By JAYCEE DALE
A week of rest did nothing to slow down the Hays High School football team Friday night against Western Athletic Conference foe Dodge City.
The Indians struck early and dominated the Red Demons in a 29-6 victory that clinched the WAC title for HHS. Hays High hadn’t won the WAC in six years.
Dylan Dreiling got the Indians rolling on their first possession, running 80-yards for a touchdown. Jaren Kanak added a long two-point conversion run after a penalty for an early 8-0 lead for Hays High.
It proved to be the only scoring in the opening period.
The HHS defense held steady once in the second quarter. The Red Demons struggled to make headway on offense, and Dodge City even chose to take a safety instead of punting out of its own endzone. That pushed the HHS advantage to 10-0.
The Indians kept rolling on offense with a 38-yard pass from Jordan Dale to Kanak for the game’s second TD. Jack Fields’ PAT attempt was good, putting HHS ahead 17-0 in the second quarter.
That would remain the score at halftime.
In the third quarter, the Indians went to their “diesel” package, bringing in two of their largest players as blockers in the backfield.
Dreiling was able to bounce the play outside and rumble in for his second rushing TD of the contest, making it 23-0 after a failed PAT.
Dodge City didn’t get on the scoreboard until the fourth quarter, pulling within 23-6. But any momentum the Red Demons had hoped to grab was snuffed out by HHS linebacker Dalton Dale, who intercepted a pass and ran it back the distance for a 29-6 advantage.
Hays High (5-0) will be on the road Friday. The Indians will face Maize South, which is 3-2.
