Moundridge’s Kaizer Kanitz was admittedly antsy as he watched a chunk of his senior football season from the sidelines with a knee injury.
 
So much so that the Wildcats’ quarterback wasn’t going to miss an opportunity to play against Inman for a Class 1A District 6 title three weeks ago.
 
“I probably wasn’t fully ready the first time,” Kanitz said Friday. “But this time, I was ready to go.”
 
“This time” was Moundridge’s 1A regional playoff round rematch with Inman. And this time, it went much better for the Wildcats. Kanitz ran for two touchdowns, including the go-ahead score on the first play of the fourth quarter, as Moundridge rallied from a 14-point halftime deficit to top the host Teutons 22-14.
 

Wearing a protective brace on his right knee, Kanitz passed for 56 yards and ran for 34 as Moundridge avenged a 22-7 regular-season loss to Inman and improved to 8-2. The Wildcats advanced to Friday’s sectional round, when it will travel to face unbeaten Smith Center.
 
“He’s just a gamer,” Moundridge coach Tyler O’Connor said of Kanitz. “Kaizer’s one of those guys that you know what you’re going to get from him. He’s consistent. Any play can be a big play with the ball in his hands.
 
“He’s kind of the leader that everyone looks to. When they’re looking for someone in the huddle, they’re usually looking at Kaizer to see what he has to say.”
 
The Wildcats moved forward after Kanitz went down in a Week 4 victory over Herington. Senior Owen Colwell came on in relief in the 49-6 victory, then guided Moundridge to victories over Remington, Marion and Sedgwick.
 
“As a team, we kind of just find ways around things like that,” Moundridge senior Paul Grill said. “We just tried to figure out what we needed to do. Kaizer is one of the biggest parts of our team, so having him back is amazing.”
 
Moundridge was in problem-solving mode Friday. Held to 20 yards in the first quarter and 100 in the first half, the Wildcats trailed 14-0 at halftime after Inman touchdown runs of 22 yards by sophomore Kru Harris and 29 yards by junior quarterback Malachi Brunk.
 
The half ended with Inman running Kanitz out of bounds on a rollout pass when he couldn’t find an open receiver.
 
“We’ve got a lot of seniors and one of the perks that comes with having a lot of seniors is it’s hard to shake them,” said O’Connor, a former Canton-Galva assistant who is 24-4 in his third season at Moundridge. “At halftime, you go in and make the game-plan adjustments that you need for the second half to win the game, and they were all ears for it.
 
“They got energy when they needed to, and they came out and executed in the second half.”
 
Moundridge’s defense ignited Friday’s rally with some help from the Teutons.
 
After Wildcat punter Cyrus Blough pinned Inman deep in its own territory with a 44-yard punt, the Teutons were called for holding on their first offensive play of the second half. Then Brunk and Harris couldn’t connect on a handoff, and the ball caromed into the end zone, where Wildcat defenders fell on Harris for a safety to cut Moundridge’s deficit to 14-2.
 

After a good return to midfield by Moundridge’s Logan Greenwalt, Grill dashed around the right side for 40 yards – the Wildcats’ longest play at that point. Kanitz followed two plays later with a 7-yard touchdown run to the left.
 
The Wildcats, who held Inman to four plays for minus-1 yard in the third quarter, got the ball back, and Kanitz and Grill went to work. They connected on a 15-yard screen pass, then Grill ran for 22 yards on the final play of the third after Inman was called for a facemask on Kanitz on a third-and-8 play.
 
Kanitz put the Wildcats up 15-14 on a 6-yard keeper to the left on the opening play of the fourth.
 
“The first half, we were driving and then we’d shoot ourselves in the foot,” Kanitz said. “We had had false starts, we had other penalties. We just needed some points to get ourselves going.”
 
Inman came into the game averaging more than 42 points per game and had scored 52 or more in four of its eight victories. But Brunk was held to 4-of-16 passing for 73 yards, with Moundridge’s Heath Churchill intercepting his final pass of the game.
 
That came after Grill burst through a huge hole up the middle for a 51-yard touchdown that stretched the Wildcats’ lead to 22-14. Grill finished with 21 carries for 195 yards.
 
“The guys up front knew they were to have to have a big game,” O’Connor said. “They did a nice job of giving Paul some lanes and he’s one of those guys … I’m his No. 1 fan just watching him play football because he’s so gritty and physical. Anytime he has success it’s one of those things that gets us going as a team.”
 
Moundridge made it through the regular season unbeaten last year in its return to 11-player football. That season ended with a Week 9 loss to Hutchinson Trinity.
 
Friday’s victory has a veteran group excited to see what’s next.
 
“It was tough sitting out,” Kanitz said. “I hate missing games. I’m a competitor and I want to win. Our team pulled it out and was 4-0 while I was gone, and that helped us out a lot.
 
“Inman was obviously in the back of our minds, but we had to get that first playoff win. After that, it was Inman all week. They’re our rival and this feels good.”

REGIONAL STANDOUTS
 
CLASS 6A

• Maize remained Class 6A’s lone unbeaten team, as quarterback Brayden Myovela ran for 304 yards and five touchdowns in the host Eagles’ 58-34 victory over Wichita East. Myovela had three scores of at least 69 yards for Maize, which improved to 10-0. He also threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Pearce George.
• Wichita Northwest senior Augie Fast ran 25 times for 294 yards and five touchdowns, and the host Grizzlies rolled up 569 yards of total offense in a 52-28 victory over Washburn Rural. Quarterback Jaylen Mason completed 12 of 19 passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns for Northwest, which scored more than 50 points for the fourth consecutive game to improve to 9-1.
• Derby quarterback Blade Clark ran for two touchdowns to lift the visiting Panthers to a 28-7 victory over Junction City. Clark ran 20 times for 66 yards, including TD runs of 7 and 39 yards. He also completed 11 of 20 passes for 168 yards. The Panthers (7-3) limited Junction City to 133 total yards and got a 42-yard interception return for a touchdown from Issac Nikolas.

 
CLASS 5A

• Playing Goddard for the second time in three weeks, Salina Central won more comfortably this time, getting four touchdown passes from Griffin Hall and four touchdown runs from Cooper Reves in a 62-32 victory. Hall completed 9 of 17 passes for 147 yards with three scores to senior Keaton Smith. Reves ran 21 times for 278 yards to offset Goddard’s Erik Olivas, who ran 35 times for 263 yards and four TDs.
• Salina South continued its Cinderella run as the No. 14 seed in 5A West, getting two touchdown passes from sophomore quarterback Izrael Telles in a 22-16 victory at Liberal. Telles, who helped the Cougars knock off third-seeded Andover in their postseason opener, completed 13 of 19 passes for 214 yards against Liberal with a pair of touchdowns to senior Jaxon Myers. Myers had six receptions for 134 yards, while South junior Armane Redmond ran 25 times for 134 yards and a score.

 
CLASS 4A

• Top-ranked Kapaun Mt. Carmel unleashed a big-play barrage on reigning 4A champion Andover Central, as junior Ken Huff ran for 270 yards and four touchdowns in a 62-0 victory.
• After committing four turnovers in a 41-point loss to Rose Hill three weeks ago, host Wellington turned the Rockets over six times in the rematch and flipped the outcome, winning 21-14 to advance past the regional round for the third consecutive year. Jalik Armstrong ran for 161 yards on 18 carries, including an 85-yard touchdown that put Wellington up 14-0.
• Augusta continued to make the most of postseason rematches, knocking off host Mulvane 35-20 behind its big-play tandem of quarterback Brody Haskell and receiver Brecken Albert. The duo connected on touchdown passes of 34 and 93 yards as the Orioles, who lost 26-23 to Mulvane in late September, evened their record at 5-5 with their fourth consecutive victory. Haskell also scored on touchdown runs of 13 and 52 yards, and Albert added a game-clinching 48-yard interception return for a score.

 
CLASS 3A

• Andale quarterback Sam Harp dashed 74 yards for a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage, sparking the host Indians to a 51-6 victory over Clay Center, their state-leading 23^rd straight win. Harp finished with 11 carries for 197 yards and three first-half scores. Jack Horsch added TD runs of 14 and 39 yards for Andale, No. 1 in 3A.
• Pratt sophomore Cade Liggett returned after a one-game absence and ran for 201 yards and two touchdowns in the Greenbacks’ 35-14 victory over Hugoton. Liggett, back from an injury he sustained in the regular-season finale against Cheney, also caught one of quarterback Creston Pore’s three touchdown passes. Pore was 8 of 12 for 198 yards. Kyler Barker had 17 tackles for Pratt, which won its ninth consecutive game.
• Cheney’s Carstyn Flores booted three field goals, including a game-winning 22-yarder in overtime, as the Cardinals avenged a season-opening loss to Holcomb by knocking off the previously unbeaten Longhorns 23-20. Flores also connected from 38 and 29 yards. Cheney’s Colton Young ran 11 times for 105 yards and two touchdowns, including a 66-yarder for the game’s first score.

 
CLASS 2A

• Caney Valley scored 32 second-half points and won its sixth straight, storming past Riverton 48-28. The Bullpups (9-1) trailed 28-16 at the break, but took the lead on Traxcyn Garton’s 5-yard run in the third quarter. Angel Martinez’s 89-yard fumble return for a touchdown capped the second-half flurry.
• Hoisington improved to 9-0 with a 46-6 victory over visiting Hillsboro, as senior Taylen Morales ran 17 times for 170 yards and three touchdowns. Brody Pfannenstiel scored on a 61-yard run on the first play of the second half and added a receiving touchdown for the Cardinals.
• Garden Plain’s trio of Emrick Hays, Eli Eck and Braylen Dold combined to produce 355 rushing yards in the host Owls’ 31-14 victory over Beloit. Hays ran 24 times for 137 yards and a touchdown, Eck carried 20 times for 120 yards and a score, and Dold had 11 carries for 98 yards and two scores for Garden Plain, which led 17-0 at halftime. The Owls limited Beloit to four rushing yards and 184 total yards.

 
CLASS 1A

• Sterling’s Zane Farney fueled the Black Bears’ rushing attack with 14 carries for 269 yards and four touchdowns, and Logan Isaac added three rushing scores in a 53-14 victory over Marion. Farney had a 76-yard touchdown run to help Sterling (10-0) rack up 415 rushing yards.
• Luke Kerns helped Hutchinson Trinity earn a rematch with Heart of America League rival Sterling, running for 179 yards and two touchdowns in the visiting Celtics’ 43-14 victory over Republic County. Quarterback Drew Dechant added a 42-yard touchdown run for Trinity, which reached the quarterfinals for the first time since 2017. Dechant also connected with Roberto Guerrero on a 39-yard touchdown pass, and scoring passes of 16 and 65 yards to Kaid McElgunn.

 
EIGHT-PLAYER DIVISION I

• After seeing its 2024 season ended by Madison, Ell-Saline turned the tables in a big way, getting three touchdown passes and a scoring run from quarterback Reese Krone in a 58-6 victory over the visiting Bulldogs. Krone, who also intercepted a pass, was 8 of 10 passing for 144 yards with touchdowns to Collin Dent, Lucas Correa and Trey Williams. Kas Kramer also ran for two touchdowns and connected with Dent on a scoring pass for Ell-Saline, which improved to 9-1.

 
EIGHT-PLAYER DIVISION II

• Hutchinson Central Christian remained unbeaten, posting its seventh shutout in eight games in a 56-0 victory over Logan-Palco. Senior Piercen Huff ran for 100 yards and two touchdowns, and added another score on a 69-yard kickoff return. Quarterback Luke Eigsti completed all eight of his passes for 122 yards and two touchdowns, and also had a pair of interceptions for the Cougars (10-0).

 
SIX-PLAYER

• South Barber sophomore Cody Shklar ran for three touchdowns, and junior Austin Swonger accounted for 239 total yards and four scores in the Chieftains’ 54-8 victory over Golden Plains. Swonger ran six times for 122 yards and two touchdowns, and completed 8 of 10 passes for 117 yards and a pair of scores as South Barber avenged a 2024 quarterfinal loss to the Bulldogs.