Limiting the Coffeyville Golden Tornado to 85 yards and zero points, the Chanute Blue Comets prevailed in Week 2, 55-0, on Friday night.
“I was glad to see our guys get out on the field and get it going early,” Chanute head coach Clete Frazell said. “We had a lot of mistakes last week, so we wanted to start fast. A lot of our issues last week were self-inflicted. Tonight, we went out there and executed. On defense, we flew around and made plays. It was just awesome to see.”
Chanute quarterback Kris Harding II completed 7-of-10 passes for 121 yards and touchdown while adding 77 yards and three scores on the ground.
“We’re trying to get him involved in the run game,” Frazell said. “He’s one of the best athletes on the field every Friday night. We lost some upperclassmen, so he’s another dynamic player that we need to use more in our offense. We have to keep him healthy, but teams have to know they have to defend the quarterback run. That’ll make us better.”
Harding II had time for a picnic in the backfield as Chanute’s veteran offensive line held firm. The Blue Comets also rushed for 243 yards as a squad.
“They’ve done a great job,” Frazell said. “They had some miscues last week. But they’re upperclassmen so that shouldn’t have happened. This week, they did their jobs. It was fun to see them come together.”
Kysen Seamster added a pair of touchdowns, one receiving and one rushing, while accounting for 117 total yards.
“He had a great game making catches in traffic and making plays with the ball,” Frazell said. “He’s a great athlete that’s just a sophomore. So we’ve got him for a while. He’s starting to learn what it takes to be in a great position on Friday nights. He’s bought in and doing a phenomenal job of learning.”
Chanute’s defense held Coffeyville to six first downs and 85 total yards while also registering a pair of picks.
Seamster and Asher Love each led the Blue Comets with five tackles.
The win improved Chanute’s record to 2-0 overall and 1-0 in SEK League play. Coffeyville dropped to 0-2 and 0-1, respectively.
Up next
Chanute, which played its first two games at home, hits the road for five of its next six contests.
“It presents a challenge,” Frazell said. “An old, experienced group won’t be as bothered by it. But we’ve got sophomores starting for us. They’ll have to understand that their backs will be against the walls. We’ve got two long road trips coming up and they have to treat them like business trips. We hope to handle it well.”
The Blue Comets head west to face McPherson in Week 3.
“They’re going to have athletes out there,” Frazell said. “They’ve made the state semifinals a ton of times. They’re one of the best schools in Class 4A. We were lucky to get them last year, it’s going to be tougher this year.”
