HUTCHINSON – On paper, not much separated the mirror-like production of Saturday’s Class 1A state championship game participants Conway Springs and Centralia.
 
Both offensively have routinely leaned heavily on a dominant run game in their variation of a single-wing offense. Defensively, each love to be simply more physical than their opponents.
 
But it didn’t take long in Saturday’s title game to see the distinct separation between the two. As good as Centralia was, Conway Springs was simply better in just about every possible way.
 
That much was apparent in the final outcome as Conway Springs pulled free from a close game early to win going away, taking a dominating 41-6 win over the Panthers. The Cardinals captured their second straight state championship, running their winning streak to 24 straight victories with a perfect 13-0 season.
 
“We got beat by a great team,” Centralia coach Roger Holthaus said. “They were more athletic than we were in spots and just out-physicalled us on both sides of the ball. We made a great run but they’re just a great team with great players.”
 

 
For a quarter, Centralia was certainly Conway Springs’ equal. The Panthers forced the Cardinals into a three-and-out on their first possession and then busted a 16-yard run on their first play from scrimmage.
 
Conway returned the favor, forcing Centralia to punt. Instead of getting it off cleanly, however, the ball struck the back of an offensive lineman and popped up into the air. Conway Springs’ Grant Fisher snagged it at the Cardinal 42 and weaved his way the way to the end zone for a 58-yard return touchdown that put the Cardinals up 7-0.
 
“It started up front,” Fisher said. “We had a great push from our defensive line and they just pushed them right back into the ball. It was juty kind of there and I grabbed it and had great downfield blocking from Cade (Howell) and everyone else. It was just a matter of getting it and I couldn’t have done it without all those other guys.”
 
As devastating as the touchdown seemed to be for Centralia, the Panthers mustered an immediate response. Quentin Alderfer raced 38 yards on the first play of Centralia’s next drive to set the Panthers up at the Cardinal 20. Conway stiffened, but on fourth down Ben Haverkamp made a leaping grab of a Jacob Flentie pass in the end zone for a 21-yard touchdown that cut the lead to 7-6.
 

 
Centralia found moderate success in its passing game on the day with Flentie throwing for 80 yards. But that’s not the Panthers’ identity by any means and Holthaus knew that it wasn’t the recipe for long-term success against the Cardinals.
 
“When we had to go to the spread, that’s not us,” said Holthaus, whose team finished 11-2, the only other loss to Mid-Buchanan (Mo.). “We had to go to it too early and not do what we like to do.”
While Conway Springs was able to take Centralia out of its comfort zone, the Panthers never were able to do the same to the Cardinals. And once the Cardinal ground game got rolling, there was little Centralia could do to slow it down.
 
Conway Springs finished its next drive with a 3-yard touchdown run by Isaac Winter, the first of three for the senior standout back. After a Centralia three-and-out and punt pinned the Cardinals at their own 7, Conway Springs needed just three plays to score again with Fisher following a 49-yard run by Logan Osner with a 33-yard TD scamper to give the Cardinals a commanding 21-6 lead at halftime.
 
The Cardinals never really slowed down, finishing the game with 386 yards on the ground, averaging 9.4 yards per carry. Conway was so effective on the ground, it didn’t attempt a pass in the game.
 
“One of our goals was to win the line of scrimmage and not make mistakes,” Conway Springs coach Matt Biehler said. “Once the kids get that feel of where they’re at, they’re a veteran group who believes in each other and they just know what we’re expecting. We were able to execute all our sweeps, our inside run game and our outside run game. It was just a lot of fun.”
 

 
“Single wing against single wing and we knew they’d be physical, big, fast,” Winter said. “Up front, out guys did their jobs.”
 
Winter racked up 227 yards and three touchdowns in his final game. It could have been four scores, but after breaking free late in the fourth quarter on a 64-yard run, he stopped at the 1-yard line and knelt.
 
“It was sharing the wealth,” he said. “It didn’t matter to me who got (the touchdown). Anybody who wanted it.”
 
Osner was the recipient of Winter’s generosity, scoring on the next play for Conway’s final touchdown of the night. The junior quarterback finished with 97 yards rushing while Fisher added 34 and Howell 30.
 

 
Centralia’s vaunted run game which produced 1,000-yard rushers this year in both Flentie and Alderfer never gained much footing. Flentie finished with 97 yards on 28 carries and Alderfer added 63, both well shy of their season averages.
 
“We wanted to make them go to something they’re not as comfortable with,” Biehler said. “Now I thought they did a good job with their passing attack. But you could see when they’re in their comfort zone, they’re a lot better team.”
 
After winning last year’s state championship with a dominant win over Jefferson County North in the championship game, Conway Springs had a little bit of an identity shift. The Cardinals had leaned heavily – and rightfully so – on workhorse back Brayden Kunz, an All-State Top 11 selection a year ago who ran for 6,317 yards and 70 TDs in his three years as a starter, including 2,806 yards and 24 TDs last year.
 
But in a sense, the Cardinals went back to being who they were in the past, spreading the rushing load more evenly. Winter, Osner and Fisher all ran for more than 600 yards this year with Winter leading the way with 1,934 yards and 23 TDs and Osner also going over 1,000 yards with 1,238.
 
“Last year, Brayden brought a lot to the table and when you’ve got a guy like that, why not give him the ball over and over again,” Fisher said. “But we’ve all been able to do this and this year it was just a different approach. We were a three-headed monster in the backfield and the line was so great.”
 
Indeed, Conway Springs was a monster. After starting last season 0-2 before hitting its stride and winning 11 straight for their first state title since 2011, the Cardinals hit the ground running this season and never slowed down.
 
The undefeated season was the first for the program since the 2004 team finished a string of four straight undefeated titles as part of a 61-game winning streak for the program.
 
And without question, that was a something prevalent in the minds of this year’s Cardinal team from the start.
 
“It was a goal Week 1,” Winter said. “We followed the coaches and went out and executed each week to get it done.”
 
“Best way to go out,” Fisher said. “Undefeated, going back-to-back, first time in 20 years for us. I’m at a loss for words. Dream come true.”
 

 
CLASS 1A CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
 
CONWAY SPRINGS 41, CENTRALIA 6
 
Centralia (11-2) … 6 … 0 … 0 … 0 … -- … 6
 
Conway Springs (13-0) … 7 … 14 … 13 … 7 … -- … 41
 
Conway Springs – Grant Fisher 58-yard blocked put return (Eli Benge kick)
 
Centralia – Ben Haverkamp 21-yard pass from Jacob Flentie (run failed)
 
Conway Springs – Isaac Winter 3-yard run (Benge kick)
 
Conway Springs – Fisher 33-yard run (Benge kick)
 
Conway Springs – Winter 19-yard run (Benge kick)
 
Conway Springs – Winter 56-yard run (pass failed)
 
Conway Springs – Logan Osner 1-yard run (Benge kick)
 
TEAM STATISTICS
 
 … CEN … CS
First downs … 11 … 17
Rushes-yards … 43-159 … 41-386
Passing yards … 80 … 0
Passing (Comp-Att-Int) … 5-10-1 … 0-0-0
Total plays-yards … 53-239 … 41-386
Fumbles-lost … 2-0 … 0-0
Penalties-yards … 2--10 … 1-5
Punts-Avg … 4-28.5 … 3-41.7
 
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
 
Rushing – Centralia: Flentie 28-97, Alderfer 10-63, Ronnebaum 2-4, Reinecke 1-2, Heideman 1-minus 2, Team 1-minus 5; Conway Springs: Winter 19-227, Osner 13-97, Fisher 3-34, Howell 4-30.
 
Passing – Centralia: Flentie 5-10-1, 80 yards; Conway Springs: None.
 
Receiving – Centralia: Haverkamp 4-80, Alderfer 1-0; Conway Springs: None.