Brodie McCuan scored five touchdowns Friday, and the Hutchinson High defense earned its first shutout of the season as the ninth-seeded Salthawks routed No. 8 Emporia 35-0 in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs at Emporia.
The 35-point win was the largest for any 11-man playoff team that won on the road this week.
The Salthawks started Friday brightly, as McCuan capped the opening drive with a 4-yard touchdown. He added a 1-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, which capped a 14-play drive and answered a long drive by Emporia that ended with a fourth-down Salthawk stop.
McCuan added three second-half touchdowns, all measuring at least 21 yards.
The Salthawks have won three in a row, scoring at least 31 points in each win. They are now 4-5 and will head to top-seed Andover for the second round of the 5A playoffs. It will be a rematch of the season opener, which Andover won 32-21.
