Class 6A
Shawnee Mission East 37, Olathe North 27 – Shawnee Mission East advanced to the first state football title game in school history with a 37-27 victory over Sunflower League rival Olathe North.
Luke Taylor rushed for two first-half touchdowns as the Lancers took a 21-14 lead into halftime. Mitchell Tyler kicked a 33-yard field goal to extend that lead to 24-14 in the third quarter.
But Olathe North would answer as Venus Triplett scored from 39 yards out to pull the Eagles within 24-20.
Ryan Carter extended the SM East lead with his second touchdown of the game to make it 30-20 early in the fourth quarter.
Olathe North pulled within 30-27 on Triplett’s third touchdown run of the game with 7:00 minutes left, but East would score again with under aminute to play on a Gunnar Englund touchdown run to seal the win for the Lancers.
Taylor led Shawnee Mission East with 115 yards and two touchdowns. Triplett led the Eagles with 134 yards rushing and three scores.
Derby 55, Garden City 17 – After falling short in their four previous Sub-State appearances during the last five years, Derby had little trouble on Friday night. The Panthers dominated Garden City 55-17 in advancing to their first state championship game since 2002.
Quarterback Jeremy Dunham rushed for more than 100 yards and two touchdown and passed for 160 yards and three scores as the Panthers built a 48-10 lead at halftime. Recent Florida commit DeAndre Goolsby caught five passes for 150 yards and two scores for the Panthers.
Tyler West scored three times of his own as part of his 160-yard night.
The clock ran most of the second half. Derby advances to take on Shawnee Mission East in the 6A title game next Saturday at Yager Stadium in Topeka. The Panthers will be looking for their first state title since 1994.
Class 5A
Blue Valley 38, Blue Valley West 33 – Looking to reach their first state title game since 2007, Blue Valley West jumped out to a 14-0 lead thanks to senior quarterback Ryan Ralston. Ralston hit Luke Curtis on a 13-yard touchdown pass and rushed for a 16-yard score of his own in the first quarter.
But Blue Valley’s Logan Brettell would answer. Brettell touchdown passes to Beau Bequeaith and Mikey Henson to tie the game at 14. Ralston regained the lead for the Jaguars with a 47-yard run with 1:32 left in the half, but the Tigers would respond as Brettell hit Chance Nelson on a 13-yard strike to tie the game at 21 at the half.
Blue Valley scored the only points of the third quarter on a touchdown pass to Frankie Gomez, but the PAT was blocked leaving the lead at 27-21. Brettell added a 23-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter to extend Blue Valley’s lead to 30-21.
Ralston would respond as he quickly threw a 59-yard touchdown pass to Cale McMakin to pull the Jaguars within 30-28 with just under 11 minutes remaining. McMakin would add a 32-yard field goal mid-way through the fourth quarter to give Blue Valley West a 31-30 lead.
Blue Valley would respond as Brettell tossed his fifth touchdown pass of the night; this time to Henson again to give the Tigers a 38-31 lead with 3:11 remaining. The Tiger defense intercepted Ralston and tried to run out the clock by taking a safety with two seconds on left. After West signaled for a fair catch on the kickoff, the Jaguars final play ended in a fumbled lateral and the Tigers won 38-33.
Salina South 34, Kapaun Mount Carmel 24 – It didn’t take long for Salina South to get on the board in their state semifinal contest against Kapaun at Cessna Stadium. Zach Nachbar returned the opening kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown as the Cougars jumped out to a 13-0 first quarter lead in beating the Crusaders 34-24.
The Cougars were lucky to have a 13-3 lead at halftime after fumbling in their own territory but forcing a missed Kapaun field goal attempt. In the second half, South began to roll as the Cougars turned two Kapaun fumbles in to touchdowns to take a commanding 27-3 lead.
The teams traded touchdowns and South led 34-10 in the fourth quarter before Kapaun scored twice in the final minute to pull within 34-24. Mike Jones scored all three second-half touchdowns for the Cougars which advanced to the state title game for the first time since 2004.
Class 4A
Coffeyville 36, Paola 15 – Coffeyville used its big play ability in a number of different fashions in picking up a 36-15 road win at Paola. It started with James Newton returning the opening kickoff to the Panther 15-yard line. A few plays later, Field Kindley quarterback Nathan Finley scored from a yard out on fourth down to give the Golden Tornado a 7-0 lead. Paola fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Coffeyville scored on a one-play, 32-yard touchdown pass from Finley to Darron Deffebaugh to make it 14-0.
Later in the first quarter it was the ‘Nado special teams blocking a Panther field goal and returning it 70 yards for a touchdown and a 21-0 lead. Paola pulled to within 21-6 at halftime after Mitchel Sloan touchdown catch from Andrew Henn. The Panthers would pull within 21-12 in the third quarter as Henn hit Luke Wilson on a 26-yard scoring strike. Wilson would later add a short field goal to pull the Panthers within 21-15.
A Coffeyville punt pinned Paola at their own 12-yard line with under five mintues remaining when Henn, under pressure, tried to throw the ball away but instead threw an interception that was returned for a Coffeyville touchdown. LaDarrius Johnson tacked on a late score and Coffeyville advanced to their first state football title game in school history.
Buhler 28, Holton 14 – Buhler upset top-ranked Holton 28-14 to advance to their first state championship game since 1990. Buhler’s first two drives of the game ended on fourth down inside the Holton 20-yard line. After Holton’s second interception, this one coming on a fake field goal, the Wildcats drove 90 yards and got on the board on an 11-yard Drake Ewing run.
Buhler would answer late in the second quarter as the Crusaders used a personal foul penalty and a short passing game to drive deep into Holton territory. Riley Allen scored from two-yards out to tie the game at 7-7 with just over a minute to go in the first half.
A Holton fumble shortly after gave Buhler the ball at the Wildcat 27-yard line with 33 seconds remaining in the half. Jace Williams hi Conner Ridder on a 4-yard touchdown pass with :09 seconds left in half to give the Crusaders a 14-7 lead. Brenden Hampton returns the ensuing kickoff all the way down sidelines before getting tripped up at the Buhler 3-yard line to end the half.
Holton opened the third quarter with a three-and-out, and Riley Allen broke a 62 yard touchdown to make it 21-7 Crusaders. Holton answered with Ethan Holaday from 47 yards to cut the lead to 21-14.Buhler went on another long drive capped by a 5-yard touchdown run by Jace Williams to take a 28-14 lead late in the third quarter. That score held up as the Crusaders snapped Holton’s 26-game winning streak.
Class 3A
Silver Lake 27, Rossville 13 – Silver Lake scored in each quarter as the Eagles avenged a 27-21 loss to Rossville earlier this season. The Eagles qualified for the 3A state championship game for the fourth consecutive season and the 11th time in the past 12 seasons.
The Eagles built a 13-0 lead in the first half behind two touchdown passes from Dailin Kruger to Jace Freeman. Rossville answered with under a minute to go in the second quarter as Tucker Horak hit Corbin Horak on a 30-yard touchdown pass to pull the Bulldogs within 13-6.
Kruger, despite playing on a well-documented torn ACL, broke free for a 13-yard touchdown run in the third quarter to extend the Eagles’ lead to 19-6. Again Tucker Horak would answer; this time hitting Jack Steckel on a 48-yard strike to pull Rossville within 19-13. The Eagles pushed the lead back up to two scores on a 1-yard run by Cody Renfro and iced the game with an interception in the fourth quarter.
Beloit at Scott City on Saturday, 6:00 PM
Class 2-1A
Centralia 69, Lyndon 21 – Centralia turned this battle of unbeaten in to a rout as the Panthers built a 54-0 lead at halftime before the younger players got some Sub-State experience.
Centralia rushed for nearly 350 yards in the first half alone as J.T. Rosine broke touchdown runs of 81, 61, and three yards. Sam Steinlage started the scoring with a 50-yard punt return for the Panthers’ first score and added another touchdown in the first half. Trevor Mars led the Panthers with nearly 200 yards rushing and two scores. Centralia rushed for nearly 550 yards on the night.
The Panthers have reached the Class 2-1A state championship game for the third consecutive season and for the fourth time in the past five years.
Meade at La Crosse on Saturday, 3:00 PM
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