Arkansas City vs. St. James Academy (Friday 1:00) - WATCH HERE
Arkansas City had advanced to the Class 4A quarterfinals with losing records in each of the last two seasons. Ark City fell to McPherson both times. St. James Academy qualified for the quarterfinals in 2015, ’16 and ’17. St. James reached in the Round of 16 in ’18-19.
Each time, the Thunder fell to Mill Valley (three occasions) and St. Thomas Aquinas (twice). Mill Valley and Aquinas are the reigning Class 5A East powers, and Mill Valley once again advanced to the state title this fall.
For 2020, St. James avoided Mill Valley and Aquinas when it dropped down to Class 4A. Arkansas City had to face McPherson again, and won a dramatic 28-27 road victory in the semifinals. St. James delivered its own one-point victory with a 36-35 overtime, semifinal win versus rival Bishop Miege. The Thunder had lost, 38-28, to the Stags in the regular season.
St. James ended Bishop Miege’s bid for a state record seventh consecutive state championship.
On Friday, St. James (7-4) will face Arkansas City (6-6) in the Class 4A state title at Hutchinson Community College. Start time is 1 p.m. The game switched from Topeka’s Hummer Sports Complex to Hutchinson because of COVID-19 restrictions in Shawnee County. Hutchinson will also host the 3A game Saturday.
It marks St. James Academy’s first-ever trip past the quarterfinals. Ark City won its only state football title in 1979 with future MLB all-star Darren Daulton at quarterback The Bulldogs finished second in ’78 and ’86.
St. James was ranked third in the preseason, while Ark City was unranked. 4A and 1A are the only classes were the No. 1 and/or No. 2 preseason team did not advance to state. Ark City also beat defending 4A runner-up Andover Central, 33-28, in the Round of 16. Ark City lost 37-6 to the Jaguars in Week 8.
Ark City (6-6) and St. James Academy (7-4) will establish a new record for the most combined losses between teams to meet in a state championship game.
In the semifinals, Miege missed a field goal attempt as time expired in regulation. The Stags scored on their first overtime possession, but the Thunder’s La’James White blocked the Miege PAT. White then scored on a 5-yard run on the Thunder’s possession and Josh Kirby’s PAT sent the St. James’ sidelines into celebration.
White’s decision to transfer over the summer to St. James from KC Piper was a significant boost to a Thunder team that was coming off of a 5-5 season and had graduated 1,000-yard back Michael Tujague.
White had rushed for nearly 2,500 career yards and 26 touchdowns and added 415 receiving yards and nine more scores in his three years at Piper. St. James coach Tom Radke said White’s impact was immediate at his new school.
“He loves it here at St. James,” Radke said. “His impact has been his competitiveness and drive. He wants to be in every play and he wants the ball in the big moments and he wants to guard their best wide receiver on defense. He welcomes those challenges, and our guys have fed off of that energy all year.”
White has responded by rushing for 1,249 yards and 21 touchdowns. He added 38 receptions for 585 yards and six more scores. On defense, he has registered 42 tackles, has three interceptions, broken up ten passes, and recovered five fumbles while forcing three more.
“He is very versatile in the backfield,” Radke said. “He can obviously run in the open field, but he is a great blocker and has great hands. Even in the kicking game he has made in impact by blocking the extra point in overtime.”
Complimenting White in the backfield is senior quarterback Dakota Burritt. He played sparingly as a junior last fall, throwing for 260 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the Thunder’s final two playoff games. Burritt has produced a standout senior season in completing nearly 60 percent of his passes for 2,613 yards and 26 touchdowns with only six interceptions. He’s also added more than 300 rushing yards and three scores. He has set the school record for single season passing scores.
Burritt’s top receiving target is junior Tyler Claiborne. At 6-foot-3 and 180 pounds, Claiborne is a player that should garner plenty of recruiting interest over the next year. Claiborne has produced a break-out season with 72 catches for 1,078 yards and 11 touchdowns. He’s been exceptionally good in the playoffs with 483 of his receiving yards and eight of his touchdowns coming in the last four games.
Seniors Jacob Boone (337 yards), Kirby (332 yards), and Hayes Manning (256 yards) have combined for ten touchdown catches and round out the primary receiving group.
Jack Gossman paces the Thunder defense with 100 stops, while Richard Schmidt has added 87 stops including a team-high four sacks.
Ark City finished the regular season with a 2-6 record, although a closer look at the Bulldog schedule shows five of their losses came to 5A programs.
Ark City has posted four consecutive road playoff wins with the last three requiring big plays by the Bulldog defense at the most significant times.
First, the Bulldogs used a pair of goal-line stands – one early and one late – to top Andover Central, 33-28 in the second round. In the final minute, Andover Central reached the Ark City 5-yard line. After a penalty and two incompletions, the Bulldog defense sacked Jaguar quarterback Chase White to end the threat.
A week later, Ark City stuffed Wamego quarterback Hayden Oviatt on a two-point conversion attempt with :15 seconds remaining to preserve a 21-20 quarterfinal win. And last week, Devon Watkins intercepted McPherson quarterback Dylan Rinker at the 3-yard line with :02 seconds left to secure the victory.
It’s been an incredible story for what still is a young team for coach Jon Wiemers. The team’s three offensive statistical leaders are all sophomores. Quarterback Gabe Welch directs the Bulldog offense having completed 63 percent of his pass attempts for 2,416 yards and 10 touchdowns, but has been intercepted 11 times.
Welch has spread the ball around as seven different Bulldogs have at least 100 yards receiving. Sophomore Cadon Clark leads the team with 63 catches for 571 yards, while junior Lucas Barns has 28 catches for 504 yards and 3 TD.
Senior Haden O’Toole has added 20 catches for 458 yards and a team-high five touchdowns in just seven games after returning from surgery to repair a torn meniscus. Watkins (30 rec. 336 yards), Owen Bucher (27 rec. 213 yards), and Lance Blubaugh (22 rec. 199 yards) round out the primary receiving unit.
Most of Ark City’s offensive success this season has come through the air as the Bulldogs have only averaged around two yards per carry on the ground. Another sophomore, Wyatt Bahm, is the team’s leading rusher with 423 yards and 11 touchdowns. Bahm had by far his (and the team’s) most productive game on the ground in last week’s win over McPherson when he rushed for 137 yards and two scores.
Welch has added ten rushing touchdowns for the Bulldogs.
Ark City’s leadership in overcoming adversity has come from standout lineman Max Shannon and Jarrett Brooks, along with seniors Watkins, Bucher, O’Toole, Walker Moulton and linebacker Korbin Wise.
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