Maize fell to Hutchinson Friday night with a score of 32-28, making Hutchinson this season’s league champions. If Maize won, it would have been their first league championship win since 2003.

Senior running back Josh Sanders says that one of the challenges of this game was not having their offensive coordinator, so they had trouble adjusting to the play caller and his game plan.

“I believe not scoring in the beginning of the game messed up the whole flow of the game,” Sanders said. “We are playing catch up from the very first quarter.”

Maize led the game in the fourth quarter until Hutchinson made a successful onside kick and gained the ball back. Senior wide receiver Jacob Hanna believes that Hutchinson executed better than Maize in the game.

“They ran their offense great all night,” Hanna said. “We were right there close at the end but just didn’t make the necessary plays to win the game.”

Despite this loss, Hanna has high hopes for the play-offs. Maize will play their first game of the play-offs this Friday against Liberal.

“Maize teams have always had great success in the spot we’re in right now,” Hanna said. “We just have to continue the precedent and get back to our winning ways.”