kind of controlling things out there. We've had good running from our backfield with Ry Kooiman being able to find some holes, and that all stems from seniors that came back on the line. We've had the best offensive line that we've had as long as I've been there for sure, we've been doing a really good job. Piercen Huff is back, he had been out injured for the first part of the season, so with him being healthy now that gives us a great weapon at the slot. Brody Froese, another senior at our wide receiver position has become a weapon for us, as well."
The defense has also been stout, allowing just 13 points per game.
"We moved some guys around a little bit," Barnett said. "We've got some great senior leadership and that really helps us out defensively. Konnor Sullivan played a lot of defensive line for us, but we've got him playing some mike linebacker and he's doing such a good job of leading the team out there. We've just had good play all around, from the defensive line, keeping guys off of our linebackers. Guys like Keaton Miller, who has been dominant up front. Jayden Linscheid is so quick and hard to deal with, kind of gives people fits. Kaleb Sullivan really has had a couple of his best games of his career, he's another senior that is kind of coming into his own, figuring things out."
CCS will close the regular season with a home game against Norwich on Oct. 25.