Blue Springs South wins its third state football title

The lights dimmed on the Edward Jones Dome field late Friday, and Blue Springs South senior Adam Cofield walked alone across the middle of the green turf. His final stroll in a high school football uniform reached a tunnel, causing the even-keeled tailback to turn back toward the field one final time.

He made a memorable exit.

Cofield scored four touchdowns Friday, and Blue Springs South rode its workhorse tailback to a 37-28 victory against Christian Brothers College in the Missouri Class 6 state championship game in St. Louis.

"I knew this was it," Cofield said. "I wanted to go out strong."

He was too strong, too fast, too elusive.

More simply: He was too much for defending-champion CBC.

Blue Springs South, 14-0, won its third football state championship in program history. All have come in the past 10 seasons. All have come against CBC.

The latest one ended CBC's 27-game winning streak and halted its bid for a second straight Class 6 title.

A group of Blue Springs South seniors who produced undefeated football seasons in the eighth and ninth grades supplied one more unbeaten year.

"We all knew that when we came together, we could do something special," said senior quarterback Noah Nigro, who threw for 195 yards and ran for 62 more. "Apparently we have."

Among that senior class, Cofield stood out most Friday. The two-way starter recorded three sacks on defense but still managed to make his most significant impact on offense. He scored four times.

CBC senior Tre Bryant, a Nebraska commit, tried to match the output — effectively transforming the game into a one-on-one heavyweight fight during the middle stages. In addition to his four touchdowns, Cofield had 227 yards from scrimmage. Bryant totaled 201 yards and three touchdowns.

"You can't simulate (playing) a guy like that at practice," Blue Springs South coach Greg Oder said of Bryant. "We haven't faced a back that fast and that strong all year."

It sparked a shootout for three quarters that turned silent in the fourth.

CBC constructed a 21-6 lead with 4:08 left in the second quarter — behind three Bryant rushing touchdowns — before the Blue Springs South offense sprung to life.

"It's crazy because I don't think we really panicked too much," said senior Briley Moore-McKinney, who caught two passes for 56 yards. "We told the guys that we didn't come all this way to quit."

The Jaguars scored on five consecutive possessions — a streak ended only when Nigro fumbled at the 2-yard line while fighting for extra yardage. Blue Springs South returned the favor on the ensuing drive — Collin West intercepted CBC quarterback Blake Charlton, sealing the victory with the Jaguars' third forced turnover of the game.

A rally preceded that.

Blue Springs South closed out the first half with 10 points in the final 1:36, closing the margin to 21-16.

Cofield — who else? — opened the second half with back-to-back scores, one of them a receiving touchdown from Nigro. The combination turned the five-point deficit into a nine-point lead — the Jaguars' first lead of the game.

One was enough.

"I mentioned the senior class a lot, which we do every year, but this has always been a really unique group," Oder said. "They were undefeated in eighth grade and freshman and then had to battle some things the last two years.

"It's just awesome to see it all come together right here in the state championship game."

This story was originally published November 27, 2015 at 10:44 PM with the headline "Blue Springs South wins its third state football title."