103.9 KNZA Broadcast - Perry Lecompton at Sabetha (3A Regional Playoffs) - click here to listen

The Sabetha Bluejays who are making their 10th straight playoff appearance are into the Sectional round for only the third time during those 10 years but for the second time in the last three after topping Perry Lecompton 28-6 in 3A Regional playoff action. Sabetha ran a fast past offense and controlled the ball while setting a new State record with 88 rushing attempts, breaking a mark of 77 that Holton had held since 1999.  

After playing a tight one score game back in week five of the regular season the contest this time around was controlled by the Bluejays as they ran the ball right at Perry Lecompton to capture the win. Sabetha opened up the game with an 11-play drive that took nearly four and half minutes off the clock and ended with a one-yard Gabe Garber touchdown run on a fourth and goal play and with a two-point conversion it was 8-0. After a three-and-out by Perry Lecompton Sabetha put together a 15-play drive that resulted in a one-yard touchdown run by Brandon Brownlee and with the Braeden Cox PAT it was 15-0. 

The on the next drive the Kaws went to punt again but had a bad snap and turned the ball over on downs deep in their own territory but got it back quickly after Sabetha fumbled the ball away. The drew within nine after finally starting to move the ball at the later part of the first half and Dalton Kellum hit Colton Mallonee for a 19-yard touchdown to make it 15-6 at the PAT was blocked. Sabetha got the ball back with just around 1:30 left in the first half and ultimately answered the Kaws score with a drive that ended with a four-yard touchdown run by Joe Gruber who carried a workload on the night and it was 21-6 entering halftime. 

Perry Lecompton received the second half kick and put together a long drive that got them inside the five all the way down to the one-yard line but Sabetha created a wall and stopped the Kaws on a fourth and goal situation. The scoring would hold steadfast until early in the fourth quarter when Sabetha entered the endzone again on a five-yard touchdown run with 10:53 remaining in the contest. The Bluejays would finish out the game by grinding out clock in the fourth and came up with two interceptions ending Perry Lecompton opportunities. 

Sabetha in the win ran for 440 yards as a team while holding Perry Lecompton 141 yards of total offense on the night. Leading the Bluejays was Joe Gruber who ran for 176 yards on 24 carries with two touchdowns, while Mason Engelken added 71 yards on 16 carries and Garber had 81 yards with a score on 15 carries. Gruber's performance earned him Citizen's State Bank and Trust Company in Hiawatha "Player to Bank On" honors on KNZA, while Cole Oehm was named Dension State Bank "Lineman of the Game." 

Perry Lecompton in the loss had Kellum go 8-21 for 101 yards and ran for 31 yards on 20 carries, as the Kaws wrapped up the year 7-4. 

The win pushes Sabetha to 10-1 on the season and into the Class 3A Sectional round of the playoffs were they will host Osage City next Friday, November 10th as Osage City beat Caney Valley 37-21 in their Regional playoff game.