By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
New classification. New lineup. New opponent. None of it mattered on a hot Friday evening at Great Bend High School’s Memorial Stadium. After a 30-minute delay due to high temperatures, the Panthers needed just three minutes to get on the board. Great Bend led Scott City 27-7 at the half and held on to handle the Beavers 47-28.
The Panther offense moved the ball with ease on the first drive of the game. Junior Cal Schartz capped the drive with a 26-yard run just three minutes in. Sophomore Giovanni Cruz booted through the extra point for a 7-0 lead.
Scott City fumbled the ensuing kick but Great Bend could not take advantage of the short field. After the Panther defense forced a punt, the offense again marched the field before Schartz scored his second touchdown, this time from two yards out. Great Bend’s lead doubled to 14-0 with 1:52 remaining in the first.
Then the track meet began. Panther senior Cooper Ohnmacht returned a Drew Metzger pass 35 yards for a quick pick-six on the first play of the next Beaver drive. Scott City answered with a long kick return for a score by junior Adan Tarango. Great Bend converted a fourth down on its next drive to set up a 39-yard touchdown pass from junior Jaxson Smiley to Ohnmacht. That 27-7 score lasted the final 9:50 of the first half.
Scott City did have one final try at the end zone in the second quarter. Senior Jaxon Wondra came up with a big sack on third down, then Wondra and senior Kale Kern teamed up for a sack on fourth down to end the threat.
Scott City could not narrow the gap in the second half. The Beavers scored on their first drive via a 21-yard touchdown run from senior Adrian Garcia. But the Panthers answered right back, first with a 55-yard pass from Smiley to junior Alex Premer, then a 2-yard touchdown run from Schartz on the very next play.
Premer intercepted a Metzger pass to end the next Beaver drive. Sophomore Christian Alcala ran the ball 45 yards on the next play, then capped the drive with a 16-yard reception from Smiley.
The sides continued to trade scores late. Metzger got his first touchdown pass of the season on a ball to Tarango. Great Bend answered with another nice drive, finished off by a 29-yard run from Alcala. Metzger and Tarango tacked on one final touchdown with seven ticks left on the clock for the final 47-28 score.
Schartz had a big season debut with 162 yards and three touchdowns on his 18 carries. Ohnmacht added a pair of touchdowns with the pick-six and 39-yard touchdown reception. Smiley, a transfer from Colby made his Great Bend debut with 184 yards and two touchdowns on 11-of-17 passing. Alcala had a big second half to finish with 90 yards and a touchdown on nine rushes. Ohnmacht led the receivers with 77 yards on six receptions.
Scott City managed just five rushing yards on 14 attempts in the first half, and finished with 61 total yards in the first two quarters. Metzger ended the night with 89 rushing yards on 13 carries and also threw for a pair of touchdowns and two interceptions.