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The Class 3A state championship game features one team on a 37-game winning streak and another that found its stride after falling in its final regular season game.
The two-time defending 3A state champion Andale Indians (12-0) will face the Frontenac Raiders (10-2) at 1 p.m. Saturday at Hutchinson Community College’s Gowans Stadium. It is believed to be the first meeting for the two historic Kansas high school football programs.
Andale hasn’t lost since falling 21-19 to Pratt in the 2018 3A state semifinals and boasts a record of 60-2 since Dylan Schmidt took over as head coach in 2017.
“I think when you’re winning at the level we have, you gain a lot of confidence and the kids expect to win,†Schmidt said. “That’s big. It can be a bad thing as well if you start to get overconfident, but that hasn’t been the case. They put the work in every day. They’ve been a lot of fun to coach.â€
Frontenac also has been playing with a lot of confidence throughout the playoffs. The Raiders ended the regular season with a 13-6 loss to Girard. Since then, they’ve won four straight in convincing fashion over Columbus (26-6), Galena (31-6), Rock Creek (42-26) and previously unbeaten Holton (32-13).
“It’s been a special run this last month,†Frontenac coach Mark Smith said. “Losing that last regular season game may have been the best thing for us. People may have slept on us a little bit after that, and we’ve found our identity in the playoffs.â€
Andale is a run-first team that likes to control the clock and rely on its defense. During last week’s 37-16 semifinal win over Southeast of Saline, the Indians rushed for 323 yards and ate the clock. Andale’s first three scoring drives totaled 40 plays and consumed more than 22 minutes. Andale led only 14-8 at halftime, but then used its next drive to kill the last 7 minutes, 26 seconds of the third quarter and the first 41 seconds of the fourth. The drive was capped by a 1-yard TD run from Cody Parthemer to give the Indians a 22-8 lead.
“They do a great job of controlling the clock,†Smith said. “I’ve been watching film, and it feels like I’ve been watching their offense the whole time. Their offense and defense complement each other so well.â€
Parthemer led the Andale offense against Southeast of Saline, rushing for about 245 yards and five touchdowns on 33 carries. Riley Marx, a state champion in the discus and javelin, also is a key contributor in the run game.
The Indians attempted only two passes in the semifinal -- both incompletions -- but Schmidt said that quarterback Wyatt Spexarth is more than capable of throwing the ball if needed.
“He’s done a good job throwing the ball,†Schmidt said. “He’s completed about 60 percent of his passes this year. But we’re not planning to line up and throw it 20 or 30 times.â€
Andale’s ball-control offense paired with a strong defense has made it a rarity for its opponents to reach the end zone. The Indians have held their opponents to six points or fewer in 10 of their 12 games this season. Through the first 10 games, Andale outscored its opponents by a combined score of 550-38.
Andale has not allowed more than two touchdowns in a game this year, earning a 54-14 win over Concordia in the quarterfinals and the 37-16 win over the Trojans.
Junior linebacker Kelby Eck leads the Indians in tackles.
While Andale’s players have become quite familiar with state championship games, Frontenac will be playing in its first title game since falling 40-20 to Holcomb in the 2017 Class 4A Division II final. The Raiders will be going for its first state championship since winning the 2-1A title in 1994.
The Frontenac offense is directed by dual-threat quarterback Collin McCartney, who has passed for 1,031 yards and 10 touchdowns while rushing for 768 yards and 15 TDs.
“Collin has been tremendous,†Smith said. “You don’t see a lot of quarterbacks who also play defensive end. He’s been one of our team leaders.â€
Mario Menghini leads Frontenac in rushing with 942 yards and 11 touchdowns on 123 carries. Justice Compton has added 872 yards and 10 TDs on 139 attempts. They also both play big roles on the defense as Compton leads the team with 69 tackles, and Menghini has six interceptions.
Defensive lineman Landon Dean, who has already committed to play at Oklahoma State, also has been a force on the Raider defense. Dean, who will line up all over the defensive line, has posted 65 tackles and 10.5 sacks with 12.5 tackles for loss.
Last week, Frontenac’s defense held Holton’s perennially strong run game in check. The Raiders’ run defense will be tested again against Andale.
“Defense has been our strength all season,†Smith said. “We’ve been really strong against the run. We know we will be facing another great team that likes to run the ball. It will be a challenge.â€
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