Hodgeman County High School running back Evan Kreger started his senior season with a record-breaking performance.
On Friday night against Pawnee Heights, Kreger scored 10 touchdowns, a Kansas eight-man record and ties the national eight-man record, according to the 2010 National High School Record Book, which is put out by the National Federation of State High School Associations.
“It was great, it was the greatest feeling in the world,” Kreger said about his feelings when he left the field Friday night. “I would not want to be anywhere else but there that night.”
What makes Kreger’s accomplishment even more amazing is that he did it all before halftime. In one half of football, Hodgeman County led 74-8. Kansas eight-man rules state that if a team has a lead greater than 45 points any time after halftime, the game is immediately ended.
“I've got to thank the defense,” Kreger said. “The defense forced four-and-outs over and over again, so that is what give me enough time to see more offense.”
The Kansas eight-man touchdown record was nine, held by Bryan Kendall of Haviland, who broke it in 1974. Twenty years later, Brandon Major of Wilson tied the record. The two players shared the record for 16 years until Kreger came along.
Kreger, who also had 361 yards of total offense, according to head coach Matt Housman, joins five other players for the national record of 10. Willy Westberry of Melcher-Dallas High School in Iowa was the most recent player prior to Kreger to run for 10 touchdowns, doing it in 2005, according to the record book.
Mike Cutler of Phillipsburg, Mont., set the record in 1987.
Housman said that not only is it a great individual achievement, but a great team achievement as well.
“It was nice to watch. I was impressed with what he was doing, but it was amazing how the line was blocking and going downfield and blocking,” Housman said. “Our line did a great job. You don’t rush for 10 touchdowns without great blocking. So him scoring 10 touchdowns is kind of a tribute to our line.”
Kreger was modest about his accomplishment, and when asked about it, he took very little credit for what he did.
“I thank my boys on the line for what they did,” Kreger said. “It was thanks to them that I was even seeing the end zone as much as I did.”
Housman said he also noticed how humble Kreger was after the game.
“I told him after the game how many touchdowns he scored, how many yards he had and he didn’t care about that, he was just glad about the win,” Housman said. “He was real humble about it, he did not care about how many touchdowns he had and how many yards. I tried to talk to him about yards and he said he didn’t care, he was just worried about the win.”
The Longhorn senior reached his accomplishment by scoring in every phase of the game, returning an interception for a touchdown and running back a punt.
“I snagged the ball from the air and I was running and Nathan Boger, my boy, he laid out a nice block for me and I just walked into the end zone thanks to him," Kreger said about the interception return.
Since there are very few records for offensive lineman to break, the Hodgeman County line said they were excited to be part of Kreger’s accomplishment.
“It was a great feeling, knowing that we went out every play and succeeded every time,” right end Boger said. “ And Evan was unstoppable every time he touched the ball.”
Last season, Kreger was one of four backs named first team All-Southern Plains Iroquois Athletics Association.
“He improved a lot from last year,” center Tanner Rudzik said. “It looks like he is going to be a real strong runner in the future.”
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Hodgeman County High School running back Evan Kreger started his senior season with a record-breaking performance.
On Friday night against Pawnee Heights, Kreger scored 10 touchdowns, a Kansas eight-man record and ties the national eight-man record, according to the 2010 National High School Record Book, which is put out by the National Federation of State High School Associations.
“It was great, it was the greatest feeling in the world,” Kreger said about his feelings when he left the field Friday night. “I would not want to be anywhere else but there that night.”
What makes Kreger’s accomplishment even more amazing is that he did it all before halftime. In one half of football, Hodgeman County led 74-8. Kansas eight-man rules state that if a team has a lead greater than 45 points any time after halftime, the game is immediately ended.
“I've got to thank the defense,” Kreger said. “The defense forced four-and-outs over and over again, so that is what give me enough time to see more offense.”
The Kansas eight-man touchdown record was nine, held by Bryan Kendall of Haviland, who broke it in 1974. Twenty years later, Brandon Major of Wilson tied the record. The two players shared the record for 16 years until Kreger came along.
Kreger, who also had 361 yards of total offense, according to head coach Matt Housman, joins five other players for the national record of 10. Willy Westberry of Melcher-Dallas High School in Iowa was the most recent player prior to Kreger to run for 10 touchdowns, doing it in 2005, according to the record book.
Mike Cutler of Phillipsburg, Mont., set the record in 1987.
Housman said that not only is it a great individual achievement, but a great team achievement as well.
“It was nice to watch. I was impressed with what he was doing, but it was amazing how the line was blocking and going downfield and blocking,” Housman said. “Our line did a great job. You don’t rush for 10 touchdowns without great blocking. So him scoring 10 touchdowns is kind of a tribute to our line.”
Kreger was modest about his accomplishment, and when asked about it, he took very little credit for what he did.
“I thank my boys on the line for what they did,” Kreger said. “It was thanks to them that I was even seeing the end zone as much as I did.”
Housman said he also noticed how humble Kreger was after the game.
“I told him after the game how many touchdowns he scored, how many yards he had and he didn’t care about that, he was just glad about the win,” Housman said. “He was real humble about it, he did not care about how many touchdowns he had and how many yards. I tried to talk to him about yards and he said he didn’t care, he was just worried about the win.”
The Longhorn senior reached his accomplishment by scoring in every phase of the game, returning an interception for a touchdown and running back a punt.
“I snagged the ball from the air and I was running and Nathan Boger, my boy, he laid out a nice block for me and I just walked into the end zone thanks to him," Kreger said about the interception return.
Since there are very few records for offensive lineman to break, the Hodgeman County line said they were excited to be part of Kreger’s accomplishment.
“It was a great feeling, knowing that we went out every play and succeeded every time,” right end Boger said. “ And Evan was unstoppable every time he touched the ball.”
Last season, Kreger was one of four backs named first team All-Southern Plains Iroquois Athletics Association.
“He improved a lot from last year,” center Tanner Rudzik said. “It looks like he is going to be a real strong runner in the future.”
