By David Seeley

CNHI News Service



GARBER — Garber took its first step in repeating as Class B state champions with a 50-12 rout of Allen in a first-round playoff game at Warren Dell Stadium Friday.

Garber (11-0) will entertain Kiefer, a 43-6 winner over Gans next Friday.

Allen ends its season at 7-4.

The Wolverines took command of the game early.

Allen’s Brady Caldwell, after the Mustangs were stopped on their first series, went back to punt. But the Garber defense sacked Caldwell at the Allen 25 before he could even get off the punt with 10:24 left in the opening period.

Five plays later, Bryce Lamer caught Dylan Postier’s 11-yard touchdown pass. After Zac Powell ran in the two-point conversion, Garber had an 8-0 lead with 8:22 left in the period.

After forcing another Allen punt and setting up another short field, Garber marched 33 yards in four plays as Cade Oller took it in from two yards out with 5:44 remaining in the quarter. Postier’s 2-point conversion pass to Tyler Miller made it 16-0.

If there looked to be a spark from the Mustangs, it looked like it was going to happen at the end of the first quarter when Levi Howard recovered a fumbled punt at the Garber 48.

The Mustangs drove as deep as the Garber 11 at the end of the period, but two penalties forced Allen into a fourth down at the Garber 21. Caldwell’s pass for Luke Mullicane was incomplete, giving the Wolverines with 11:07 left in the first half.

After the two teams traded interceptions, Garber had the ball once more at its own 48 with 9:42 remaining before halftime. Five plays later, Oller scored his second TD of the first half on a 35-yard run. Postier’s 2-point conversion pass to Lamer increased the lead to 24-0.

Garber scored the last time it touched the ball in the half as it went 75 yards in nine plays to score on a 9-yard pass from Postier to Miller.

Powell’s 2-point conversion run gave Garber a 32-0 halftime lead.

Postier hit Hayden Vencl on a 10-yard touchdown pass to make it 38-0 with 9:01 left in the third period.

After Lamer returned the next Allen punt 34 yards to the Mustang 35 with 6:39 remaining in the period, Garber went 35 yards in seven plays as back-up quarterback Jordan Avants took it in from three yards

The Mustangs did not ever quit. Allen’s Scott Manuel returned the ensuing kickoff 19 yards to the Mustang 43. Seven plays later, Caldwell took it in from a yard out. Allen’s Levi Howard was stopped on the two-point conversion.

“Our defense, we’re pretty proud of,” Garber coach Mark Harmon said. “Our defense played pretty well. But we also played kind of sloppy. I don’t know if it was first-round jitters or what. But I know Allen had a lot to do with that. They have a good physical football team. They really came to play.”

If the game had a downside to it for Garber, Miller suffered a broken wrist in the second half, and will likely not be able to play the rest of the postseason.

“We’ll have to get through that, and see what happens,” Harmon said.