WICHITA, KS - The Salina South Cougars came into Wichita and knocked off the defending 5A State Champion Bishop Carroll Golden Eagles in a thrilling 21-19 contest on Friday night.
“We came in here and executed the whole game,” Salina South senior quarterback Justin Stonebraker said.
The Golden Eagles (10-1) were riding a 23-game winning streak - their last loss came to eventual champion Hutchinson in November of 2011 - and true to their nature, did not go down without a fight.
Facing a 21-13 deficit with 2:54 left in the game, the Golden Eagles mounted a terrific drive with a well-executed two-minute drill and scored with 50 seconds left on sophomore quarterback Colton Howell’s second rushing TD, this time from four yards out. The potential game-tying two-point conversion was caught near the sideline but ruled out-of-bounds, leaving South with the two-point lead.
Carroll’s onside-kick attempt was unsuccessful and South wide receiver Zach Nachbar returned it to the Carroll 5 where Stonebraker knelt down twice to run out the clock and propel South (9-2) into the semifinals against Wichita’s Kapaun-Mt. Carmel (10-1).
“Our kids have been in a lot of big football games," South coach Sam Sellers said. "I am so happy they came out on top and beat a quality opponent like this.”
Bishop Carroll trailed 14-7 at halftime and through a scoreless third quarter, but when Howell found Blake Newell in the end zone for a one-yard touchdown, the Golden Eagles cut the deficit to 14-13 with 9:20 left in the game. However, the kick for the tie ricocheted off the cross bar leaving Carroll down 14-13.
Then to make matters worse for Carroll, South senior running back Mike Jones broke free for a 78-yard touchdown run to make the score 21-13 with 2:54 left in the game. Jones had been kept in check most of the night by the Carroll defense, which held him to 32 yards prior to the breakaway.
Bishop Carroll took a 7-0 lead on the first play of the second quarter when sophomore quarterback Colton Howell followed his blockers into the end zone on a one-yard carry. The drive was set up by a dramatic series of events when Salina South receiver Zach Nachbar hauled in a 55-yard reception and looked like he was going to score, but Carroll’s Mark Quaney had different ideas. He knocked the ball loose, and Josh Hornback picked it up and returned it into South’s red zone, giving Carroll a short field for their first score.
Stonebraker broke loose for a 45 yard scamper to tie the game 7-7 with 2:55 remaining before halftime.
South’s defense held Carroll to a three-and-out, and Stonebraker executed a great two-minute offense capped off by a 10-yard touchdown reception by Mitch Roets with 12 seconds left in the half to give South a 14-7 lead.
