Buhler headed into the locker room with a 7-6 lead over Great Bend in Friday night’s regional matchup, but there was a sense of unease in the stadium.
On their opening possession, the Crusaders drove to the doorstep but came away empty after successive plays from the 4-yard line. They found the end zone on their second possession when senior fullback Asher McConnaughey punched it in from 2 yards out.
The defense delivered a fantastic first half, surrendering only a highlight-reel touchdown by K-State recruit Cooper Omacht. Still, against a team of Great Bend’s caliber, that missed scoring opportunity loomed large.
What a difference a half makes.
Whatever Buhler head coach Steve Warner said at halftime, he should bottle it and sell it. The Crusaders erupted for 42 second-half points against a team that spent the season ranked among the best in Class 4A.
Junior standout and co-player of the game Landon Martinez led the charge as Buhler opened the second half with a scoring drive. Martinez finished the night with 35 carries for a whopping 338 yards and four touchdowns.
After a defensive stop, the Crusaders struck again. Facing third-and-14, Asher Zachary delivered a perfect 45-yard touchdown pass to Buhler’s home-run receiving threat, Garrett Gleason.
Defensively, the secondary shined with 10 pass breakups. Co-player of the game Graycen Briner accounted for four of those and added an interception, continuing his outstanding work in the secondary during the latter half of the season. The Black Knight defense made life difficult for Great Bend’s prolific offense throughout the night.
The Panthers briefly threatened to swing momentum with a second-half kickoff return touchdown and an ensuing onside kick recovery. Once again, however, Buhler’s defense held firm, forcing a turnover on downs.
Two statistics tell the story: Buhler outgained Great Bend 138 yards to 10 in the third quarter, and the Panthers did not convert a single third down until the fourth.
By the end of the evening, the Crusaders had their junior varsity offense on the field. Sophomore Jack Welch added one final highlight, breaking at least four tackles on a touchdown run.
Buhler’s 49-12 victory sets up another showdown with Wamego, the team that ended the Crusaders’ playoff run last year.
For now, the revenge tour continues—and Buhler’s seniors have at least one more week to play football.
