Ground, Air, and Grit: Pratt Battles Past Larned 20–14 in Defensive Slugfest
play are rarely pretty, and Friday night at Larned was proof positive. Facing a physical, ball-control Larned squad, the Pratt Greenbacks leaned on clutch air strikes from quarterback Max Thimesch, timely two-way heroics from Caleb Strong, and a brick-wall defensive stop in the final minutes to secure a hard-fought 20–14 victory over the Indians.
With the ground game forced to earn every inch, Pratt proved they could find other ways to win, riding three passing touchdowns and stout fourth-down defense to close it out.
🌪️ First Quarter: Wild Turnovers and Defensive Stalemates
The opening quarter was an absolute rollercoaster of field position and chaos.
Larned drove deep into Pratt territory on their first series, but a muffed punt recovery gave them the ball inside the Pratt 1-yard line.
Pratt’s defense answered the bell immediately, stuffing a run at the goal line to force a fumble and dodge early disaster.
Huge Defensive stop for the Greenbacks That was just the beginning of the turnover flurry: the next three consecutive possessions ended in interceptions. Larned picked off Pratt, only for Greenback defensive back Griffin Giggy to snatch the ball right back with an interception on the very next snap. Two plays later, Larned intercepted another Pratt pass to take over near midfield.
Capitalizing on short field position, Larned struck first early in the second frame, using a 7-play drive capped by a 2-yard touchdown run from quarterback Owen Shaver. A successful two-point pass put the Indians ahead 8–0.
🎯 Second Quarter: Thimesch & The Air Attack Ignite
Down by eight, Pratt completely flipped the game's momentum through the air.
Operating the offense with precision, Max Thimesch engineered back-to-back scoring drives:
The Answer: On a 6-play, 66-yard march, Matthew James provided a spark on the ground, and Thimesch connected with Quinton Humble for 13 yards. Facing 2nd-and-10 at the Larned 20, Thimesch lofted a strike to Sabastian Beach for a 20-yard touchdown, slicing the deficit to 8–6.
The Go-Ahead Strike: After Pratt’s defense forced a quick three-and-out, the Greenbacks took over at their own 42. Thimesch hit Strong for 14 yards, Beach ripped off a 9-yard run, and on 1st-and-10 from the 12-yard line, Thimesch fired a laser to
Caleb Strong for a 12-yard touchdown.
Thimesch then hooked up with Strong again on the two-point conversion pass, giving Pratt a 14–8 lead that they carried into the locker room at halftime.
⚡ Third Quarter: Beach Runs Big, Strong Strikes Again
Pratt came out of the break looking to extend their cushion.
Backed up at their own 20-yard line midway through the third quarter, the Greenbacks put together their most impressive drive of the night—an 8-play, 80-yard march:
Thimesch kickstarted things with a 28-yard dart to Strong into Larned territory.
Sabastian Beach delivered the play of the drive, bouncing outside for a game-high 26-yard sprint down to the Indians' 17-yard line.
On 3rd-and-5 from the 12, Thimesch went back to his favorite red-zone target, finding Caleb Strong for a 12-yard touchdown—their second scoring connection of the game—pushing the Greenback lead to 20–8.
2nd connection of the night for Thimesch and Strong
🛑 Fourth Quarter: Red-Zone Stand Seals the Road Win
Larned didn’t go quietly. Recovering a Pratt fumble near midfield, the Indians ground out a 10-play, 48-yard drive that chewed up clock, eventually punching it in on a 6-yard touchdown pass from Shaver to Zev Cox to make it a one-score game at 20–14 with 7:41 remaining.
Pratt was turned away on downs on the ensuing possession, giving Larned the ball back at their own 32-yard line with 5:40 left on the clock.
With the game on the line, the Greenback defense stood tall. Larned methodically pushed the ball across midfield, converting a 4th-and-1 to reach the Pratt 38. But on 4th-and-7 with under 2:10 to play, Pratt’s secondary locked down Larned's receivers, forcing an incomplete pass from Shaver to turn the ball over on downs.
From there, Beach and the offense picked up a pair of tough runs before Thimesch took a knee to bleed the final seconds and lock up the 20–14 road victory.
📊 By The Numbers
Team Statistics
Statistic | Pratt | Larned |
First Downs | 15 | 9 |
Rushing Yards (Att-Yds) | 25–110 | 26–144 (1 TD) |
Passing Yards (C-A-I) | 131 (9-16-2, 3 TD) | 62 (6-19-1, 1 TD) |
Total Offense (Plays-Yds) | 42–240 | 45–206 |
Penalties-Yards | 5–32 | 14–125 |
Red Zone Efficiency | 3-for-3 (3 TD) | 2-for-2 (2 TD) |
Top Individual Performers
Pratt Greenbacks
Max Thimesch: 9-of-15 passing, 131 yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 two-point conversion pass
Caleb Strong: 5 receptions, 74 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 two-point conversion catch
Sabastian Beach: 14 carries, 57 rushing yards (long of 26) | 3 receptions, 44 yards, 1 touchdown
Matthew James: 4 carries, 38 rushing yards (9.5 YPC, long of 17)
Griffin Giggy: 1 Interception (5-yard return)
Larned Indians
Jax Johnson: 16 carries, 84 rushing yards
Owen Shaver: 10 carries, 60 rushing yards, 1 TD | 6-of-19 passing, 62 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Koby Lang: 2 receptions, 44 yards | 1 Interception (12-yard return)
Zev Cox: 1 touchdown reception | 1 Interception
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