High School Sports: Abilene VS Clay Center

  Cowboys Defeat Tigers to Win NCKL Title

Cowboy team and the coaches celebrating their league championship -photo by Denise Youtsey

by Gabe Johnson

People say you should try new things.  For the first time this season, the Abilene Cowboys got to try out what it was like to be behind in a game.  Apparently they didn’t like it.  After trailing 21-20 to a pesky Clay Center Tigers team in a cold, wet game Friday night, the Cowboys kicked it into gear in the second half and came away with a 39-21 victory. 

The Cowboys began the game’s scoring with junior Trey Bender’s 4 yard carry into the end-zone which put the Cowboys up 6-0 midway through the opening quarter.  The following kickoff would tell the story for the first half.  Clay Center’s Tyler Young broke through the Cowboys kickoff team and took the return 85 yards for a touchdown.  Their PAT attempt was successful, giving the Tigers the 7-6 lead.  The score made it the first time the Cowboys had trailed all season, presenting a new situation for the team.  The Cowboys were not fazed.  The following drive, junior quarterback Harley Hazlett connected with senior wide-receiver Dalton Goodwin for a 45 yard pass and catch to put Abilene in scoring position at the Tiger’s 15-yard-line.  Two plays later, Hazlett tossed his first touchdown pass of the night to wide open senior tight-end Zach Barbieri.  Hazlett read the Tiger defense’s blitz and found the wide open Barbieri standing alone in the end-zone without a defender within 15 yards of him.  The Cowboy’s conversion failed, and their lead was finalized at 12-7.

Abilene’s defense held strong and forced a 3-and-out from Clay Center’s offense.  Senior linebacker Colton Mills blocked and recovered the Tiger kicker’s punt attempt on the Clay Center 18-yard-line, setting up his team’s offense with great field position.

Coach Howard with the defense - photo by Denise Youtsey

After picking up a first down on a 3rd and 9 with a 10 yard run, Hazlett called his own number again, this time scampering into the end-zone for the Cowboys third touchdown of the game.  Hazlett completed a short pass to senior Tanner Hoekman for the 2-point-conversion, extending the Abilene lead to 20-7.

Tanner- photo by Denise Youtsey

Another seemingly routine kickoff was run past the Abilene kickoff team by Tigers running-back Ricky Hughes 86 yards for a touchdown.  After feeling they had gained some separation from Clay Center, the second kickoff return for a touchdown pulled the Tigers back within a touchdown, 20-14.  The Clay Center defense was able to stifle the Cowboys next offense drive and regained the ball with little time to go before halftime.  Clay Center quarterback Lane Liby completed a touchdown pass to wide-receiver Brady Hammel with just seconds left in the second quarter to give the Tigers their second lead of the night going into halftime, 21-20.

Trailing at halftime for the first time in their 2014 season, the Cowboys would have to kick off to start the second half.  The defense knew they would need to make a stop to get the game moving in the right direction.

Cowboys Defense - photo by Denise Youtsey

Mills sacked the Tiger quarterback on 3rd down to force a punt from Clay Center.  After the punt, the Cowboys would start their drive from their own 19-yard-line.  After picking up a first down, Hazlett connected with Hoekman over the middle, who broke multiple tackles and dragged a defender all the way to the 14-yard-line for a 67 yard pick up.  On the following play, senior fullback Brent Hirsch was handed the ball and rumbled his way around the right side of the field and spun into the end-zone for his first touchdown of the season.  Hoekman’s big play and Hirsch’s touchdown turned the tide for the Cowboys as they went up 26-21.

The Cowboys recovered a Clay Center fumble on the second play of the Tigers’ drive.  Abilene’s offense quickly capitalized on the good field position, as Tanner Hoekman weaved his way 20 yards down the field for a touchdown, leaving a path of would-be tacklers laying on the ground behind him.  The touchdown was Hoekman’s only touchdown of the night, but he would finish with 257 total yards.  Junior Ryan LaCombe’s kick flew through the uprights, giving the Cowboys the 33-21 lead.

Clay Center’s next drive would be crucial to keep them in the ball game, but Colton Mills and the Cowboy defense would have none of it.

Mills chased down Clay Center running back Gabe Ware and threw him down behind the line of scrimmage for a loss of two yards.  The Tigers second play was a pass broken up by Trey Bender.  On 3rd down, senior linebacker Reggie Koop leveled a Tiger wide-receiver who caught a pass over the middle.  The string of plays forced a Clay Center punt, reassuring fans and players the scoring for the Tigers had come to a stop.

Cowboy offensive huddle - photo by Denise Youtsey

The Cowboys punched one more score into the end-zone in the fourth and final quarter.  After the Cowboys called Hoekman’s number 14 plays in a row, he shoved his way up the middle of the Tiger defense.  The drive would take over eight minutes off the clock.  On 4th and Goal from the 5-yard-line, Brent Hirsch punched in his second touchdown of the night to make the score 39-21, which would end up as the final score.  Bender would come up with an interception on the Tigers final drive to seal the Cowboys’ victory.

The win gave the Abilene Cowboys their first North Central Kansas League title in three years.  First year coach Steve Simpson has led the Cowboys to a 6-0 record (5-0 NCKL).  Clay Center fell to 2-4 on the season with the defeat.  The Cowboys will take on the McPherson Bullpups next Friday at Paul Dennis Field to open up district play.