Redmen give Barta win No. 300

11/15/2009

By CONOR NICHOLL

cnicholl@dailynews.net

SMITH CENTER -- A few minutes after Smith Center defeated Meade, 10-0, in a Class 2-1A sectional contest Friday night, the two teams gathered on the field at Hubbard Stadium. At the 50-yard line, Smith Center's five senior captains, Logan Tuxhorn, Colt Rogers, Matt Atwood, Shawn Stansbury and Dillon Corbett, presented the game ball to Redmen head coach Roger Barta. A few yards away, Meade's team applauded. The celebration punctuated Barta's 300th career victory, the fifth coach in Kansas history to reach the milestone.

"I didn't expect it, but it was special," Barta said. "I appreciate it. There were a lot of people contributed a lot for those wins when you stop and think about it. I didn't realize it was going to happen. I just wanted another win to play another week. That's important. We get to play another week."

The victory moved Barta to 300-58, an 83.7 percent winning percentage that ranks among Kansas' all-time bests. Barta joined Clyde's Ed Buller, Sedan's Les Davis, Silver Lake's C.J. Hamilton and McPherson's Tom Young as the lone Kansas coaches to reach the milestone. Hamilton, Young and Barta are still active, though Barta's Redmen are the only ones still alive in the 2009 playoffs.

"He is a special guy," Rogers, a four-year starter who has been around the program since he was 4-years old, said. "He taught us so much over our four years with him, just about life, football, just being a gentleman. We all appreciate him so much and you just learn so much in the program during those four years. Really what he teaches you is a lot more than football and that is what's most important and is a great football coach and those 300 wins, that's a lot and he deserves it."

The victory bumped Smith Center's Kansas record and nation-best's (among 11-man teams) winning streak to 78 games and moved the Redmen into the sub-state championship game. Smith Center (11-0), winners of five straight Class 2-1A titles, will host Oakley (11-0) Friday. Oakley defeated Ellis 3-0. Smith Center had a similar defensive effort against Meade, a team that had averaged 50 points a game.

"Their offense is great, but their defense, that's what wins championships," Meade head coach Scott Moshier said. "We thought, pass-wise, that we could exploit some things and we did there late. We had some things not go our way. ... I am really proud of our kids, really, really proud of our kids. They hung in there and they showed a lot of character."

Friday yielded a contrast to last season's sub-state championship game, a 60-14 Redmen victory at Meade when Smith Center scored on every possession. This time, the teams combined for five turnovers, including four interceptions. Meade never cleared the Redmen 28-yard line and only three times reached Smith Center territory.

"I thought it would take three or four touchdowns to win," Moshier said. "I didn't know it was only going to take two."

The Redmen, under defensive coordinator Brock Hutchinson, have permitted 79 points all season, fourth-best in 2-1A, according to preppowerindex.com. The win marked Smith Center's fourth shutout, first against a team with a winning record.

"We have got a great defensive coordinator," Rogers said. "Brock does a great job of preparing us throughout the week and we come into the game prepared and we know what to expect. We are just starting to fit together and really play good defensively. We are hitting our gaps and hitting our spots and we are just really playing good together and it's working for us."

Stansbury, a starting defensive back and quarterback, returned Friday after missing the last six weeks from a collarbone injury. In addition, junior Aaron McNary had missed a month earlier in the season because of injury. Both were healthy against Meade and forced Buffalo senior Dakota Benear into 12-of-26 passing for 74 yards and two interceptions. Junior Albert Davis led Meade with 57 rushing yards.

Meade, which lost 13 seniors off last season's 10-2 team, finished 11-1.

"It's their speed," Moshier said. "If you can't run, you can't play defense. And everyone on their defense can run."

Smith Center scored the game's only touchdown with 8:21 left in the first quarter. Meade had fourth-and-2 from its own 32-yard line. Benear, though, went around right end and was tackled by Corbett.

"We wanted to make something happen," Moshier said. "We knew we couldn't sit back. They are just so good."

On the next play, Smith Center's Atwood rushed 33 yards for a touchdown. Junior Timor Schubart tacked on the extra point for a 7-0 lead.

"That is what they have done all year," Barta said of Meade's call. "They came to win and they played hard and they took their chances and that's the way should be."

Schubart, a German exchange student, was wide left from 42 yards early in the second quarter.

He tacked on the final points of the game with a 28-yard field goal with 7:02 left before half. Schubart has made seven field goals this season, tied for second among 11-man schools, according to MaxPreps.com.

"He has been big," Rogers said. "When he came, he didn't even know how to kick a football at first."

Smith Center had a chance to score midway through the third quarter, but Atwood was stopped on the 1-yard line on fourth down. Overall, Rogers finished with 102 rushing yards and 114 return yards. He paces the Redmen with 1,529 rushing yards and 10 contests of at least 90 yards. Atwood finished with 88 yards, while McNary collected 60 rushing yards.

In the fourth quarter, Meade started passing frequently and had its longest drive of the contest.

Rogers and Truitt Kuhlmann knocked down the Buffs' fourth down pass in the end zone. Shortly after, Smith Center and Meade helped celebrate Barta's historic win.

"The good guys win sometimes," Moshier said. "And he is one of them."