Football Conquers First State Championship

East football set two school records that will never be broken with a 33-14 victory over the Hutchinson High School Salthawks. The team closed an undefeated season and won the Lancer’s first football state championship on Saturday.

East returned to the title game one year after losing to Derby in head coach Dustin Delaney’s first season with the Lancers.

“We were used to the spotlight, and we were ready for it,” senior linebacker Jack Anderson said.

On the Salthawk’s opening drive senior Charley White recovered a fumble near midfield. During the ensuing possession, junior Wyatt Edmisten dove into the endzone to give the Lancers the first lead of the game.

Two big rushing plays allowed Hutchinson to tie the score at 7-7. East responded with another touchdown drive built on rushing from Edmisten and senior Sam Huffman, but missed the point after.

In the second quarter, Hutchinson scored their second touchdown after quarterback Turner Wintz rolled out on fourth down to escape the pass rush and found a receiver in the endzone between two East defenders. The extra point put Hutchinson ahead by one.

With less than two minutes left in the first half, senior quarterback Gunnar Englund barely let go of a 35 yard pass towards the sideline before he was laid out by a defensive lineman. White caught the ball across the goal line to put the Lancers up 19-14. East failed a two point conversion and went into halftime ahead five.

East scored on their first drive of the half to extend the lead to two possessions.

Anderson denied Hutchinson a final chance to gain momentum by forcing a fumble in the fourth quarter. White got the turnover and then caught another pass in the endzone from Englund to put the Lancers up 33-14.

The remaining five minutes of the game ran out without another score from either team.

East ended with a perfect 13-0 record and the school’s first state title.

Gallery by Hailey Hughes and Jenn Young: