Fort Osage prevails over Blue Springs in battle of No. 1s

The Fort Osage-Blue Springs matchup on Friday night at Fort Osage lived up to its billing, even with a two-hour rain delay.

The game pitted the top ranked teams in the Missouri Class 5 and Class 6 media polls, and each team came in undefeated after week one.

They were tied at the half, and into fourth quarter before Fort Osage finally got an edge.

Fort Osage used 21 unanswered points to defeat two-time defending Class 6 champion Blue Springs 35-21 and snap the Wildcats’ 25-game game win streak. It was Blue Springs’ first loss since Sept. 14, 2012.

“It was a big win for our football program,” Fort Osage coach Ryan Schartz said. “That was in my opinion the best football team we have seen in a long, long time.”

After having to punt on the first possession, Blue Springs bounced back with an interception by senior linebacker Zach Robinson. The Wildcats took advantage by scoring on a 79-yard touchdown pass from Ian Brown to Terrance Sanders. The Wildcats missed the extra point, though, and that allowed Fort Osage to take the lead on the next possession.

Indians quarterback Skylar Thompson, a junior, completed three of four passes on the ensuing drive and connected with Kevin Rush for an 8-yard touchdown pass. Kegan Lammering knocked in the extra point to put Fort Osage on top.

Later in the half, Blue Springs took over at its own 5-yard line and utilized a 45-yard pass from Brown to Keivon James. The Wildcats marched all the way down to the 1-yard line where Brown fumbled the handoff, but still crossed the line for a one-yard touchdown run. He and James connected again for a two-point conversion.

The lead did not last long, though, as Fort Osage tied the game just before the half. The Indians started at their own 28 and used a 47-yard pass from Thompson to Bailey Williamson that cut deep into Blue Springs’ territory. Thompson capped off the drive with a 9-yard touchdown run and Lammering hit the extra point to tie it.

After the two-hour rain delay, Blue Springs once again struck first as Tamarick Quinney scored on a 46-yard touchdown pass from Brown on the first play from scrimmage after the dealy.

But it was all Fort Osage from there, as the Indians scored 21 unanswered points. The Indians forced an interception and two turnovers on downs.

The Indians got a 7-yard TD run by Thompson, and he also connected with Rush again for a 4-yard touchdown pass before Jacob Jacobs sealed the victory with a 51-yard pick-six. Lammering knocked home extra points on all three scores.

This story was originally published August 29, 2014 at 11:56 PM with the headline "Fort Osage prevails over Blue Springs in battle of No. 1s."