BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
Great Bend quarterback Daxton Minton made everyone forget about all-stater Ian Premer for a moment.
Minton executed two perfect quarterback runs for 63 and 68 yard dashes to spark a 49-14 victory over Newton to start the 5A state football playoffs. The Panthers (9-0) play Wichita Carroll (5-4) next week.
The Newton Railroaders still got "Premered," just like several other defenses.
It was vintage Premer, who scored on 12, 13 and 39 yard runs while adding a 17-yard scoring reception.
All four Premer scores were highlight-reel ready, from cruising to a pair of easy scores to racing past tacklers on his 39-yard score. His 17-yard passing score was a work of art as he skipped past several would-be tacklers before driving several Railroaders into the endzone. Premer had his fourth touchdown of the season nullified on a penalty after returning a punt 73 yards.
Standout Cooper Ohnmacht danced home 30 yards for a touchdown on an an interception for a 49-0 lead that started a running clock.
The Panthers gained 375 first-half yards in 25 offensive plays. Great Bend ended with 334 yards rushing and 71 yards passing. The Panthers gained 30 second-half yards and lost 21 yards on their final six plays.
Minton gained 131 yards, Ian Premer 99 yards and Conner Holladay 96 yards.
"Overall, our kids did some good things to start the game. We wanted to make sure we stay locked in at all times. We had negative plays that set us back offensively. The defense played really well. They didn't break and didn't give up a score when we gave up penalties. We ran the football really well tonight. To run the football was nice to see. I was proud of the way our kids were in the game all night. We saw our guys on the sidelines supporting their guys.
"Cooper made a 1-handed interception, one of the more impressive ones I've seen. Cooper doubled down and got a pick 6 to get us running."
The Panthers built a 49-0 lead to trigger a running clock before Newton scored two second-half touchdowns. Newton could've scored earlier, but back-to-back 15-yard penalties pushed the football from the Panthers' 3-yard line to the 33-yard line.
Style points don't matter, negating a dropped touchdown pass, flags that extended Newton drives and the penalty that prevented Premer from a 5-touchdown night.
Newton 0 0 7 7 — 14
Great Bend 28 13 8 0 — 49
GB—Daxton Minton 63 run (Giovanni Cruz kick); GB—Ian Premer 39 run (Cruz kick); GB—Minton 68 run (Cruz kick); GB—Ian Premer 12 run (Cruz kick); GB—Ian Premer 17 pass from Minton (Cruz kick); GB—Ian Premer 13 run (pass fails); GB—Cooper Ohnmacht 30 interception return (Conner Holladay run); N—Kaleb Jacobs 1 run (Adam Oswald kick); N—Nikko Hinojos 1 run (Oswald kick)
RUSHING—N—34-115; Hinojos 23-90; Kane Wise 4-19; Kingston Henry 3-4; Kolbie Espada 1-4; team 2-(-2); GB—24-334; Minton 2-131; Ian Premer 4-99; Holladay 7-96; Kale Kern 1-9; Blake Suppes 1-9; Ohnmacht 1-3; Christian Alcala 2-(-5); Jaden Prilling 2-(-8).
PASSING—N—Wise 7-19-2, 60; GB—Minton 3-10-1, 37; Prilling 1-2-0, 34; Ohnmacht 0-1-0.
RECEIVING—N—Christian Henderson 2-17; Camden Hessman 2-15; Henry 1-14; Hinojo 1-9; Clyde Thomas 1-5; GB—Cal Schartz 1-34; Ohnmacht 1-20; Ian Premer 1-17.
5A WEST SECOND ROUND
Great Bend (9-0) vs. Wichita Carroll (5-4)
Hutchinson (7-2) vs. Hays High (7-2)
Salina Central (8-1) vs. Goddard (6-3)
Liberal (7-2) vs. Salina South (2-7)
FIRST ROUND WEST—Great Bend 49, Newton 14; Wichita Carroll 14, Valley Center 0; Hutchinson 35, Emporia 0; Hays High 49, Goddard Eisenhower 30; Salina Central 68, Topeka West 22; Goddard 27, Maize South 24; Salina South 24, Andover 20; Liberal 41, Topeka Seaman 17
5A EAST SECOND ROUND
Basehor-Linwood (9-0) vs. DeSoto (7-2)
Blue Valley North (4-5) vs. Leavenworth (7-1)
St. Thomas Aquinas (8-1) vs. Mill Valley (7-2)
Spring Hill (8-1) vs. St. James (8-1)
FIRST ROUND EAST—Basehor-Linwood 28, BV Southwest 10; DeSoto 49, Highland Park 16; Blue Valley North 49, KC Washington 18; Leavenworth 32, Pittsburg 22; St. Thomas Aquinas 49, KC Turner 0; Mill Valley 35, Blue Valley 26; Spring Hill 74, KC Harmon 0; St. James 57, Shawnee Heights 28
