KSHSAA Covered

CLASS 3A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

HAYDEN (11-1) VS. ANDALE (12-0)

12 p.m. Saturday at Gowans Stadium, Hutchinson

ANDALE DOESN’T AIR IT OUT MUCH, BUT IT CAN WITH HARP

Andale coach Dylan Schmidt fondly recalls a preseason scrimmage against Eisenhower in which his junior quarterback, Sam Harp, was on a roll.

“He just made some throws where he was rolling left and throwing back right and on target,” Schmidt said. “It looked like Patrick Mahomes-type of stuff. The coaches and I were looking at each other like, ‘What have we got here?’”

Schmidt already had a good idea after handing the keys to Andale’s offense to Harp as a sophomore. Harp, 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds, passed for 568 yards and 13 touchdowns as Andale went 10-2. But it was Harp’s fleet-footedness and hard-nosed running that fit well with the Indians’ powerful ground game, as he scored 11 rushing touchdowns.

A year later, Harp and the Indians are still just throwing it once in a blue moon. But their efficiency is something last year’s Class 3A runner-up Hayden will have to account for when the teams play for the state title on Saturday at Hutchinson’s Gowans Stadium.

Much like recent Andale teams that have dominated in 3A under Schmidt, the unbeaten Indians have steamrolled opponents on the ground. Nearly 81% of their 5,031 yards of total offense have come from running the ball.

Harp has provided a good chunk of that. Despite limited playing time due to Andale’s often lopsided margins, he leads the Indians with 894 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns, including a 237-yard, 3-TD performance in a 52-14 quarterfinal victory over last year’s champion, Cheney. One of his scoring plays was an 88-yard run around the left side.

“The coaches tell me a lot that I’m a big, key asset to the team,” Harp said. “I don’t really let it get to my head. They like to run QB a lot, and it’s what I love to do.”

Harp added three rushing touchdowns in Andale’s 55-6 semifinal victory over Holcomb on Friday. But as the Indians rolled up their points in the first two quarters, Harp also connected with senior Ian Schrandt and Harp’s older brother, Landon, on touchdown passes of 37 and 41 yards.

Harp has completed 33 of 48 passes this season for 758 yards and 13 touchdowns with no interceptions.

“You could tell from Day 1 when he came in as a freshman, man, this kid is talented,” Schmidt said. “And going from sophomore to junior he’s just bigger, faster and stronger. He’s a 300-pound bencher in the weight room and just a strong kid.

“The only knock is he’s 5-9, 5-10 or 5-11 – whatever he is – and not 6-3 or 6-4. But for what we’ve asked him to do as a high school quarterback, he checks all the boxes.”

Harp spent time in the offseason throwing passes to Mason Fairchild, a former Andale standout, as Fairchild prepared for the NFL scouting combine. Fairchild, who played tight end at Kansas, signed as an undrafted free agent with the New Orleans Saints and was later released. He has served on Andale’s coaching staff this fall.

Meanwhile, Harp has been complemented by many standout teammates. Landon Harp has run for 724 yards and 18 touchdowns. Fullback Cooper Marx has added 731 yards on 17.4 yards per attempt with 12 TDs. Junior Jack Horsch has accounted for 10 touchdowns and shares the team lead in receiving scores with Landon Harp with three.

But when it comes to game-changing ability, Sam Harp can seize the spotlight. He set the tone against Hesston in a Week 8 battle of unbeatens with a 60-yard touchdown run on the game’s second play. Last week against Holcomb, he completed 3 of 4 passes for a season-high 132 yards.

“He’s got good track speed, but he’s got great football speed,” Schmidt said. “He can plant that foot in the ground and just go.

“I think he’s kind of a fit-in guy for us. He’s got his older brother and those other seniors, and they’re going to keep you humble. But everybody respects his talent and what he can do. He’s just kind of a go-with-the-flow type of kid who does a lot of things very well.”

ANDALE INDIANS (12-0)

COACH: Dylan Schmidt (8th year, 96-4)

STATE FINALS HISTORY: 7 state titles – 2022 (3A), 2021 (3A), 2020 (3A), 2019 (3A), 2014 (4A), 2007 (4A), 2006 (4A); 1 runner-up finish – 2017 (4A I)

2024 RESULTS

W,68-7 El Dorado
W,56-48 at Wellington
W,52-0 Rose Hill
W,47-6 Wichita Collegiate
W,58-6 Nickerson
W,54-0 at Smoky Valley
W,65-0 Wichita Trinity Academy
W,60-14 at Hesston
W,51-7 Concordia (P)
W,74-0 Clay Center (P)
W,52-14 Cheney (P)
W,55-14 Holcomb (P)

2024 STATISTICS

TEAM

Points scored: 692 (57.7 per game)

Points allowed: 116 (9.7 per game)

Total offense: 5,031 yards (419.3 per game)

Rushing: 4,059 yards (338.3 per game), 72 TDs

Passing: 972 yards (81.0 per game), 14 TDs, 1 INT

INDIVIDUAL

Rushing: Sam Harp (jr.) 85 carries, 894 yards, 19 TDs; Cooper Marx (sr.) 42 carries, 731 yards, 12 TDs; Landon Harp (sr.) 75 carries, 724 yards, 18 TDs; Jack Horsch (jr.) 42 carries, 538 yards, 7 TDs; Jrayton Dansel (so.) 42 carries, 276 yards 1 TD; Ian Schrandt (sr.) 13 carries, 186 yards, 4 TDs.

Passing: Sam Harp (jr.) 33 of 48, 758 yards, 13 TDs.

Receiving: Jack Horsch (jr.) 8 catches, 256 yards, 3 TDs; Landon Harp (sr.) 12 catches, 227 yards; Hunter Grimes (jr.) 5 catches, 169 yards, 2 TDs; Bo Kaiser (sr.) 8 catches, 124 yards, 2 TDs.

Tackles: Hunter Grimes (jr.) 60 tackles (16 solo), 8 sacks; Jak Krehbiel (sr.) 57 tackles (24 solo), 5 tackles for loss; Cale Andree (sr.) 55 tackles (14 solo), 3 tackles for loss, 6 sacks; Jack Horsch (jr.) 54 tackles (16 solo), 4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks; Ian Schrandt (sr.) 48 tackles (18 solo), 2 tackles for loss; Lane Parthemer (jr.) 45 tackles (24 solo); Jrayton Dansel (so.) 45 tackles (10 solo), 2 tackles for loss, 3 sacks; Landon Harp (sr.) 38 tackles (11 solo), 4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks; Afton Allaire (fr.) 38 tackles (9 solo); Emery Craft (jr.) 37 tackles (9 solo), 2 tackles for loss; Isaiah Wilson (sr.) 33 tackles, 12 solo), 5 tackles for loss, 4 sacks.

Takeaways: Lane Parthemer (jr.) 3 INTs, 2 fumble recoveries; Jack Horsch (jr.) 2 INTs; Cooper Marx (sr.) 2 fumble recoveries, 1 INT; Harrison Potucek (sr.) 2 INTs, 1 fumble recovery; Cale Andree (sr.) 2 fumble recoveries; Sam Harp (jr.) 1 INT, 1 fumble recovery; Noah Horsch (sr.) 1 INT, 1 fumble recovery.

Kicking: Seth Fernandez (jr.) 1 of 1 FG, 6 of 9 PATs.

WAHLMEIER, HAYDEN READY FOR SECOND CHANCE AT 3A STATE TITLE

It was somewhat of a dream scenario for Jett Wahlmeier when Hayden reached the Class 3A state championship last fall.

The Wildcats’ starting quarterback since his freshman season in 2021, getting to a title game was the ultimate goal achieved.

But at the same time, it was a bit of a nightmare for Wahlmeier.

While his Hayden teammates got to take the field against fellow unbeaten Cheney on a snowy Gowans Stadium field in Hutchinson, Wahlmeier was relegated to simply being a spectator. A torn labrum in his left (throwing) shoulder suffered early in the playoffs ended his season before getting a chance to play in a state championship game.

“It was torture,” Wahlmeier said. “It was great watching them win those games without me to get there, but that last game I wanted to be out there to help my guys out so bad.”

Completely recovered from his injury this season, Wahlmeier will be right along side his teammates as he and Hayden look for a bit of redemption in this year’s Class 3A state championship game. After dropping a 34-7 decision to Cheney in last year’s title contest, the Wildcats powered their way back to Hutchinson for another shot at the program’s fourth state championship.

The task for Hayden (11-1) is as daunting – if not more so – than a year ago with undefeated and No. 1 Andale (12-0) awaiting in the finals. The Indians had won four straight championships and authored a 57-game winning streak from 2019-22 before Cheney ended both runs last fall.

But the opponent matters little to Wahlmeier. It’s the opportunity that counts the most.

“I’ve never been motivated this much my entire life,” Wahlmeier said. “It was an entirely new level. It was just a need to get back to get where we were last year, but winning it all this time. It just makes me feel so full knowing this was my goal last year, and we accomplished it, but I wasn’t really able to be a part of it. Now that we’ve made it back, we just have to go out there and win it.”

Wahlmeier wasn’t Hayden’s only significant injury it had to overcome on its way to last year’s title game. The Wildcats lost standout lineman Doug Peterson for the year early in the season and played a large chunk of the year without standout tailback Finn Dunshee, who did return in the playoffs.

This year, Hayden has managed to avoid the injury bug for the most part and has navigated a beefed up schedule that included games with perennial Class 4A playoff teams Eudora and Wamego. The Wildcats handled Eudora 35-7 in the season opener and suffered their only loss of the season to Wamego, falling 31-28 in a game they led 28-14 in the fourth quarter.

“I think it helped,” Hayden coach Bill Arnold said. “I didn’t enjoy losing to Wamego, giving up 17 points in the last eight minutes of the game. But we treated it like a learning experience. I think (the schedule) was good for us. We got some weaknesses exposed really quick and it really gave us an opportunity to map out your practice schedules in terms of what we needed to focus on and what we weren’t really good at early on.”

While the graduation of Dunshee left a big hole in the Wildcat backfield, Hayden had already gotten a bit accustomed to his absence a year ago when Kade Mitchell stepped up to fill the void. This year, he’s run with the full-time tailback gig and rushed for a team-high 787 yards and 18 touchdowns, while also flourishing in the passing game with 473 yards and 4 touchdowns receiving.

Wahlmeier has had a huge senior season, throwing for 1,890 yards and 21 touchdowns while getting picked off just once. His top target has been senior Jensen Schrickel, who has 686 yards and 12 touchdowns receiving while also adding 568 yards and 9 touchdowns on the ground.

The offensive success has come with Hayden having to replace even bigger pieces than Dunshee, last year’s starting guard combo of Jude Konrade and Carter Charvat. They also held down the inside linebacker positions in Hayden’s 4-4 defensive scheme, leaving a big void on that side of the ball as well.

“They were the best two guards I’ve coached in a tandem working together,” Arnold said. “We’re still growing at that position right now and Colt Ellerman and Andrew Rohr are doing a great job, but they’re not at a Jude-Carter caliber yet. But I think they have the potential to be there.

“And losing your two inside linebackers with our defense, that’s a pretty tall task. Basically, we were looking to replace 80% of our tackles from a year ago.”

Since the loss to Wamego, Hayden has been nothing short of dominant in winning eight straight. The Wildcats have allowed just 42 total points while averaging 46.1 points per game. Last week’s 35-7 semifinal win over previously undefeated Wellsville was Hayden’s closest contest during that stretch.

Yet Arnold isn’t sure he’s seen the best his Wildcats can play.

“I don’t know that we can say we’ve seen the absolute best we’re capable of,” Arnold said. “We’ve done a lot of really good things and have gotten better each and every week. But I have pretty high expectations for this group, too.”

Wahlmeier agreed.

“We know we haven’t played our best ball yet,” Wahlmeier said. “But we also know that it’s right there. We just have to go out and get it.”

In last year’s title game, Hayden was tied 7-7 with Cheney in the second quarter after Mitchell scored on a 39-yard touchdown pass from Connor Hanika. But the Wildcats gave up an 88-yard kickoff return touchdown immediately after the score and Cheney dominated the second half and Hayden’s offense never got much going, mustering just 120 yards in the game, including 46 on the ground.

While the loss was disappointing, Arnold said the Wildcats quickly put it behind them as they began work this season to return to Hutchinson.

“We really didn’t talk about it,” he said. “It’s been a pretty good group in going through the routine of trying to get better every day in practice. This group has become a much better practice team as the year has gone on and I think part of that is attributed to the fact that once you get to that state championship game and come away kissing your sister there, it puts things in perspective for them wanting to become the best version of themselves that they can.”

In the finals, Hayden gets an Andale team equally hungry from seeing its season end against Cheney a year ago. The Indians surrendered 20-plus-point leads in both losses to the Cardinals a year ago, including a 24-0 lead in the state semifinals.

The state’s premier small-school power for the last five-plus seasons, Andale has outscored its opponents 692-116 this season and blasted Cheney 52-14 in a playoff rematch this year. Andale hasn’t scored less than 47 points in a game and nearly half of the points it has allowed came in a 56-48 shootout win over Wellington in Week 2.

The programs have met in the playoffs three times in recent history. Andale won a Class 4A quarterfinal game in 2007 29-28 before Hayden took a 20-12 semifinal win in 2008 and a 23-10 quarterfinal win in 2009. Each time, the winner advanced to the title game with Andale winning the 4A title in 2007 and Hayden following with a title in 2008 before falling to Bishop Miege in the 2009 championship game.

So Arnold is plenty familiar with what his Wildcats are going up against, even though the Indians are now coached by Dylan Schmidt instead of Gary O’Hair.

“No. 1, Dylan does a great job and had a great teacher with O’Hair,” Arnold said. “To me, Andale is the same team we played back in 2007, 2008 and 2009. What they do, they do very, very well. It’s a strong program in the weight room and I bet you they’ve got a lot better wrestlers than we do.

“They expect to win and they had that long streak. They took care of business and they’ve jumped back on the tracks again.”

HAYDEN WILDCATS (11-1)

COACH: Bill Arnold (18th year, 165-50)

STATE FINALS HISTORY: 3 state titles – 2008 (4A), 2004 (4A), 1998 (4A); 5 runner-up finishes – 2023 (3A), 2016 (4A II), 2014 (4A I), 2009 (4A), 2003 (4A),

2024 RESULTS

W,35-7 at Eudora
W,42-14 St. Michael the Archangel (Mo.)
W,62-8 Bishop Ward
L,31-28 at Wamego
W,49-0 Hiawatha
W,31-7 at Holton
W,50-16 Perry-Lecompton
W,43-0 at Jefferson West
W,56-6 Hiawatha (P)
W,49-0 Girard (P)
W,56-6 Perry-Lecompton (P)
W,35-7 at Wellsville (P)

2024 STATISTICS

TEAM

Points scored: 536 (44.7 per game)

Points allowed: 102 (8.5 per game)

Total offense: 4,205 yards (350.4 per game)

Rushing: 2,274 yards (189.5 per game), 52 TDs

Passing: 1,931 yards (160.9 per game), 22 TDs, 3 INTs

INDIVIDUAL

Rushing: Kade Mitchell (jr.) 97 carries, 787 yards, 18 TDs; Jensen Schrickel (sr.) 46 carries, 568 yards, 9 TDs; Broderick Desch (sr.) 68 carries, 412 yards, 11 TDs; Jackson McGivern (jr.) 50 carries, 281 yards, 4 TDs.

Passing: Jett Wahlmeier (sr.) 118 of 177, 1,890 yards, 21 TDs, 1 INT.

Receiving: Jensen Schrickel (sr.) 38 catches, 686 yards, 12 TDs; Kade Mitchell (jr.) 28 catches, 473 yards, 4 TDs; Connor Hanika (jr.) 24 catches, 267 yards, 2 TDs; Brady Heinen (sr.) 11 catches, 212 yards, 1 TD; Broderick Desch (sr.) 6 catches, 111 yards, 2 TDs.

Tackles: Jude Krentz (jr.) 124 tackles (74 solo), 2 tackles for loss; Kade Mitchell (jr.) 67 tackles (44 solo), 4 tackles for loss; Xander Blasing (jr.) 60 tackles (35 solo), 9 tackles for loss; Jace Wolff (jr.) 45 tackles (27 solo); Julian McGivern (jr.) 45 tackles (24 solo), 4 tackles for loss; Jackson McGivern (jr.) 40 tackles (27 solo), 7 tackles for loss; Andrew Rohr (jr.) 39 tackles (24 solo), 6 tackles for loss, 5 sacks; Logan Saenz (jr.) 37 tackles (23 solo); Rondell Harris (jr.) 36 tackles (23 solo), 7 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks; Treyton Tetuan (sr.) 34 tackles (17 solo), 3 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks; Mar Brnett (so.) 34 tackles (16 solo), 4 tackles for loss; Jensen Schrickel (sr.) 27 tackles, (24 solo); Colt Ellerman (jr.) 4 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks; Broderick Desch (sr.) 3 tackles for loss, 2 sacks.

Takeaways: Kade Mitchell (jr.) 3 INTs, 1 fumble recovery; Xander Blasing (jr.) 2 INTS, 1 fumble recovery; Brady Heinen (sr.) 1 INT, 1 fumble recovery; Mar Barnett (so.) 1 INT, 1 fumble recovery; Andrew Rohr (jr.) 2 fumble recoveries; Julian McGivern (jr.) 2 fumble recoveries.

Kicking: Mason Becker (so.) 1 of 2 FGs, 58 of 59 PATs.

🏈 Class 3A state title preview: Andale vs. Topeka-Hayden