High school football: Three Kansas City-area teams will compete for Kansas state titles

Three local teams will compete for Kansas state football championships on Saturday. All games kick off at 1 p.m. at various locations.

Class 6A: Blue Valley vs. Derby (at Emporia State)

The mantra for Blue Valley all season long was “unfinished business.” The Tigers lost in last year’s state title game to Derby.

Now, after a 35-34 overtime victory over Shawnee Mission East in Friday’s substate matchup, Blue Valley has a second chance at a state title. And to pile on the déjà vu, that chance will once again come against Derby, which shares Blue Valley’s perfect, 12-0 record.

The Tigers are confident, especially after how they won last week. Down one point, and faced with the prospect of kicking an extra point to go to a second overtime, Blue Valley head coach Eric Driskell decided to go for the two-point conversion and the win. Quarterback Matthew Dercher and wide receiver Blake Brown connected in the end zone, and the Tigers’ spot in the championship game was sealed.

That powerful offense – led by Dercher, Brown, wide receiver Harrison Van Dyne and running back Will Evans – will be counted on Saturday against Derby. The Panthers are giving up an average of only 12.1 points per game this season.

Class 5A: Mill Valley vs. Goddard (at Pittsburg State)

It was not the smoothest of roads for Mill Valley this season: the defending Class 5A champs struggled in their first year in the Eastern Kansas League, finishing 4-4 in conference play. But once the playoffs began, the Jaguars came alive, and the team has won five straight.

The Jaguars’ defense was the star in Friday’s 14-13 substate win over St. Thomas Aquinas: They forced five Aquinas turnovers, including a fumble inside the 10-yard-line with less than two minutes remaining to preserve the one-point victory.

Now, Mill Valley will have a chance to defend its Class 5A title Saturday, as it takes on 11-1 Goddard.

Class 4A-DI: Bishop Miege vs. Buhler (at Topeka Hummer Sports Complex)

In its three playoff victories, Bishop Miege has won by a combined 159 points. That streak has included two shutout victories (against Piper and Basehor-Linwood) and has left little doubt that the Stags would compete for their third straight state title.

Leading the way offensively has been quarterback Carter Putz, who has thrown for 2,800 yards this season, and Missouri wide receiver commit Jafar Armstrong. Linebacker Joe Watskey also has triple-digit tackles and three sacks to pace the defense, which has allowed only six points in the last five weeks of football.

This story was originally published November 20, 2016 at 9:24 PM with the headline "High school football: Three Kansas City-area teams will compete for Kansas state titles."