Cubs claim win in finale

HUMBOLDT – A blocked punt set the tone of the game and Humboldt High’s Cubs prevailed in the final contest of the 2011 season.
Zach Osborn blocked a Jayhawk-Linn High punt in the first quarter. Trey Johnson scooped up the football and raced 41 yards for a touchdown.
That put the Cubs on track for a 33-8 victory over the visiting Jayhawks Thursday night. The Kansas Class 2-1A District 1 game was moved from Friday night to Thursday night to accommodate Jayhawk-Linn, whose volleyball team made it to the state tournament this weekend.
“It’s good to go out with a win. We’ve had this game circled as one we could win after the juggernaut of a district schedule we had earlier,” said Mike Miller, Cub head coach.
“The kids played well in all phases of the game. We knew if we shut down their running game, we’d have a good chance.”
Miller said the Jayhawks posted 350 yards rushing against Oswego last week. The Cubs held the Hawks in check for just 186 yards and one touchdown.
Humboldt quarterback Grayson Pearish threw two touchdown passes in the second period. A 10-yard catch by Jacob Carpenter made it 12-0 then Tanner McNutt’s 14-yard reception plus Hayden Boring’s extra point handed the Cubs a 19-0 halftime lead.
Jayhawk-Linn averted the shutout with a 10-yard run to the end zone by Cody Sunderland. He tacked on the two-point conversion run.
Boring intercepted a Sunderland pass and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter. Boring kicked the extra point.
Pearish had a one-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter. Boring’s kick made it 33-8.
“We needed something good to happen for us early and the blocked punt got us the edge,” Miller said.
Boring had 34 yards on 11 carries for the Cubs. Johnson got 33 yards on nine hauls and Carpenter had 27 yards on six carries. Noah Thornbrugh had one rush for 65 yards.
Pearish was 4 of 8 for 90 yards passing and Nathan Whitcomb was 4 of 9 for 51 yards.
Tanner McNutt caught four passes for 82 yards. Alex Murrow had a 26-yard reception.
Leading the defensive charge was Ryan Gean with 16 tackles and a fumble recovery. Dustin Prock had nine tackles, a quarterback sack and a fumble recovery. Blake Crawford also had nine tackles and a fumble recovery.
Pearish racked up nine tackles. Johnson recovered a fumble. Boring and Hunter Murrow each had an interception.
Humboldt finished 2-7 for the season.
Jayhawk-Linn 0-0-8-0-8
Humboldt 6-13-7-7-33
Humboldt – Johnson 41 yd blocked punt return (run failed)
Humboldt – Carpenter 10 yd pass from Pearish (pass failed)
Humboldt – McNutt 14 yd pass from Pearish (Boring kick)
JHLH – Sunderland 10 yd run (Sunderland run)
Humboldt- Boring 25 yd interception return (Boring kick)
Humboldt – Pearish 1 yd run (Boring kick)
HHS JHLH
First downs 12 11
Rushes-yds 32-158 44-186
Passing yds 141 60
Total Offense 299 246
Passing 8-17-0 4-14-2
Fumbles-lost 1/0 5/4
Punts-avg. 2-28.5 3-19
Penalties-yds 8-40 4-36