By Joanna Chadwick
Class 6A
Gardner-Edgerton 36, Manhattan 33 — Manhattan had a chance to win the game in the final seconds on a hail mary pass from Carter Aslin to JJ Dunnigan to the end zone on Friday.
But it was Gardner-Edgerton, which scored the go-ahead touchdown on Bravin Powell’s one-yard run with 10 seconds remaining that was the difference.
Gardner-Edgerton repeats as champs.
Class 5A: Hays (8-4) vs St. Thomas Aquinas (12-0)
When: 7 p.m. Saturday at Emporia State
Class 4A: Andover Central (12-1) defeated Bishop Miege (5-8) 49-42 to win its first state title on Saturday.
The game was tied five times, including at 35-all, but Andover Central scored 21 straight to take the lead for good.
Maddox Archibald had 341 rushing yards and four touchdowns, including runs of 42, 39 and 35 yards. His 3-yard run for the 42-35 lead gave Andover Central the lead for good with 3 minutes to go.
He scored one more time, a 39-yard run with 1:15 remaining to seal the win.
Class 3A: Andale (13-0) beat Topeka Hayden (11-2) 36-19 to win the championship on Saturday.
Sam Harp had 182 rushing yards on 16 carries for two touchdowns, and Landon Harp had 148 yards on 12 carries and two touchdowns. Jack Horsch had 98 yards and a touchdown.
Landon Harp had a 13-yard touchdown to put Andale up 20-19 with 3:29 remaining in the third. He followed it up with another touchdown just a bit more than a minute later for the 28-19 lead.
Class 2A: SE-Saline completes its unbeaten season with a 36-28 win over Nemaha Central (11-2) on Friday.
SE-Saline took the lead for good with 11 seconds remaining when Tucker Thaxton scored on a 29-yard reception from quarterback Gannon Jacobson.
Just 46 seconds earlier, Jacobson had scored with Thaxton following by throwing the game-tying two-point conversion.
Nemaha Central had gone up 28-20 with 1:51 remaining in the game.
Class 1A: Conway Springs (13-0) beat Centralia (11-2) 41-6 to win its second straight title on Saturday. After Centralia cut the lead to 7-6 in the first quarter, Conway Springs scored the game’s next 34 points.
Isaac Winter had three touchdowns in the win, including runs of 56, 20 and three yards.
Conway Spring’s first touchdown came on Grant Fisher’s 58-yard blocked punt return midway through the first. Fisher also had a 33-yard touchdown run in the second quarter and an interception with 1:23 remaining in the game.
8-Player I: Hoxie (13-0) beat Central Plains (10-3) 46-0 as Duncan Bell threw five touchdowns on Saturday.
8-Player II: Axtell (13-0) beat Victoria (12-1) to win its fourth straight state championship on Saturday. Axtell has won 52 straight games.
6-Player: Weskan (13-0) beat Cunningham (11-1) 49-48 on Saturday. Weskan stopped Cunningham on fourth down with a minute remaining in the championship.
Cunningham had taken the lead at 48-43 with 3:15 remaining on Skyler Thimmesch’s reception from Wegerer.
Weskan led 35-14 at the half, but Cunningham scored 34 second-half points, including 28 unanswered.
With 1:42 remaining, Weskan took the lead for good with 1:42 to go on Karsyn Wright’s 30-yard run.
