CHERRYVALE — On Humboldt High’s first snap on offense Thursday, Cub standout Trey Sommer burst through the line of scrimmage and into the Cherryvale secondary, where he proceeded to drag multiple defenders across the goal line for a 26-yard touchdown run.
It was a precursor of what was to come.
The Cubs dominated in about every way imaginable to start the Class 2A playoffs, churning up more than 400 yards of total offense in a 53-13 win.
The victory propels the Cubs into the second round, where they will face a familiar opponent in Osage City. The Indians handed Humboldt one of its two losses in the regular season, 42-34.
“You don’t always, especially in football, get an opportunity for a rematch,” Humboldt head coach Logan Wyrick said.
Ideally, the Cubs can replicate their strong play along the line of scrimmage, which paved the way for one of the most dominant quarters of football you’ll ever see in these parts.
After ending the first half with an 8-yard touchdown run to extend Humboldt’s 22-13 lead to 30-13 at the break, Sommer proceeded to score on runs of 50, 10 and 43 yards on the Cubs’ next three offensive snaps to start the third quarter.
The last run sent Sommer to the sidelines for the rest of the evening, having triggered a running clock for the balance of the game.
Unofficially, Sommer racked up 207 yards and six touchdowns on 20 carries. He also completed 3 of 4 passes for 78 yards, including a 40-yard screen pass to Colton Slocum for another score.
Sophomore Blake Ellis, who had missed several games down the stretch before getting back onto the field last week in the regular season finale, came on in the second half. He rushed for 34 yards and a 6-yard touchdown, while completing 3 of 4 passes for 41 yards.
If anything, Humboldt’s offense was a bit too explosive. Wyrick noted he had hoped to get a few more pass plays for Ellis.
But with an overabundance of one-play drives, repetition this week will have to come on the practice field.
“Ellis got a little work last week,” Wyrick said. “It was good to get him back into the rotation, to where he was.”
CHERRYVALE showed some grit, especially in the first half.
Charger junior Steson Schafer followed Sommer’s early score with a 76-yard touchdown run. Schafer then hauled in receptions covering 19, 24 and 20 yards on a Charger drive early in the second quarter, the last of which was good for a fourth-down touchdown pass from quarterback Jackson Knight to pull Cherryvale within 22-13.
