By COLE REIF
For The Hays Daily News
NORTON -- The Smith Center prep football team nearly had to start a new winning streak Friday night.
After a back-and-forth game, Smith Center finally secured its 57th consecutive win, edging rival Norton, 22-20.
For a team that has been publicized as much as the governor in the state of Kansas in recent years, the Smith Center Redmen had to revamp their team from a year ago after losing nine seniors who went on to play college football.
The Redmen defeated WaKeeney-Trego last week, 42-8, in a game that Smith Center was leading only 8-0 at halftime.
After a scoreless first quarter Friday, the Bluejays -- who beat Oberlin last week, 47-21 -- received a huge gift as the Redmen fumbled the ball at their own 5-yard line. One play later, sophomore running back Terrell Lane, who ran for 205 yards last week against the Red Devils, sprinted into the corner of the end zone to give the Bluejays a 7-0 lead.
Later in the second quarter, the four-time defending Class 2-1A state champion Redmen found their way across the goal line as senior Trevor Rempe scored from 18 yards out. Smith Center could not convert on the 2-point conversion, leaving the score 7-6.
Norton (2-1) was forced to punt on their next series and after taking a Smith Center bounce the Redmen took over at the Norton 24-yard line.
It only took Smith Center one play from there, as junior Colt Rogers ran the ball in for his seventh touchdown of the season. Rogers had 193 yards rushing to go along with his score. The 2-point conversion was completed, giving the Redmen a 14-7 advantage heading into halftime.
With 2:04 left to go in the third quarter, the Bluejays capitalized on another Smith Center fumble, as Lane dashed down the sideline for a 51-yard touchdown. After the PAT, Norton knotted the score at 14.
Smith Center (3-0) responded in big fashion on their next possession. Pinned on their own 9-yard line, Rogers rumbled 90 yards before finally being dragged down by Bluejay cornerback Ashton Draper at the 1-yard line. Rempe plunged into the end zone for his second touchdown to make it 22-14 after the PAT with under a minute to go in the third quarter.
With only four seniors in their starting lineup, the Bluejays had one last rally in them in the fourth quarter. Norton drove the ball 51 yards in six plays, to set up a critical fourth-and-3 situation at the 4-yard line. Lane would not disappoint the Norton crowd, getting in for his third touchdown of the game. Lane added 95 yards rushing to complement his three scores. The Bluejays could not convert the 2-point conversion, leaving them still trailing by two.
Norton would receive the ball back twice in the final six minutes. Their first chance for a winning drive was denied with a fumble and the second opportunity ended as Bluejay quarterback Connor Pfannenstiel was intercepted by Redmen safety Marshall McCall.
Smith Center only gave up 20 points the entire season last year. So far in 2008, they have surrendered a total of 34 points to three opponents.
The Redmen will put a 57-game winning streak on the line against Phillipsburg this Friday. Norton will take on Osborne.
Smith Center 22, Norton 20
Smith Center 0 14 8 0 -- 22
Norton 0 7 7 6 -- 20
Norton -- Lane 5 run (PAT good)
Smith Center -- Rempe 18 run (PAT failed)
Smith Center -- Rogers 24 run (PAT good)
Norton -- Lane 51 run (PAT good)
Smith Center -- Rempe 1 run (PAT good)
Norton -- Lane 4 run (PAT failed)
Cole Reif is a play-byplay announcer for Eagle Radio, and does an area game of the week. His game this Friday on Y 102 is Thunder Ridge at Palco, with a 6:30 p.m. pregame. Read his story about the game in Sunday's issue of The Hays Daily News.
