Here’s a look at highlights from some big Kansas-side high school football games around the Kansas City metro on Friday night.
No. 2 Mill Valley 41, No. 8 Gardner Edgerton 35
This clash of defending state champions lived up to the billing.
Mill Valley, the five-time defending Kansas Class 5A state champion, outlasted 6A defending champion Gardner Edgerton at Gardner Friday night.
The host Trailblazers went for a fourth-and-9 near midfield with just over a minute remaining in the game. Gardner Edgerton QB Bralin Powell stepped back to pass, but Mill Valley’s Garret Clark hit him to force a fumble.
Mill Valley took over at its own 49-yard line with 55 seconds left. A pass-interference call moved the Jaguars to the GE 36. A couple plays later, QB Connor Bohon hit TE Elliott Fischer between two defenders at the 13, and Fischer made it to the 7 before being tackled with 33 seconds to go.
Junior RB Reggie Reece darted to the left and scored on the next play. The Trailblazers (5-1) made it to midfield on their final drive before a final-play pass fell incomplete to end the game.
Reece rushed for just under 200 yards and 3 touchdowns, including a 70-yard run with 8:07 left in the third quarter that tied the game at 21.
Bohon finished with two rushing TDs and a 60-yard TD pass to Blake Jay that gave the Jags a 14-7 lead with 1:42 left in the first half. Powell connected on a 58-yard pass to Tim Chartier, and that set up Syre Padilla’s 4-yard TD run and 14-14 halftime tie.
Mill Valley next Friday visits Shawnee Mission West, while Gardner Edgerton travels to Olathe Northwest.
No. 6 St. Thomas Aquinas 14, No. 3 Rockhurst 13 (OT)
The Saints, ranked No. 6 in the 810 Varsity Top 25, held off No. 3 Rockhurst in overtime Friday.
A year ago, Rockhurst surged back from a 28-0 deficit for a 45-44 win in overtime at Aquinas.
Aquinas (6-0) scored first in this one on Calin Arndt’s six-yard TD reception shortly before halftime. That 7-0 lead held up through most of the game, until Rockhurst took over at its own 36 with 7:36 left to play.
The Hawklets drove 64 yards in 15 plays, aided by three Saints penalties, before Pierce Fisher took a 2-yard dive into the end zone for a 7-7 tie with 1:06 left in regulation.
In overtime, the Saints faced a third-and-2 from the 17 when Arndt took a handoff to the end zone for a 14-7 Aquinas lead.
Rockhurst (5-2) answered on a fourth-and-1 when Charlie Loose rolled to his left and passed to Beau Neuberger, who caught the ball and front-flipped over a defender to score.
Unfortunately for the Hawklets, a low snap resulted in a botched PAT: Loose was forced to try to find someone in the end zone and his pass fell incomplete to end the game.
No. 7 Blue Valley 27, No. 12 Blue Valley Northwest 21
Back and forth they went in this Thursday game before Blue Valley, ranked No. 7 in the 810 Varsity Top 25, pulled out a win against No. 12 BV Northwest.
The lead changed hands six times. It wasn’t until the final minute that the game was decided.
“Our group is really talented,” Blue Valley coach Allen Terrell said. “We as coaches are learning to get out of their way. We’ve tried to be a little too fancy, a little too tricky, myself included. We need to let these guys go win football games.”
After one quarter, Northwest (4-2) was on top 7-3. But by the midway point of the second it was a 10-7 Blue Valley thanks to a 25-yard TD pass from Christopher Aiello to Grant Westphal.
Trailing again at 15-10 with less than five minutes to play in the third, the Tigers scored via a field goal and TD in the final 2:44 for a 19-15 lead as the final period began.
Nathan Baxter’s TD pass to Logan Chandler less than one minute into the fourth quarter put the Huskies back in front, 21-19. Northwest held that lead until Aiello connected with Jackson Hopper from 15 yards out with just 40 seconds left.
The Tigers added a two-point conversion and stopped the Huskies’ Hail Mary attempts to secure their fifth win in six games.
Blue Valley (5-1) will play host to Blue Valley West next Friday, while Blue Valley Northwest visits undefeated St. Thomas Aquinas.
For stats, recaps, online broadcasts and more, visit 810Varsity.com .
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