There was no escape this time.
 
Finally face-to-face with the opponent that ended its 57-game winning streak and four-year reign atop Class 3A last season, No. 1 Andale replicated the fast starts against reigning champion Cheney that shockingly gave way to a pair of comeback victories for the Cardinals on their way to the 2023 title.
 
But with an enthusiastic home crowd cheering it on in Friday’s 3A quarterfinals, Andale stormed to a 22-point, first-quarter lead and didn’t look back. Fueled by junior quarterback Sam Harp’s 237 rushing yards and three touchdowns, the Indians blitzed Cheney 52-14 to improve to 11-0 with their 81^st consecutive home victory dating back to 2012.
 
Andale’s only two losses since the 2018 state semifinals came last year to Cheney, which rallied from a 22-0 deficit to stun the Indians 36-30 in overtime, ending what was then the nation’s longest high school winning streak. Cheney backed it up five weeks later in the 3A semifinals, digging itself out of an early 24-0 hole to win 28-24 in its penultimate step to its first state title.
 
“It was in the back of our minds, but we were ready to roll,” said Andale senior Cooper Marx, whose 63-yard touchdown run put the Indians up 14-0 midway through the first quarter. “We got this far and we weren’t going to let it happen again.
 
“It happened twice (last year), but the third time was the charm.”

Harp capped Andale’s game-opening, 62-yard drive with an 11-yard touchdown run to put the Indians up 6-0. Andale’s defense then took center stage, registering the first of a trio of three-and-outs in the opening quarter that the Indians’ offense converted into a scoring avalanche.
 
After Cheney’s opening possession stalled, Marx took a handoff from Harp and angled left into the open field and toward the end zone for Andale’s second touchdown. Later in the quarter, Harp and Marx connected on a 25-yard pass that set up a 1-yard touchdown plunge by Harp’s older brother, Landon.
 
At that point, Andale’s 22-0 lead had a familiar ring to it. But instead of launching a comeback, Cheney was struggling to gain a foothold.
 
The Cardinals’ final offensive play of the opening quarter was an 8-yard sack of quarterback Josh Burdick by Andale’s Hunter Grimes after Burdick had to corral a high snap. That left Cheney punting from its own 2.
 
Early in the second, Cheney had an opportunity to stem the tide. But Sam Harp scrambled for 18 yards on a fourth-and-13 play, setting up his 2-yard sneak and 2-point conversion run that made it 30-0. After another Cheney three-and-out, Harp delivered another haymaker, an 88-yard run that made it 36-0 with 7:01 remaining in the first half.
 
“We ran that for our second play against Hesston, and we’ve been adding and adding to it,” Harp said of the outside run. “The coaches really like it and I like running it.”
 
Cheney finally responded with a 65-yard drive that was aided by a personal foul and fourth-down pass interference call on Andale. Burdick, who finished 22 of 34 passing for 166 yards, hit on 4 of 6 attempts during the drive. He capped it by whistling a 12-yard touchdown pass to Cameron Eastman in the front corner of the end zone to make it 36-7.
 
“We preached finish, finish, finish,” Andale coach Dylan Schmidt said. “It obviously felt like a different game. It felt like we were in control the whole time and really dominated up front.
 
“But as we know, they scored right before half. There was just more of a point differential to overcome. I was just really proud of how we played.”
 
Andale stretched its lead to 44-7 in the third on a 4-yard run by Landon Harp that was set up by Sam Harp’s 43-yard run. After Cheney’s next drive stalled at Andale’s 26, the Indians marched 74 yards for their final touchdown, a 1-yard plunge by junior Jack Horsch.
 
Cheney, which finished 9-2, closed the scoring with a 7-yard jump pass from Burdick to junior Nolan Durr. But it wasn’t enough for the Cardinals, who avenged a regular-season loss to Wichita Collegiate to return to the quarterfinals.
 
“There was a lot of doubt after that around the team,” Burdick said of the 31-7 loss to Collegiate that snapped Cheney’s 19-game winning streak. “But I thought we bounced back really well and responded. We went and beat them in the second round of the playoffs and got the chance to play a really great team.
 
“A lot of things had to go right to beat Andale. We know that. It didn’t go our way, but I’m super blessed to be part of a team like this the last four years.”
 
Andale players spoke of the ultimate goal after Friday’s victory, saying it was another step toward another state championship. But advancing past Cheney added to their enjoyment.
 
“Everybody was wishing for it,” Marx said. “We wanted them every game. But we always take one game at a time. That never changes. They were a big opponent and they were good. But anybody who comes in our way, we’re ready for them.”


QUARTERFINAL STANDOUTS
 
CLASS 6A

• Derby continued a season-long scoring assault in the opening halves of games, rolling up 42 points before the break en route to a 63-28 victory over visiting Wichita East. The unbeaten Panthers, top seed in Class 6A West, got 188 rushing yards and four touchdowns from sophomore Arieus Finley. Quarterback Drew Kemp completed 11 of 16 passes for 222 yards and three touchdowns, including scoring passes of 31 and 10 yards to senior Da’Saahn Brame in the first quarter. Kemp connected with John Lujan for a 70-yard touchdown in the third quarter, and Easton Splane returned an interception 45 yards for another score for Derby, now 11-0.

 
CLASS 5A

• Senior Carter Pabst added the state’s single-season record for touchdown receptions to his resume as host Eisenhower defeated Seaman 44-14 to advance to the 5A semifinals for the second straight year. Pabst caught a pair of TD passes from Derek Morgan to raise his season touchdown receptions total to 28, surpassing the previous mark of 27 set by Bishop Miege’s Daniel Jackson in 2019. Pabst also has 53 career TD receptions. Morgan also connected with senior Kasten Koehn on a 91-yard scoring strike for Eisenhower, which improved to 9-2.

 
CLASS 4A

• Senior Nick Gazaway ran for two touchdowns as visiting Buhler avenged a regular-season loss to Wamego and knocked off the top-seeded Red Raiders 28-14 to return to the semifinals for the first time since 2021. Linebacker Jacob Miller intercepted a pass and the Crusaders recorded three sacks to avenge a 13-point home loss to Wamego in early October. Freshman Landon Martinez opened Buhler’s scoring with a 24-yard run midway through the first quarter, and Gazaway added scoring runs of 32 and 1 yard as the Crusaders stretched their lead to 20-0.

 

• Andover Central used a balanced offense to roll past visiting Wellington 58-13, as running back Maddox Archibald ran for 188 yards and four touchdowns, and quarterback Jace Jefferson passed for 216 yards and three scores. The Jaguars, who improved to 10-1, finished with 241 rushing yards and 239 through the air. Andover Central scored five touchdowns and a field goal on its six first-half possessions to build a 37-13 lead. Jefferson completed 14 of 19 passes with two touchdowns to Jace Adler, who had four receptions for 69 yards, and another score to Brandt Stupka (5 receptions, 105 yards). The Jaguars recorded three sacks, and seniors Landon Preston and Gaige Hurley added fumble recoveries.

 
CLASS 1A

• Reigning 1A champion Conway Springs won its 22^nd consecutive game, racing to a 21-point halftime lead on the way to a 35-6 victory over visiting Plainville. Senior Isaac Winter ran 19 times for 187 yards and two touchdowns, and senior Grant Fisher added 78 yards and a pair or rushing TDs for Conway Springs, which ended Plainville’s season for the fourth time in five years. Winter had an 89-yard run as part of Conway Springs’ 372-yard rushing attack.

 
SIX PLAYER

• Senior Will Wegerer completed 20 of 26 passes for 313 yards and six touchdowns – three to classmate Dagim Reed – as top-ranked Cunningham stayed unbeaten with a 52-6 victory at Otis-Bison. Reed had six receptions for 102 yards, junior Skyler Thimesch added five catches for 96 yards and a score, and Luke Albers and Stephen Kerschen each had TD catches for the Wildcats, whose game Friday was their first since Oct. 4.