St. Thomas Aquinas knocks off 5-time defending state champ Mill Valley: Kansas football

Here are highlights from some big Friday night high school football games around the Kansas City metro.

The playoffs are underway in Kansas. Sectionals were contested Friday night, and substate games are slated for next Friday, Nov. 23.

St. Thomas Aquinas 23, Mill Valley 22

In a much-hyped showdown that’s annually decided the Class 5A state finalist, this rematch lived up to the billing.

Unbeaten Aquinas (11-0) defeated five-time defending Class 5A state champion Mill Valley 23-22 Friday night to advance to the state semifinals. The two had met in the playoffs regularly until the Saints spent the past two seasons in 4A.

Now the state’s top 5A team, Aquinas held a 15-7 halftime lead Friday. But Mill Valley responded with a 35-yard pass from QB Connor Bohon to Gavin Gall. That set up the Jaguars at the Aquinas 32-yard line.

From there, star running back Reggie Reece broke tackles en route to a 32-yard TD run that made it 15-14.

Mill Valley took a 22-15 lead with 5:17 remaining when Reece scored again, this time from 2 yards out. Bohon hit tight end Isaac Sauder for the two-point conversion.

Aquinas drove across midfield but faced a 4th-and-16 at the Jags’ 45. That’s when Calin Arndt heaved a nice halfback pass to Brett Yankovich; two plays later, Arndt broke free for a 15-yard TD run. It was 22-21 Jaguars with just 58 seconds left.

Mill Valley was penalized on the PAT attempt, moving the ball closer to the goal line. Aquinas coach Randy Dreiling rethought the situation and went for two — successfully — with Arndt running off right tackle and into the end zone.

Aquinas will now play host to St. James Academy next Friday in the Class 5A semifinals.

St. James 45, Blue Valley North 6

St. James Academy sits on the doorstep of another state-title game, and without hardly breaking a sweat.

The Thunder steamrolled Blue Valley North in an Eastern Kansas League Class 5A quarterfinal game. St. James had previously beaten the Mustangs 28-0.

This game featured the No. 11 seed on the 5A East side — St. James — and No. 15 BV North. And St. James, the state’s 4A champion in 2020 and 2021, didn’t mess around.

Senior Tyson Beashore scored on a quarterback keeper, then went to the air for TD passes to Sam Niessen (36 yards) and John Tujague (30 yards) to make it 21-0 at halftime.

Beashore finished with three passing TDs.

Blue Valley North enjoyed a playoff run of its own after entering the postseason at 1-7. Legendary coach Gene Weir and the Mustangs ousted De Soto and Leavenworth to reach Friday’s quarterfinals.

St. James will head to St. Thomas Aquinas next week in the 5A state semifinals (substate).

Gardner Edgerton 44, Blue Valley Northwest 29

Gardner Edgerton showed why it’s looking to make the trip down I-35 again for a state-title defense.

The Trailblazers overcame a 16-7 halftime deficit against Blue Valley Northwest in the Kansas Class 6A quarterfinals on Friday night in Gardner.

Gardner Edgerton (10-1) won the Class 6A state title last season and now sits a win away from returning to Emporia for a shot at repeating.

GE opened the second half with a 51-yard keeper by quarterback Bravin Powell to the BVNW 12. That set up a 3-yard Syre Padilla TD run and Powell’s two-point conversion to make it 16-15. Porter Swaim’s 10-yard TD, off a pitch, then gave the Blazers a 23-16 lead.

But Blue Valley Northwest (7-4) tied the game at 23 on a Nathan Baxter 8-yard rollout pass to tight end Teddy Hale 1 minute, 32 seconds into the final quarter.

The Blazers countered with a long drive, capped by Powell’s one-yard dive, for a 30-23 lead. On the ensuing kickoff, a squib kick bounced at the 35, and the Blazers recovered at the Huskies’ 30.

Powell also scored on an 8-yard TD run.

Gardner-Edgerton will now play host to Blue Valley West in next Friday’s semifinals.

For stats, recaps, online broadcasts and more, visit 810Varsity.com.

This story was originally published November 16, 2024 at 1:03 AM.