COLONY — Despite their unblemished record — winning each game by at least 30 points — there remained questions about just how good the Crest High Lancers were this season.
Was the spotless record a product of a favorable schedule, against struggling teams light on talent? Or is Crest just that powerful?
The rest of the Kansas Eight Man-II schools may not like the answer.
Crest put forth one of its best games of the season Friday in the Eight Man-II Regional round, a 64-14 drubbing of visiting Hartford.
The victory sets up a gargantuan sectional round contest next Friday at Hanover. Like the Lancers, Hanover is unbeaten and has run roughshod over its opponents, including Friday’s 52-6 romp over Axtell.
“I know they’re big and strong and talented,” Crest head coach Nick McAnulty said of Hanover. “But I really don’t know a lot about them, because we’ve been focused on these guys.”
Indeed, Hartford entered Friday’s tilt on a five-game winning streak of its own, and had a potent running attack keyed by standout running back Shayden Sull and a beefy offensive line.
But the visiting Jaguars were no match for Crest’s offensive juggernaut, with a powerful line of its own, and a stable of lightning fast, powerful and elusive running backs.
Friday’s key protagonist was sophomore Holden Barker, who set the tone early in the second quarter with a 57-yard touchdown run that included a quick burst down the left sideline, slowing only enough to deliver a brutal stiff-arm to a pursuing defender.
“I don’t really run for the open field,” Barker said. “I run for contact.”
Unofficially, Barker racked up 184 yards on nine carries and five touchdowns.
Crest scored on its first two possessions, a 5-yard touchdown run from Stratton McGhee, and a 23-yard jaunt by Barker to lead 14-6.
Hartford was in prime position to score the equalizer, setting up with first-and-goal at the Crest 1. But a Sull fumble at the line of scrimmage on first down was recovered by Hartford. A host of Lancer defenders then blasted through the line of scrimmage on second down, knocking Sull back 2 yards.
Unable to break through the defense on the ground, Hartford turned to the pass on third and fourth downs, to no avail. Tyson Hermreck broke up the fourth-down pass in the end zone to preserve the eight-point cushion.
Then the Lancers promptly covered 78 yards in less than 2 minutes, capped by Barker’s aforementioned 57-yard touchdown.
