Indians control playoff destiny with Friday game
By RANDY GONZALES
Friday's game is pretty simple.
Win, you're in.
Lose, turn in your pads.
The Hays High School football team plays host to McPherson Friday at 7 p.m. in a Class 5A, District 6 matchup at Lewis Field Stadium with a playoff berth on the line. Hutchinson (8-0 overall, 2-0 district) is at Great Bend (4-4, 0-2) Friday, having already clinched the district crown. Hays High and McPherson are both 7-1 overall and 1-1 in district.
In district action, Hays High beat Great Bend 20-14 and lost to Hutchinson 56-0 last week. McPherson lost to Hutchinson 55-20 and won at Great Bend last week, 49-10.
"Good thing is, we put ourselves in position to control our own destiny," Hays High first-year coach Ryan Cornelsen said.
After suffering their first loss of the season last week, the Indians need to bounce back to make the playoffs for the first time since 1995.
"When you get kicked, you've got to get back up, get better," Cornelsen said.
Hutchinson, which has won five straight state titles, is a program Cornelsen is trying to emulate at Hays High.
"They work year-round, work extremely hard," Cornelsen said. "That's what we're trying to do with our program.
"I think there's a big difference between schools that suit up a team and schools that have a program," he added. "Not just something you do in the fall, but a year-round effort."
McPherson is one of those schools that have a program under veteran coach Tom Young. The Bullpups are 32-9 under Young, including a 10-2 record last season.
When Cornelsen took the Hays High job, getting his players to believe in the system was important.
"As a first-year coach, anytime you're new to a program, that was my biggest fear, that kids buy into the time and effort," Cornelsen said. "That's why we've been able to win some games."
McPherson, which uses an offset I-formation and the spread, has outscored opponents 377-106 this year. The Bullpups' top rusher is junior Kevin O'Connor, who has 781 yards on 129 carries, with 14 touchdowns. At quarterback is senior Joel Piper, who has completed 69 percent of his passes (115-of-166) for 1,586 yards, with 17 TDs and five interceptions. Junior Christian Ulsaker is the top receiver, with 42 catches for 582 yards and eight touchdowns.
"No. 1 thing, they're extremely balanced," Cornelsen said. "That's always tough to defend.
"They look pretty similar to us; they throw more out of it than we do," he added.
Hays High has scored 192 points and given up 157. The Indians are led offensively by senior quarterback Bryant Bombardier, who has thrown for almost 600 yards with eight TDs and rushed for more than 200 yards and six scores.
"Defensively, they're big, got 11 football players that will fly to the ball," Cornelsen said.
The Indians need to remember what they've done to get them to the brink of a playoff berth.
"For us, we've got to focus on the things we did in the first seven games that give us a chance to win," Cornelsen said.
Getting into the playoffs would be important for the long-term success of the program, Cornelsen said.
"I think it would be a big step in the right direction," Cornelsen said. "It helps with next year's group, confidence.
"Biggest thing with Hutch, we didn't play with confidence," he added.
In the Indians' last home game, Hays High beat rival Great Bend for the first time in nine years and clinched sole possession of the Western Athletic Conference title. And they did it in front of a huge and vocal crowd.
"I think our fans are excited to play at home for a game of this magnitude," Cornelsen said. "Our kids are excited. I think it will be a great environment for our program."