Backfield duo lifts Maize into playoffs

BY JEFFREY LUTZ/The Wichita Eagle

Published Oct. 31 at 3:22 a.m. | Last updated Nov. 28 at 3:56 p.m.

External Links

• Enter VK's Pick the Winners contest to win pizza and movie tickets
• PDF: Complete football playoff bracket (Final)

Related Stories

• Grizzlies use split duty to beat South
• Heights takes district title against Derby
• Complete football playoff pairings
• Knox overwhelms Newton
• Maize South 28, Word of Life 16
• Bishop Carroll 61, Liberal 35
• Randle's finale is too much for East
• Friday's Top Performers (Oct. 31)

MAIZE — Nothing has gone quite as planned for the Maize running game this season.

Starter Ty Turner has missed four games due to an injury. His replacement, Scott Hendricks, has been inconsistent, with single-game rushing totals of five, seven, 86 and 95 yards.

Against Goddard on Friday, the Eagles' plans finally formulated and there was no hint of inconsistency. Turner and Hendricks both topped the century mark, combining for 287 yards in Maize's 35-14 win in a Class 6A-District 8 game.

The Eagles clinched a playoff berth and kept Goddard from the postseason. Maize plays at Manhattan in the first round next Friday.

"We're healthy," Maize coach Craig Broadbent said. "Ty's been hurt all year. He finally got healthy, and it helps to have a guy like him back there."

Turner rushed for 130 yards, his third 100-yard game of the season. But he couldn't manage to grab the spotlight from Hendricks, who set career highs with 157 yards and three touchdowns while using his diminutive size (5-foot-7, 160 pounds), to squeeze through tackles.

Hendricks shifted momentum back to Maize by answering Goddard's first touchdown with a third-quarter score to put the Eagles ahead 21-6. He also had Maize's final touchdown late in the fourth that ended Goddard's hopes of a rally.

"That's the main focus this year, was the running game," Hendricks said. "We had the personnel and we had the motivation and we just did it."

Even with the strong backfield performances, Maize set the tone with its defense. Miles Ukaoma intercepted Tyler Matthews' first pass and the Eagles never allowed the young quarterback to gain confidence, holding him to 90 yards and sacking him seven times.

"It's a little bit easier reading him right now because he's staring down his receivers," Ukaoma said of Matthews. "But he's going to be good — he's only a sophomore."

Goddard (1-8, 1-2) 0 0 7 7 — 14 Maize (3-6, 2-1) 14 0 7 14 — 35

M—Ayres 7 run (Bishop kick)

M—Hendricks 49 run (Bishop kick)

G—Hicks 1 run (kick failed)

M—Hendricks 5 run (Bishop kick)

M—Jones 3 run (Bishop kick)

G—Fisher 15 pass from Matthews (Hicks run)

M—Hendricks 22 run (Bishop kick)

Rushing — Goddard, Hicks 11-56, Stoffregen 5-40, Dreiling 4-19, Matthews 14-(-4); Maize, Hendricks 17-157, Turner 15-130, Jones 7-15, Ayres 5-4, Buzard 1-2, Pontius 2-(-4).

Passing — Goddard, Matthews 9-20-90-1, Fisher 0-1-0-0, Stoffregen 0-1-0-0; Maize, Ayres 3-8-52-0.

Receiving — Goddard, Fisher 5-62, Stoffregen 2-17, VanDeest 1-9, Tipton 1-2; Maize, Schellenberg 2-31, Lee 1-21.