YATES CENTER — Another week brought another mind-boggling scoreboard explosion in Kansas eight-man football.
Friday’s fireworks featured Yates Center High senior quarterback Carter Burton, erupting for 302 yards rushing and five touchdowns in an 88-52 win over Marmaton Valley.
Yates Center broke open a back-and-forth game by outscoring MV 52-12 in the second half, including 20 unanswered points in the fourth quarter.
Yates Center, 6-1, bounced back from its only loss of the season a week earlier to unbeaten Sedan.
Marmaton Valley falls to 4-3 in a game coming one week after its historic 106-98 victory over Oswego.
Marmaton Valley’s Garrett Henderson completed 15 of 31 passes for 244 yards and a touchdown.
Much of Henderson’s production came when he connected with Quincy Adams, who hauled in six passes for 144 yards and four touchdowns. Adams added 45 rushing yards and another score.
Henderson ran for 66 yards. Jaedon Granere had 69 yards receiving to go with 33 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Dylan Drake rushed for 35 yards; George Moore rushed for 11.
Not to be lost in the wake, Yates Center’s Jayston Rice was a tackling machine on defense. He racked up 12 solo stops and 11 assists for 23 total tackles, including a sack.
Turnovers also turned out to be a huge factor. Yates Center’s Cash Cummings picked off four MV passes and recovered a fumble. Canon Cavender, Jaron Morrison and Adam Spencer also recovered fumbles.
Granere hauled in an interception for Marmaton Valley; Daniel Fewins recovered a fumble.
Yates Center racked up seven sacks, one each for Cavender, Morrison, Blake Audiss, Spencer and Rice. Morrison and Shane Weber both had 12 tackles as well.
Of Weber’s 12 tackles, seven were for losses; YC had 27 combined tackles for loss.
Drake led MV’s defense with eight tackles. Moore added seven.
The regular season ends Friday with key matchups for Yates Center and Marmaton Valley. Yates Center (3-1 in district play) travels to West Elk, which also sits at 6-1 overall and 301 in districts. Marmaton Valley (2-2 in district play) hosts unbeaten Sedan (7-0 and 4-0).
