From staff reports
sports@joplinglobe.com
CENTRALIA, Kan. — Running backs Tyler Gleason and Phil Steinlage combined for 190 yards rushing and scored one touchdown apiece as Centralia upended St. Mary’s-Colgan 26-14 Friday night in a quarterfinal game of the Class 2-1A prep football playoffs.
Gleason gained 99 yards on 16 carries and Steinlage contributed 91 yards on 14 attempts as Centralia (11-1) moved into the semifinal round against St. Marys, which knocked off undefeated Olpe 24-21.
Centralia scored twice in the second quarter on Steinlage’s 4-yard run and Tyler Glatczak’s 64-yard touchdown strike to brother Michael Glatczak to take a 12-0 haltime advantage.
Colgan (10-2), after punting on all five of its first-half possessions,mounted a 6 1/2-minute drive to start the second half and scored on quarterback Jesse Watt’s 4-yard run. Mason Ray’s PAT made it 12-7.
Colgan recovered a fumble on the first play after the ensuing kickoff, but Centralia stopped the Panthers on fourth down-and-1, and Kaylor Talkington’s 4-yard run early in the fourth quarter gave Centralia a 19-7 lead.
Watt’s second TD on a 1-yard run pulled Colgan back within one score with three minutes left, but Centralia answered with Gleason’s 31-yard touchdown run to clinch the victory.
Centralia finished with 217 yards rushing compared to 122 for Colgan.
Watt carried the ball 18 times for 65 yards and two touchdowns, and he completed 6-of-12 passes for 79 yards. Colgan again played without season rushing leader Austin Riggs, who has been sidelined with a foot injury.
Pawnee 58, Afton 18
PAWNEE, Okla. — Pawnee jumped out to a 31-0 first-quarter advantage in the opening-round game in the Class A playoffs.
Quarterback Tate Beer scored the Black Bears’ first three touchhdowns on runs of 13, 1 and 17 yards, and running back Marlin Miller scored on a 36-yard run in the first period and 2-yarder in the second quarter for a 38-0 advantage. Pawnee (9-2) successfully ran for 2-point conversions after three of its first five scores.
Afton (8-3) scored twice in the second quarter as Brennon Fuser tossed touchdown passes of 24 yards to Sam Shepherd and 43 yards to Cecil Jones.
Fuser and Shepherd hooked up again for a fourth-quarter touchdown of 10 yards.
