BY CHARLES CHANEY
ANDOVER, Kan.—Defending Class 4A champion Andover Central opened the 2025 season with a frustrating night, falling 34-0 to Hutchinson on Friday at Jaguars Stadium.
A steady first-half rain set the tone early, making ball security an issue for both teams. The Jaguars and Salthawks traded turnovers and came up short on fourth-down attempts in the opening quarter, with neither side able to sustain drives. Central’s defense forced stops inside its own territory, and the game remained scoreless well into the second quarter.
Hutchinson finally broke through with 8:55 left before halftime, when quarterback Robert Hunter connected with Larry Jeramiah on a 41-yard touchdown strike. That play gave the Salthawks a 7-0 lead that carried into halftime, with Central still within reach despite offensive struggles.
By the time the rain had cleared at halftime, Hutchinson’s offense took command. Facing a third down midway through the third quarter, Karmelo Green burst through the middle of the Jaguars’ defense for a 20-yard touchdown run. The extra point failed, but Hutchinson had stretched its advantage to 13-0.
On the next possession, Hunter flipped a short pass to fullback Jeramyah Gaito-Karanu and he broke into the open field, going 39 yards for the touchdown. A successful two-point conversion widened the gap to 21-0 with 3:04 left in the third quarter.
Central leaned heavily on running back Jaxson Green, who provided the team’s brightest performance of the night. Green carried 23 times for 106 yards, finding space against Hutchinson’s defense even as the Jaguars struggled to finish drives.
In the fourth quarter, Hunter added his third touchdown pass of the night, this time a 12-yard toss to D’Angelo Gray to push the margin to 27-0. The Salthawks sealed the win minutes later when Jackson Anderson intercepted a pass and returned it 44 yards for a touchdown with 2:15 to play.
Quarterback Max Olson completed eight passes for 32 yards but was under steady pressure throughout the night. The Jaguars finished with 112 rushing yards but just 32 through the air for 144 total yards, compared to Hutchinson’s 268.
It marked the first time under head coach Derek Tuttle that Andover Central has started 0-1. The Jaguars had won seven consecutive season openers dating back to 2017, when they fell to Andale to begin that season.
It’s also the first time Andover Central has been shut out since 2016 when Maize South shut them out, 49-0. It’s the first time they’ve been shut out at home since 2012 when Salina Central did it 26-0.
The Jaguars will look to regroup in Week 2 as they continue their non-conference schedule. Despite flashes of toughness defensively and Green’s steady running, turnovers and Hutchinson’s second-half surge proved too much to overcome.
Hutchinson 34, Andover Central 0
Hutchinson 0 7 14 13 — 34
Andover Central 0 0 0 0 — 0
2Q 8:55 HHS: Jeremiah 41 pass from Hunter (kick good)
3Q 7:12 HHS: Green 20 run (kick failed)
3Q 3:04 HHS: Gaito-Karanu 39 pass from Hunter (run good)
4Q 8:33 HHS: Gray 12 pass from Hunter (kick good)
4Q 2:15 HHS: Anderson 44 interception return (kick good)
RUSHING — Hutchinson: Hunter 13-43, Gaito-Karanu 19-83, Green 1-20, Harris 1-(-1). Totals 34-145. Andover Central: Mason 1-0, J. Green 23-106, Olson 6-6. Totals 30-112.
PASSING — Hutchinson: Hunter 5-13-0 123. Andover Central: Olson 8-19-1 32, DeGarmo 0-1-0 0.
RECEIVING — Hutchinson: Gaito-Karanu 1-39, Jeramiah 1-41, Walker 1-1, Gray 2-42. Andover Central: Sawdy 3-20, Mason 3-16, Thompson 1-(-5), J. Green 1-1.
