The Andale Indians had a lot to prove after blowing a big lead not once, but twice, to the Cheney Cardinals last season, as the Cardinals ended the Indians’ 57-game win streak in their first matchup of 2023 and then ended Andale’s run of four straight Class 3A State titles in their playoff rematch last season.

The Indians came out hot last Friday in Andale and never looked back in a dominating 52-14 win over the Cardinals.

It was not the ending nor the type of showing the Cardinals wanted against a team they beat twice en route to the 2023 State championship and an undefeated season.

“They’re really good – fast, strong and physical,” said Cheney head coach Shelby Wehrman. “We could have played better. I do feel that the pressure of a game like that can get to the kids.”

The Indians led 36-0 before the Cardinals had even begun to steady themselves. Andale used offensive line domination and speed to score on the game’s opening drive, taking a 6-0 lead less than five minutes into the game.

Cheney’s first possession ended quickly. After a six-yard pass on first down, the Cardinals went deep on second-and-4 but couldn’t make the connection. They lost 2 yards on a third-down pass and punted.

Andale’s Cooper Marx broke loose for a 63-yard touchdown on the next play, and the Indians went ahead 14-0.

Another 3-and-out by Cheney with a short punt gave the Indians another opportunity. Three plays in, a long pass put the Indians in the red zone, and a Cheney personal foul for unsportsmanlike conduct moved the ball to the 6-yard line. Three plays later, the Indians led 22-0, with time remaining in the first quarter.

Last year, this was the point of the game when Cheney began to turn things around. But on Friday, the Cardinals continued to struggle to gain a first down, even with the wind behind them in the second quarter. Quarterback Josh Burdick had no time to throw, and frequently found himself on his back as the Indians’ front line dominated. Two more Andale touchdowns made it 30-0.

Cheney was finally able to put a scoring drive together late in the half, as Burdick found Connor Eastman open for a touchdown pass that made it 36-7 at halftime.

Andale added touchdowns in the third and fourth quarters to go ahead 52-7. The Cardinals added a late score on a 7-yard pass to Nolan Durr.

Wehrman was pleased that the Cardinals kept playing hard. He said they had more pressure this season as defending champions.

“They gave it everything they could,” he said.

Andale gained 399 yards, with 350 coming on the ground. Cheney passed for 174 yards and only ran for 9. They struggled on key downs, going 2-for-10 on third down and 1-for-2 on fourth down. Andale was just over 50 percent on third and fourth downs. There were no turnovers in the game.

The Cardinals finish the 2024 season at 9-2. Their only other loss this season was 31-7 at Collegiate on Oct. 18. They avenged that loss with a 14-6 playoff win at Collegiate on Nov. 15.

This is the sixth time in eight seasons with Wehrman as head coach that Cheney has won at least nine games. They have had winning records in seven of those eight seasons, including the past six seasons in which they have averaged 9.67 wins per season. Outside of a 2-7 record in 2018, the Cardinals have won eight games or more in every season with Wehrman at the helm.

He noted that Cheney had a running clock in most of its games before facing Collegiate. They also showed a lot in avenging that loss.

“It was good to see the kids’ resolve and see them dig deeper to improve at that point of the season,” he said.

Garren Campbell was one of those kids. Wehrman said he was this year’s emotional leader, jumping onto the field whenever it was needed. The Cardinals developed a lot through the season.

“It was good to see us develop the run game. We didn’t start out that way,” Wehrman said. “We were a well-rounded team.”

As for possibly facing Andale next season, “We just have to get bigger, faster and stronger,” he said.

Next year’s Cheney team will have a different look as the Cardinals will graduate 15 seniors, nearly all of whom have contributed significantly. They will have a new starting quarterback as Burdick, a three-year starter departs.

The Cardinals have had a great run of talented throwers, so there should be faith that trend will continue. They also will have to fill holds in the backfield at receiver, on the offensive line, and on defense.