BY CHARLES CHANEY
ANDOVER, Kansas — This junior class has been together for many years and we’re starting to see the tip of the ice berg.
They were every where on Friday night.
Juniors accounted for all five touchdowns in the 35-7 win over Eisenhower as Andover improved to 3-2 on the year.
“At halftime we challenged them to come out and impose their will on our opponent,” second-year head coach Jamie Cruce said. “Eisenhower was definitely a tough challenge but our guys buckled down and physically were able to do the things we asked them to do.”
Andover came out and shut down Eisenhower (1-4) and there wasn’t much of a battle. Eisenhower had only 34 yards after halftime and a good chunk of those came right out of halftime as Eisenhower running back Brayden Pappas had 23 yards on his first three carries.
That was it.
Andover has a stout defensive staff led by Blake Alexander, who helped Rossville’s dominant defense a few years ago. He has Andover back to a hard-hitting defense that teams are starting to dread playing.
“We both believe in playing good sound defense and making teams run to the sideline,” Cruce said. “Him and coach [David] Penner have worked together on our game plans and they’re both just really smart. They work well together and they’re bright minded and energetic.”
It’s almost as if there is a mini-Shrine Bowl staff helping mold the Trojans into a contender.
3-2 is a tough record but when your losses are to 6A No. 1 Maize and 4A No. 1 Kapaun, you can hold your head a little higher and realize there’s a lot to play for after going toe-to-toe with those teams.
“It all starts at practice or us,” junior Pete Vega said. “We work on the little things and execute in practice. That way when the game comes, we can finish out with these wins.”
Starting quarterback Will Quinn is confident in his team’s future.
“We’re capable of going on a run,” Quinn said. “Those losses were tough but we’re hopefully going to come out and win these next three games.”
If Friday night was any indication, the Trojans are up for the challenge.
Despite Eisenhower tying the game up to start the second quarter, it never felt they were truly in the game. Andover’s defense didn’t allow a run play beyond 10 yards. There was only one play that went more than 30 yards for Eisenhower.
It was just lock down, smash mouth football.
It was obvious on the Trojan’s opening drive as they went down the field quickly, scoring on a QB keeper but it was set up by the running of Vega. He’s one of those juniors we talked about. He doesn’t have to run hard. He speeds to the line, finding every nook any cranny that the defense gives him. The next thing you know, he’s picked up seven yards and you’re tired.
When he’s not hitting you, it’s Nas Williams, another junior who will pummel you physically. He’s a Thunder to Vega lightning.
“I know we can trust him to come in and pick up those yards,” Vega said of Williams. “Pick your poison with who we have in the backfield.
Williams had only three carries in the win but ran for 27 yards and scored two touchdowns, including the exclamation in the fourth quarter as the Trojans stepped on the throat.
“[Vega] does a good job with vision,” Cruce said. “Both of them bring a lot to the table and complement each other. Pete’s patient and finding the opening zone and accelerating.”
Andover went up 14-7 at the break when Vega scored on a 6-yard dive in response to the Tiger touchdown. Andover marched 11 plays, capped off by the Vega score.
You saw the shoulder slumping for Eisenhower.
After a big pass play, Eisenhower went 3-and-out and the Trojans got the stop. They got the stop on the next possession as Leland Schumacher came up with the interception.
Eisenhower wouldn’t score again.
Andover controlled both sides of the ball, holding Eisenhower to 224 yards after they piled up 190 in the first half.
For Quinn, his understudy work behind Quincy Jonas last season has set the stage for this junior to thrive. He scored two touchdowns and had an impressive 20-yard in the fourth.
“I wasn’t supposed to score, I guess,” he said. “I was supposed to be eating the clock but I saw the end zone and I knew I had to get there. I thought I was going to have to dive at the three but turns out I could walk right in.”
He finished with 94 yards rushing and controlled the clock like he’s been in this offense for years.
“It’s about our team chemistry,” Quinn said of his success. “We’re a close group, it’s like a family.”
These juniors were freshmen when Andover went 0-9.
They haven’t lost nine games in the year and half since as they’re 7-7 since.
Now, they’re looking forward to the future and potentially a league title.
“We knew as we got older and grew up what we could do,” Quinn said. “We took a chance to turn around this program and now we’re rolling.”
Vega, who finished with 151 yards on 26 carries, echoed how much fun it is to be apart of the turn around.
“It’s a great feeling,” he said. “We still have a year to go but for now, we’re living in the moment.”
The Trojans now will face winless Newton on Friday for a senior night encore. A win there sets up a big showdown with unbeaten Salina Central.
“We know every week we’re competing for our league title,” Cruce said. “Because if you lose, it’s going to be tough to win. We’ll take it one practice at a time.
“We told our guys this is a nice stepping stone to what you want to do and we want to enjoy that. Us coaches will turn the page here in a couple of hours and we’ll get prepared for Newton.”
Andover 35, Eisenhower 7
Eisenhower 0 7 0 0 — 7
Andover 7 7 7 14— 35
A – Quinn 1 run (Pete Vega kick)
E – Ebert 58 pass from Rivaudo (Izaac Popp kick)
A – Vega 6 run (Vega kick)
A – Nas Williams 2 run (Vega kick)
A – Quinn 20 run (Vega kick)
A – Williams 14 run (Vega kick)
RUSHING: Ike – Pappas 15-55; Ribaudo 6-(-9); Cain 1-(-6). Totals: 22-40. Andover – Vega 25-151; Quinn 11-94; Hill 3-43; Williams 3-27; Stuart 3-7; Jones 2-10; Beck 1-4; Schumacher 1-(-1). Totals: 50-335
PASSING (C-A-YD-TD-INT): Ike – Ribaudo 16-27-184-1-1. Andover – Quinn 1-2-17-0-0.
RECEIVING: Ike – Ebert 4-71; Nall 6-52; Taylor 3-35; Kaufman 3-26. Andover – Hill 1-17.
