Maize clinches another state birth, runs over Hays

MAIZE, Kan. (Catch it Kansas) - After falling in the 5A State championship last year to Mill Valley, there has been one goal on the Maize Eagles minds: Getting back to the 5A State championship. Now after a 42-9 win over Hays and a Mill Valley win, they’re getting their shot at revenge.

“I know that it’s kind of been our goal since last year to get back to the state championship game,” Maize head coach Gary Guzman said. “We felt like we had the people to get it done with, now here we are.”

The Hays Indians came into tonight seeming to be Maize’s biggest challenge to date, but despite an early first score, it was far from that for the Eagles.

“The excitement after this was crazy. Everyone came together,” DB Cody Hughbanks said. “It’s a family. Out there we just did our job.”

The two-headed monster in Maize’s backfield of Tayveon Williams and Daeshaun Carter showed up huge tonight rushing for four combined touchdowns.

But the defense may be the true MVPs of the night as they held Hays scoreless for the final three quarters of the game.

“Props to our defense right?” said QB Avery Johnson. “Our defense gets no credit throughout the whole year and comes out every Friday and dominates. It’s 42-9 today and in my opinion that’s a shutout because I threw a pick early in the game and then we had a safety. That’s 9 points on the offense.”

Now the Eagles’ senior class gets one more opportunity to compete together, and it will be for a state championship trophy on Saturday in Pittsburg.

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