Lee’s Summit wins 44-38 shootout against Lee’s Summit West

The overflow, standing room-only crowd got the offensive shootout and quarterback showcase it expected.

But who would have predicted this?

Lee’s Summit outlasted previously undefeated Lee’s Summit West 44-38 on Friday at Lee’s Summit High School, never trailing the No. 1 team in The Star’s big-class rankings.

Not that the Tigers’ upset was without heavy doses of drama.

In their first game since 2011, the crosstown rivals provided a mix of the pleasing — a quarterback duel with a 73 percent combined completion percentage and 591 yards passing — with the ugly — more than 20 penalties and three lost fumbles.

It didn’t take long to reignite a rivalry that took too long to rekindle.

LS West, which won the Class 5 state title last year, moved up a class this year, setting up the reunion with Class 6 Lee’s Summit.

The excitement in the stands and lining of the track around the field matched the intensity on the field.

Lee’s Summit quarterback Drew Lock completed 19 of 26 passes for 309 yards and two touchdowns and ran for two more. Lock, who is headed for Missouri, had an answer whenever the Tigers, 4-2, needed it.

Lock found open field on an option keeper to score from 39 yards on the opening drive. His two touchdown passes extended Lee’s Summit’s lead to 27-9 early in the fourth quarter.

But it was his slow-developing rollout-turned-run-to-the-pylon with 2:36 left that all but sealed it. That 6-yard run extended a three-point lead back to 10 at 41-31.

And LS West’s senior quarterback was almost Lock’s equal. Bryce Kreikemeier completed 22 of 30 passes for 282 yards and two touchdowns.

Kreikemeier connected with Brenner Clemons on a 30-yard TD midway through the third quarter that made it 34-23. The play capped a 12-play, drive that hinted the Titans, 5-1, might not be done.

And thanks to a fumble by Lock, the Titans only had to go 30 yards on their next drive. Clemons scored on a two-yard run, then caught the conversion pass from Kreikemeier that cut the Lee’s Summit advantage to 34-31 with 9:47 left.

Kriekemeier’s 6-yard run with 1:08 left gave LS West some hope, but the ensuing onside kick was recovered by Lee’s Summit.

Three kneel downs later, and the Tigers’ student section was on the field to set up a tunnel that stretched from the back of the end zone to the 50-yard line, ready to celebrate.

Now the Tigers own city bragging rights, thanks to their three-point win over visiting Lee’s Summit North two weeks ago.

This story was originally published September 26, 2014 at 11:28 PM with the headline "Lee’s Summit wins 44-38 shootout against Lee’s Summit West."