For a half, Basehor-Linwood felt pretty good at the Kansas Class 5A state title game against Salina Central.

Then the second half kickoff came and went. Unfortunately.

After holding a 14-10 halftime lead and receiving the second-half kickoff, a muff and fumble by the Bobcats on a pooch kickoff set up a Salina Central touchdown that took the lead. Three more turnovers followed and resulted in the Mustangs taking full control for a 51-34 win on Friday afternoon at Emporia State. With the title, Salina Central (12-1) won its first state championship since 2005.

Senior running back Cooper Reves led the second-half surge with 205 rushing yards and four touchdowns after intermission. For the game, Reves finished with 250 rushing yards plus 63 receiving yards.

 “It didn’t seem like a big game in the first half, but we kept doing the little things right and it turned into a big game,” stated Reves of his offensive outburst. “Everyone had the same goal in mind and feels good to accomplish that.”

Quarterback Griffin Hall added 137 passing yards and two touchdowns, while running for 69 yards and one score.

Basehor-Linwood (12-1) showed life late, on a 58-yard touchdown strike from senior quarterback Carson Dixon to fellow senior receiver Nash Morrison to pull to 37-21 with 8:01 left.

The Bobcats then recovered an onsides kick with 7:59 remaining. Facing fourth and 16 at midfield, Dixon found Teahan Bradley along the right sideline for a first down. Then Dixon lobbed a 25-yard pass to Morrison in the left corner of the end zone, but the two-point run conversion was short for a 37-27 deficit. Morrison finished with 125 receiving yards and two scores.

But a 37-yard run by Reves through tacklers to the BLHS 11, followed by another tough Reves run off the right tackle through six tacklers and into the end to push the lead to 44-27.

The Bobcats again struck back, when Dixon heaved a 66-yard bomb for Deagen Trowbridge for a 44-34 margin with 4:51 left. But Salina Central recovered the onsides kick, then Reves ripped off another 24-yard run to help set up a four-yard score by the senior.

Basehor-Linwood held a 14-10 lead after Gavin Mitchell scored from a yard out for a 7-7 tie, then Dixon connected on his first touchdown strike for 23 yards to Roman Miller with 3:34 left in the half.

Dixon finished with 319 passing yards and four touchdowns in the contest.

The game marked Basehor-Linwood’s first appearance in the state title game.