HUTCHINSON – The anatomy of an upset has many moving parts, not the least of which are brief, unexpected moments of opportunity.
 
Like a loose ball rolling into the end zone. Or an interception on an ill-advised throw across the field.
 
On the other hand, championship DNA is found in teams that can minimize the impact of those moments and often turn them into their own highlights.
 
Andale did that Friday in the Class 3A football title game. And the Indians are state champions once again.
 
With senior Hunter Grimes recovering teammate Cruz Kaiser’s fumble for a touchdown and Grimes’ classmate, Sam Harp, breaking free on an electrifying touchdown run shortly after he threw an interception, Andale pulled some of the wind out of Hayden’s sails in a 38-6 victory at Gowans Stadium.
 

The Indians defeated Hayden in the championship game for the second consecutive year and wrapped up their seventh unbeaten season in the last 12 years. Andale’s 13-0 record stretched the state’s longest active winning streak to 26 games.
 
“This is just special,” said Harp, Andale’ senior quarterback, who ran for 144 yards and three touchdowns. “I’ve grown up since second grade with this group and bonded into a brotherhood. Just playing for each other and wanting to win for each other was my big motivation.”
 
Andale scored the game’s final 22 points to give a familiar look to its latest victory. The Indians won their 13 games this season by an average of 53.4 points, with Friday’s 32-point margin the closest of any opponent.
 
Still, after trailing Hayden at halftime in last year’s 36-19 victory in the 3A championship, and feeling a momentum swing in the third quarter of Friday’s contest, the Wildcats had Andale’s respect.
 
“We knew it would be tough sledding,” said Andale coach Dylan Schmidt, who guided his alma mater to the sixth championship of his tenure and ninth overall. “I’ve never in all my career prepared more for a team than I did for them.
 
“I just felt like the margin for error was going to be slim. They’re just so talented to be back here for the third year in a row, and so well-coached.”
 

Hayden enjoyed a similar level of dominance this season, advancing to the final with 12 victories by an average margin of 39.9 points. On Friday, the Wildcats had their moments.
 
They turned away Andale’s opening 13-play drive on a fourth-down incompletion into the end zone. And after starting the second half with an 11-play, 69-yard touchdown drive capped by quarterback Connor Hanika’s 7-yard touchdown pass to fellow senior Kade Mitchell, Hayden got the ball back trailing 16-6 when junior Mason Becker picked off Harp’s pass near midfield.
 
But two plays later, Mitchell and Becker failed to connect on a reverse handoff, and Andale’s Ethan Eck pounced on the football. Three plays after that, Harp ran to the right, hurdled a Hayden defender, and broke free down the sideline for a 46-yard touchdown that made it 22-6.
 
“I’d say momentum had definitely shifted to our side, but we’ve got to capitalize when we get turnovers,” said Hanika, who completed 16 of 29 passes for 133 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. “That’s what they did. When we had our turnovers, they capitalized on them.”
 
Schmidt and the Indians sensed the importance of Eck’s fumble recovery.
 
“We wanted to step on their throat there to start the second half, but then they marched it down and scored and we threw the pick, and I’m like, ‘Oh no, we’re in trouble.’” Schmidt said. “But to turn it around and get it right back and score there, I felt like that was a pivotal deal.”
 

Another potential turning point came prior to halftime.
 
Leading 8-0 after Harp’s 1-yard touchdown run midway through the second quarter, Andale moved into Hayden territory again on a 34-yard run by junior Afton Allaire. Soon after, Harp connected with Kaiser on a deep out route. As Kaiser turned for the goal line, Hayden’s Logan Power punched the ball loose into the end zone, but Grimes beat Power to it for the touchdown.
 
“I saw it the whole way,” Grimes said. “I saw him fumble and I thought, ‘Oh shoot, I better go get on that.’”
 
With the Indians up 16-0 at halftime, they were already in a better place than last year.
 
After Harp’s second touchdown with 4:39 remaining in the third quarter, Andale effectively began shutting the door on Hayden’s comeback hopes. The Indians forced a three-and-out, then needed just four plays to add to their lead. A 28-yard run by sophomore Noah Stanley set up senior Jack Horsch’s 5-yard touchdown run and a two-point conversion pass from Grimes to Horsch that made it 30-6.
 
Then early in the fourth quarter, Harp atoned for his intercepted pass by picking off Hanika as the Wildcat quarterback tried to convert a third-and-18 play. The Indians used six running plays to reach the end zone for their final touchdown, as Harp made a quick cut inside and weaved between two defenders on a 22-yard scoring run.
 
“My wife asked me, ‘What are you going to do when he leaves?’” Schmidt said. “I said, ‘I don’t know.’”
 

With 330 rushing yards and 402 total yards, Andale finished right near its season averages of 341.3 and 411.3 yards, respectively. Harp’s rushing total pushed him to 1,519 yards for the season with 33 touchdowns.
 
With his second state title and a 36-2 record in three seasons as Andale’s starting quarterback, Harp had the resume of a standout player – and the mindset of an Average Joe.
 
“I’m a big team guy,” Harp said. “It’s not about me. We put in a lot of work and the coaches do, too. You’ve got to give a lot of credit to those guys, and to our scout team for running the other teams’ plays and getting us ready.
 
“It’s just a big team effort. Everybody contributes and everybody plays a role.”
 

 CLASS 3A CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
 
At Gowans Stadium, Hutchinson
 
ANDALE 38, HAYDEN 6
 
Andale (13-0) … 0 … 16 … 14 … 8 … – … 38
 
Hayden (12-1) … 0 … 0 … 6 … 0 … – … 6
 
Andale – Sam Harp 1-yard run (Jrayton Dansel run)
 
Andale – Hunter Grimes fumble recovery in end zone (Dansel run)
 
Hayden – Kade Mitchell 7-yard pass from Connor Hanika (pass failed)
 
Andale – Harp 46-yard run (run failed)
 
Andale – Jack Horsch 5-yard run (Horsch pass from Grimes)
 
Andale – Harp 22-yard run (Cruz Kaiser pass from Harp)
 
TEAM STATISTICS
 
… AND … HAY
First downs … 16 … 16
Rushes-yards … 41-330 … 35-104
Passing yards … 72 … 141
Passing (Comp-Att-Int) … 4-8-1 … 17-30-2
Total plays-yards … 49-402 … 65-245
Fumbles-lost … 1-0 … 2-1
Penalties-yards … 4-43 … 8-55
Punts-Avg … 2-32.5 … 3-30.3
 
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
 
Rushing – Andale: Harp 17-144, Lane Parthemer 3-60, Horsch 13-51, Afton Allaire 4-46, Noah Stanley 2-31; Hayden: Mitchell 17-45, Jackson McGivern 8-26, Hanika 4-19, Jude Krentz 5-15, Mason Becker 1-minus 1.
 
Passing – Andale: Harp 4-7-1, 72 yards; Kaiser 0-1-0, 0 yards; Hayden: Hanika 16-29-2, 133 yards; Becker 1-1-0, 8 yards.
 
Receiving – Andale: Kaiser 3-58, Horsch 1-14; Hayden: Xander Blasing 6-67, Becker 4-31, Mitchell 3-15, Makhi Kidd 2-18, Krentz 2-10.