East Kansas League puts five football teams in state semifinals

It’s semifinals time in Kansas high school football playoffs, and the Eastern Kansas League is still alive and kicking.

Five teams —half the EKL’s total membership — remain in the running to make state title games across three classes.

That list includes Blue Valley and Blue Valley North in Class 6A, St. Thomas Aquinas and Mill Valley in Class 5A, and three-time reigning champion Bishop Miege in Class 4A, Division I.

Blue Valley earned a shot at returning to the Class 6A final for a second straight season by beating Olathe North 48-21 during a sectional game Friday, Nov. 10, at Blue Valley.

Quarterback Luke Bernard completed 17 of 29 passes for 268 yards, including a 79-yard TD pass to Ben DeZube, to lead the Tigers to victory.

Blue Valley (8-3) will play host to Blue Valley North in a Class 6A semifinal at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 17, after the Mustangs (7-4) upset top-seeded Shawnee Mission East 45-10 last week to advance.

One of the Class 5A semifinals also will be an all-EKL affair.

Defending state champion Mill Valley advanced with a 21-14 victory against St. James Academy, another EKL school.

The Jaguars (7-4) will play for a third-straight state finals appearance against St. Thomas Aquinas. The Saints (10-1) will host the semifinal at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 17, at Aquinas after beating Pittsburg 42-21 last week.

Finally, Bishop Miege had little trouble keeping its drive for a fourth-state title alive.

The Stags (11-0) routed Labette County 69-23 in its sectional and will play at De Soto in semifinal action at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 17.

The Wildcats (10-1) advanced to the semifinals with a 49-13 win over Fort Scott last week.

During an earlier meeting this season, Miege handed De Soto its only loss 31-0 ono Oct. 20.

This story was originally published November 13, 2017 at 4:34 PM with the headline "East Kansas League puts five football teams in state semifinals."