By Craig Hull
sports@joplinglobe.com
COLUMBUS, Kan. — Lewis Kellogg wanted to personally make sure Coffeyville did not repeat its last second heroics.
Behind the powerful second-half running of the 6-foot-1, 195 pound senior halfback, the Columbus Titans advanced to the second round of the Kansas Class 4A state playoffs.
Kellogg’s 29-yard touchdown run and two-point conversion with 2:48 left lifted Columbus to a 36-28 victory over the Golden Tornado Tuesday night at Cecil Kline Field.
The KSHSAA Bi-District championship allows Columbus (8-2) to take on Frontier League power Louisburg (9-1) Saturday following the Wildcats’ 40-0 victory over Anderson County.
With the score tied at 28 with 4:42 remaining in the game, the Titans took over following a Coffeyville punt at the Columbus 39.
The Titans picked up a pair of first downs, the second coming on a 15-yard completion on third down from senior quarterback Damion Tinnin to junior receiver Taylor Spear to get the Titans to the Coffeyville 29.
On first down, with the field spread with four receivers and Tinnin in the shotgun, Kellogg lined up to the right of Tinnin as a single setback.
Tinnin took the snap, hesitated, then handed off to Kellogg, who headed off tackle left.
“It was a great call … they were dropping off to cover pass and our left tackle (Andrew Richards) sealed the end, our receiver (Spear) got the corner and I was able to dive in to finish the play,” Kellogg said.
The following two-point conversion was pivotal as the Golden Tornado scored on a last second touchdown in week four to earn a 41-40 victory.
This time, Columbus used a double tight end formation with Tinnin in the shotgun and three running backs behind him shoulder to shoulder.
“It’s our version of a Rhino set and the idea is to hit a seam and get three yards,” Kellogg said.
Kellogg accounted for all 16 fourth-quarter points for Columbus as the Titans overcame a 28-20 deficit following Ethan Cordray’s 4-yard run.
Kellogg started the rally capping an 11-play, 75-yard drive with a 1-yard run out the Rhino set and tied the game with the conversion run, again out of the Rhino set.
After Kellogg’s second touchdown run and two-point conversion run, Coffeyville still had 2:43 to cover 58 yards.
The Golden Tornado, ending a 5-5 season, picked a first down at the Columbus 48 on a fourth down scramble by Cordray, but four straight incompletions followed and the Titans were able to kneel on the final 43 seconds.
“We made too many mistakes and those mistakes we can not make if were going to move through the playoffs,” said Columbus head coach Dan Grundy. “We came out in the second half knowing our running game was working well with all of our guys, Dale (Benedict), Wade (Robinson), Damion and Lewis. So we said we were going to keep running it.
“I know we were predictable, but it was working so we decided to stick with it.”
Kellogg finished with 88 yards on 15 carries, Benedict, a senior slotback, added another 74 yards on 13 carries with a touchdown.
Tinnin was 9 of 16 passing for 153 yards and a pair of touchdowns, one in each half.
Coffeyville got 110 yards rushing on 16 carries and 73 yards passing from Cordray, a 6-1, 175 senior quarterback.
