By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
The No. 2 Panther football team has seen its share of running-clock wins in 2025. Friday night, with the opening of the Class 5A playoffs, the clock barrier moved from 35 to 45 points. A heavy ground attack in the first half, and a 29-yard interception return from junior Cooper Ohnmacht, gave Great Bend a 49-0 lead just 66 seconds into the third quarter of Friday’s 49-19 victory over winless Newton.
Senior Daxton Minton is already the school’s leader in career passing touchdowns. But Friday night he used his feet, rushing for 131 yards and a pair of scores on his only two carries. He took the second play of the game 63 yards to give the Panthers a 7-0 lead just 40 seconds in.
“We just wanted to establish the line of scrimmage,” Minton said. “We followed our big boys up front. They did their job for us all night and just made it easy for the guys running the ball.”
Sophomore Cal Schartz recovered a fumble early in Newton’s first drive. Two plays later, senior Ian Premer found space on a 39-yard touchdown run. Still in the first quarter, Premer’s 70-yard punt return was called back on a penalty. Minton found the Newton sideline on a 68-yard run on the very next play.
Junior Cooper Ohnmacht ended the next Railer drive with a one-handed interception new midfield. A few plays later, Premer took the direct snap and ran 12 yards for the score. Freshman Giovanni Cruz booted through his fourth PAT of the night to boost the Panther lead to 28-0 with nearly three minutes still remaining in the first quarter.
The Panther offense kept moving. Facing 3rd-and-11, Minton threw a short pass to Premer, who broke several tackles to find the end zone from 17-yards out.
“We just wanted to do all the little things right, get better in every aspect of the game,” Minton said. “I felt like we came out and did that.”
Newton answered with the best drive of the night. The Railers got all the way to the Great Bend 3-yard line before a pair of personal fouls on the field and sideline moved the ball back 30 yards. The Panther defense stood its ground to force a turnover on downs.
Senior Conner Holladay took the next offensive play 54 yards. That set up a 7-yard touchdown run from Premer in the final minute of the half.
Ohnmacht set the clock into motion for good with his 29-yard pick-six on the first Newton possession of the second half. The Railers later picked up points on a pair of short runs.
Newton rushed for just 29 yards on 19 carries in the first half. Hinojos had a nice second half to finish with 86 yards on 23 carries. Wise threw for 42 yards on 5-of-10 passing with an interception. Senior Kolbie Espada completed a pair of passes for 15 yards in the first half.
Great Bend rushed for 345 yards and five touchdowns on just 13 carries in the first half. Minton had the 131 yards and two scores on his two carries. Premer added 93 yards and three touchdowns on four attempts. Holladay rushed for 96 yards on seven carries. Minton also threw for 29 yards with a touchdown and interception on 3-of-9 passing.
The Panthers move to 9-0 for a second consecutive season. Great Bend will host Bishop Carroll in round two of the Class 5A playoffs next Friday. The Golden Eagles won just five games over the last two seasons but enter Friday at 6-3 with a recent win against Derby and a 14-0 playoff win against Valley Center.