By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HAYS, Kan. — Three things did in the Inman Teutons on Saturday afternoon in Hays in the Class 1A football state championship game.
Injuries in previous rounds put a couple younger backups in at key spots, running out of timeouts at the end of the first half left them a yard short of a pivotal touchdown, and the Olpe Eagle defense was just too stingy as the Eagles ground out a 35 to 6 state championship win, their second in two years. Olpe gave up just 24 points for the season.
The deciding sequence likely took place in the first half's dying moments, as a big Jace Doerksen kick return set Inman up at the Eagle 20 down 21-6, but a pass to Tanner Heckel on 3rd and goal was a yard short and because Doerksen had to take the Teuton final timeout to avoid a penalty prior to that play, they rushed to the line and rushed a throw that was incomplete.
Olpe killed the clock in the first half, then came out of the locker room and marched for what looked like a game-sealing score, but a flag away from the play took a touchdown off the board.
An incomplete pass on fourth down gave Inman the ball back, but they couldn't do anything with it.
A 67-yard Dawson McConnell punt flipped the field and a fumble recovery gave Inman hope.
Heckel made a big 4th down catch to get a new set of downs with the score still 21-6, but Eli Brunk dropped a 4th and goal pass in the end zone that kept it a two score game.
Olpe squeezed the life out of the rest of the third and went on a 10-play 93-yard drive to salt the game away with a Garret Cole touchdown at 8:14, his third of the game.
A 57-yard Derek Hoelting sprint at 6:27 closed out the scoring.
Inman's lone score was a Doerksen jump ball to Brunk at 8:40 in the second.
Olpe held the Teutons to just 168 yards of total offense, while putting up 340 on the ground themselves.
Inman ends its season at 12-1. Olpe extends its win streak to 25 games and finishes 13-0.