On the Week 5 edition of the Subway Friday Fresh Take, we’ll recap some of the state’s top games featuring ranked opponents and highlight a few other notes from Friday’s action.
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Top-ranked teams go down
Only four ranked teams all classifications lost in Week 5 action, but the teams that did fall were some of the state’s best. The top two teams in Class 6A both lost on Friday night as did the No. 1 team in Class 5A.
Free State ends SM East’s winning streak
Lawrence Free State controlled the second half in pulling of a 32-20 upset of Class 6A No. 1 Shawnee Mission East.
The Firebirds took a 22-20 lead into halftime as freshman kicker Kameron Lake booted a 28-yard field goal as time expired in the second quarter.
Free State’s defense responded by shutting out the Lancers in the second half, while the Firebird offense was grinding out yardage on the ground.
The Firebirds rushed for 334 yards in the game led by Sam Skwarlo’s 172 yards rushing and three touchdowns. Free State’s success on the ground allowed them to limit SM East’s possessions in the second half. The Firebirds did not attempt a pass after halftime.
Skwarlo added a one-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter for a 29-20 Firebird lead, and then Lake added a 33-yard field goal mid-way through the fourth quarter to complete the scoring.
Skwarlo scored consecutive touchdowns to put the visitors up 13-7 early in the early in the second quarter. SM East’s Luke Kaiser connected with Sky Tate on a second touchdown pass to give the Lancers a 14-13 lead. A minute, Free State quarterback Bryce Torneden broke a 50-yard touchdown run for a 19-14 lead.
East would quickly respond.
Wyatt Edmisten broke free for a 60-yard score and a 20-19 Lancer lead before Lake connected on the field goal just before halftime.
Edmisten led SM East with 187 yards and a touchdown, while Luke Kaiser passed for 115 yards and the two scores – all to Tate.
The loss ended the Lancers’ 17-game winning streak dating back to the 2013 Class 6A state title game.
Blue Valley North rallies late, shocks No. 2 Blue Valley
Blue Valley North shook up the Eastern Kansas League standings on Friday night by scoring a pair of touchdowns in the final 1:15 and upsetting No. 2 Blue Valley, 28-27.
Blue Valley controlled the game for three quarters and led 27-10 with less than 10 minutes remaining in the ball game.
That’s when Blue Valley North quarterback Joey Dolan got hot.
Dolan’s 8-yard touchdown pass to Sam Shortall with 5:28 remaining pulled the Mustangs to within 27-16 after the PAT was blocked.
Dolan struck again with 1:15 remaining in the game on a touchdown pass to Charlie Brock. The Mustangs would fail on a two-point conversion attempt and trial 27-22.
Blue Valley North would get the ensuing onside kick and have one last opportunity.
The Mustangs completed the comeback with a 27-yard touchdown pass from Dolan to Brock with 22 seconds remaining in the game. The two point attempt was again no good.
Dolan completed 32 of his 50 pass attempts on the night throwing for 274 yards and three scores.
Brock caught eight balls for 109 yards and the two late scores.
The Tigers rushed for 246 yards in the game led by quarterback Colton McCumber’s 134 yards and three touchdowns.
The Mustangs win propels them to a tie atop the Eastern Kansas League standings. The Mustangs are now in a four-way tie in the loss column with Bishop Miege (4-1), Blue Valley (3-1), and St. Thomas Aquinas (3-1).
Staley (Mo.) tops 5A No. 1 Mill Valley
Staley, ranked No. 3 in Missouri Class 5 scored 21 consecutive points between the second and third quarters to overtake Mill Valley in a 28-21 win.
The Falcons built a 28-14 lead mid-way through the third quarter on a short touchdown pass from Michael Kirkpatrick to Joe Eller.
Mill Valley responded with a touchdown pass from Logan Koch to Christian Jegen late in the third quarter, but could get no closer than 28-21.
Staley limited Mill Valley’s run game to just 62 total yards on the night. The Jaguars turned to Koch who completed 22 of 38 passes for 224 yards and three scores.
Jegen finished with nine receptions for 118 yards and a score. Luke Krull caught two early touchdown passes as the Jaguars took a 14-7 lead in the first quarter. Krull finished with eight receptions for 78 yards.
Colgan grinds out win over rival Frontenac, 28-21
St. Mary’s Colgan used a tough performance from senior quarterback Ryan Cedeno and a dominant run defense to be rival Frontenac 28-21 at Pittsburg’s Hutchinson Field.
Cedeno carried 29 times for 148 yards and two touchdowns as the Panthers grinded out nearly 300 yards rushing on the night and controlled the time of possession. The Colgan defense held Frontenac to 26 yards rushing on the night.
Cedeno’s second rushing touchdown gave the Panthers a 21-14 lead with less than a minute remaining in the third quarter.
The Panthers extended that lead to 28-14 on a bizarre 38-yard touchdown run by Joe Battitori. Battitori bobbled a high pitch from Cedeno and raced around the right side where he appeared to be tackled by Frontenac’s Dylan Flora at around the 32-yard line. But on the tackle, Battitori landed on Flora’s back, and realizing the play wasn’t blown dead, quickly got up and sprinted the remaining yardage to the end zone as Raider defenders stood confused.
Frontenac pulled to within a touchdown on a 6-yard pass from Brandon Mlekus to Flora with 3:27 remaining.
Colgan recovered the ensuing onside kick and picked up a first down before coming up the length of the football short on a fourth down at the Frontenac 23-yard line with 25 seconds left.
Mlekus hit Ryan Menghini on a screen pass to get out to midfield, but the desperation Hail Mary on the next play was knocked down short of the end zone.
Cedeno passed for 72 yards and a score to go along with his big rushing night. Mlekus passed for 250 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Raiders.
Colgan Coach Chuck Smith evened the series against his son Mark’s team at 2-2 since the two have squared off from opposite sidelines.
Nemaha Central halts Holton’s long Big-7 streak
Ryan Hasenkamp threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score as Nemaha Central won at Holton, 27-13.
After an early Holton touchdown, the Thunder scored the game’s next three touchdowns to build a 20-7 lead in the third quarter.
Mason Barta pulled the Wildcats to within 20-13 on a 1-yard run in the third quarter, but Hasenkamp would add a short touchdown run in the fourth for the two score lead.
Hasenkamp passed for 172 yards – 155 of which went to Tristen Allen. Dalton Hiltibrand caught two touchdown passes among his 55 receiving yards.
The win by the Thunder ended Holton’s 48-game conference win streak in the Big 7. The Wildcats, ranked No. 3 in Class 4A-II this week, fell to 2-3 on the season.
Cherryvale holds off Neodesha in Game of the Week
The Cherryvale Chargers took control of the Tri-Valley League race with a 20-14 victory at Neodesha. The Chargers and Blue Streaks each entered the game undefeated, and the game was voted on by the Kpreps’ fans as the statewide Game of the Week.
Cherryvale got off to a good start as Ian Pearson intercepted a tipped Neodesha pass and cruised 40-yards for a touchdown and a 6-0 Charger lead.
The lead would grow to 14-0 in the second quarter on a 36-yard touchdown run by Brendan Menzer.
Neodesha would score late in the second quarter to pull within 14-7 at halftime.
Menzer’s 41-yard touchdown run in the third quarter allowed the Chargers to take a 20-7 advantage into the fourth quarter.
The Blue Streaks pulled to within 20-14 with 4:21 remaining in the game. Neodesha got the ball back with 2:30 left to play, but Menzer intercepted Blue Streak quarterback Matthew Shinkle to seal the win for the Chargers.
Menzer rushed for 134 yards to lead Cherryvale.
State records fall on Friday night
Two single-game state records appear to have fallen on Friday night, although the performances will await verification by the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame.
Waverly’s Myers scores 12 times
Garrett Myers of Waverly broke an 8-Man, single-game state record by scoring 12 touchdowns in Friday’s 83-44 win over Pleasanton.
Myers carried 30 times for 420 yards and 11 rushing touchdowns on the night. He also returned an interception for a score to make it an even dozen trips to the end zone.
The prior 8-man record for touchdowns in a game was 11 held by Fairfield’s Cannon Burns (2014) and Chase’s Jake Kizzar (2009).
Leach catches six touchdown passes
Doniphan West senior wide receiver Cooper Leach broke an 11-man record for single-game touchdown receptions with six in the Mustangs’ 55-20 win over Maranatha-Immaculata on Friday night.
Leach entered Friday’s game with more than 450 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. He had 16 receptions for 261 yards and five touchdowns in a 35-34 win over Valley Heights earlier this season.
The previous record was five touchdown receptions was shared by Northern Heights’ players Hayden Parks (2008) and Nick Mendez (2010) as well as McLouth’s Nick McAferty (2012).
Another big performance from England
Riley England of Osawatomie continues his assault on opponents’ defenses and the weekly stats sheet.
The senior running back rushed for 287 yards and six touchdowns on 26 carries in the Trojan’s 49-24 win at Anderson County.
England pushed his season rushing total to 1,331 yards and 16 touchdowns on 113 carries.
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