Nathan Baxter and his Blue Valley Northwest High School football teammates had themselves a night.
The Huskies, ranked No. 12 in the 810 Varsity Top 25, ran past No. 22 Shawnee Mission Northwest 35-7 on Friday. Senior quarterback Nathan Baxter threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more for the victors.
Following a Cougars fumble to start the second quarter, Baxter connected with Trevor Garlington for a 36-yard TD. On his team’s ensuing possession, Baxter broke loose for a 50-yard TD run and 14-0 BVNW lead at intermission.
“Nathan brings a lot for us with both his passing and running ability,” said Huskies coach Clint Rider. “He made great decisions and got it to our playmakers, as well. Overall, a great effort by both sides of the ball for us tonight.”
SM Northwest (1-1) made it 14-7 on an 80-yard TD run by junior Traimyre Woodruff. But the Huskies answered via a 55-yard TD scamper by Logan Waldorf and it was 21-7.
Baxter later found junior Ayden McGibboney for an 8-yard TD strike, then capped a drive with a 1-yard keeper.
The Huskies will take on St. James next week, while the Cougars play host to Gardner-Edgerton.
St. Thomas Aquinas 28, St. James 7
The tried-and-true formula of ground attack and defense won out for the Saints again.
Aquinas, ranked No. 17 in the 810 Varsity Top 25, used two goal-line stands and the legs of junior running back Calin Arndt to take down No. 18 St. James.
Two straight 55-yard drives — each capped with a 1-yard TD by Arndt — gave Aquinas a 14-0 lead. On the first, an 8-play drive, Arndt scampered 18 yards. On the Saints’ next drive, starting from their own 45, Arndt’s 25-yard run set up his second TD.
Disaster struck St. James on a bad snap at its own 25: The ball ricocheted in the air and senior linebacker Andrew Ham pounced on it at the 26.
One play later, senior quarterback Elzie Slaughter fired to the right side to a wide-open Michael Bernart. The senior tight end hauled in the TD pass over his right shoulder.
St. James (1-1) scored after a 38-yard connection from QB Tyson Beashore to fellow senior Parker Chase. That brought the Saints to the opponent’s 1-yard line. Three plays later, the duo connected again for a TD and it was 21-7 at halftime.
The Thunder got into the red zone again with 10:01 left in the third, but Conor O’Donnell picked off a floater to the end zone.
After the Thunder held, St. James again drove inside the Aquinas 5. But the Saints stuffed the Thunder on a third-and-1 and then held on fourth down, tipping the ball out of the end zone.
“Three touchdowns by Calin may be what everyone talks about, but also our defense with the turnover in the first half and those two stops at the goall ine really made the difference,” Aquinas coach Randy Dreiling said.
The Saints mounted a final 94-yard drive that chewed up 5:08 of clock. A TD by Arndt finished that march, too: His 12-yard jaunt to the end zone completed the scoring, as well.
St. Thomas Aquinas visits Blue Valley next week, while St. James plays host to Blue Valley Northwest.
For scores, stats, recaps, rankings, broadcasts and more, visit 810Varsity.com .
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