Genoa-Kingston ends Whips' run
GENOA - Genoa-Kingston just had too much firepower for Hampshire. More precisely, the Cogs had too much Chris Wilkins.
The senior quarterback overcame 5 turnovers by accounting for 422 yards of total offense and 4 touchdowns as the Cogs ousted Hampshire from the Class 4A playoffs with a 38-34 victory here Friday night.
The loss ended a 6-game winning streak for Hampshire (6-4).
Wilkins' last touchdown, a 34-yard run with 2:40 to play, was the game-winner as Genoa overcame a 10-point deficit in the final 10 minutes to advance to a second round game next week against the winner of today's game between Richmond-Burton and Reed-Custer.
Ron Laramie's 27-yard run gave the Whip-Purs a 34-24 lead with 9:55 left. Wilkins and the Cogs needed just over a minute to get that one back. Genoa (8-2) then came up with a defensive stop, getting the ball back at its own 26-yard line after a punt.
Wilkins then drove the Cogs 74 yards for the winning score. He went the final 34 yards himself, racing around left end and breaking a couple of tackles along the sideline.
Wilkins ran for 222 yards and completed 14 of 26 passes for 200 yards and 3 scores.
"We thought we were looking good, and then we just fell apart," said James Goebbert, who grabbed 3 of Hampshire's 4 interceptions. "They started running outside and we couldn't stop them."
Hampshire countered with its running game. Joe Moore had 87 yards and 2 touchdowns, and Goebbert added 58 yards on the ground.
Hampshire quarterback Evan Brenner threw touchdown passes to Goebbert and Bo Price, but it wasn't enough. Price finished with 4 catches for 90 yards.
The Whip-Purs hadn't faced a team as quick as Genoa all season, and had trouble preparing for it.
"We don't see that kind of speed on a regular basis, that's for sure," said Hampshire coach Dan Cavanaugh. "It's tough to simulate that speed."
Wilkins' 4-touchdown, 5-turnover game was typical of his season.
"You live and die with some of that with Chris," said Genoa coach Bill McCarty. "We've said that as a coaching staff, that you've got to take the good along with the bad."