Missouri high school football: Week 2 preview

Week 2 of the Missouri high school football season starts Friday. A guide to what you need to know:

Game of the week

Blue Springs (1-0) at Lee’s Summit West (1-0), 7 p.m.

In the daunted Suburban Gold Conference, perhaps its two best teams line up Friday. It’s far too early to call it a potential conference championship preview, but the victor could stake a claim as an early favorite.

Lee’s Summit West has speed to burn, led by playmaker Phillip Brooks, who ran for 128 yards, caught four passes for 226 yards and totaled three touchdowns in last week’s opener against Blue Springs South.

Two Blue Springs tailbacks topped 100 yards in a victory against Lee’s Summit — Cade Musser and Michael Warmack — and the Wildcats could return last year’s starting running back, Jaylen Ivey, to the lineup.

By the numbers

46: The career touchdown passes for Park Hill senior quarterback Billy Maples, who threw for five scores in the season-opening win against Lee’s Summit North. Maples will be relied on heavily as the schedule toughens for the Trojans — each of their next six games are against teams that finished with a winning record last season. Next up: A home date with Lee’s Summit on Friday before making a trip to rival Park Hill South. Park Hill climbed to No. 4 in the latest Missouri Class 6 state poll.

4: Sacks for senior Oak Grove senior Luke Edwards in last week’s victory against Richmond. The Panthers’ defensive line appears to be a force. Four different players got to the quarterback in the opener. That group will be tested Friday with a trip to Blair Oaks, which is ranked No. 3 in the Missouri Class 3 state poll and possesses a formidable running game. Oak Grove is just outside the top-10 in the poll.

Things we learned in Week 1

▪ Don’t count out the Pembroke Hill Raiders. They trailed St. Joseph Bishop LeBlond by double digits in the fourth quarter before storming back for a 30-27 win. Senior running back Yakini Kasimu was the driving force of the comeback. He carried the ball 22 times for 197 yards and a touchdown, and he turned his only reception into a 76-yard score.

▪ Every year, it becomes more clear that the Platte County spread offense can rotate players in and out and not skip a beat. The latest example: Quarterback Tanner Clarkson stepped into a starting role Friday and responded with six touchdown passes against conference foe Grandview. Those six scores came on just 13 pass attempts. Platte County is aiming for its fourth straight season of at least eight wins.

This story was originally published August 24, 2017 at 5:18 PM with the headline "Missouri high school football: Week 2 preview."