Shawnee Mission South wraps top sub-state seed with statement win over Mill Valley

In a meeting between two of the top teams in Kansas Class 6A, Shawnee Mission South proved to Mill Valley why it’s a No. 1 sub-state seed and possible league champion.

The Raiders, ranked No 2 in Class 6A, topped the No. 5 Jaguars 74-61 on Friday night at Mill Valley. SM South (17-1) wrapped one of the top-4 Kansas East sub-state seeds and kept its hopes alive for a Sunflower League title.

After Mill Valley (13-4) jumped to a 14-7 lead after the first quarter, the Raiders surged with a 24-point second for a 31-23 halftime lead

“I think for the first time all year we were nervous and were playing a little timid,” said Raiders head coach Brett McFall. “We usually score a lot more than that, so I just told them to relax (in) the second. And we started to get rolling.”

From then on, South kept the Jaguars at an arm’s distance, paced by junior Max McKenna’s 16 points — 12 in the final period. The Raiders closed down the game by shooting a perfect 7-of-7 from the line.

Conor Kerrigan led the inside attack for the Raiders, as the 6-foot-6 sophomore netted a team-high 20 points.

“Our key to the game was to try and get the ball inside and try to spread out their defense to get more open looks, and we did a really good job of that,” said Kerrigan, “and also getting back on defense and not letting their big three get too many open looks.”

Mill Valley’s trio of Carter Kaifes (19 points), JaKhai Carter and Reece Riedel (15 points apiece) led the team in scoring.

South remains tied with Shawnee Mission Northwest atop the Sunflower League standings with just one loss apiece, but the Cougars beat the Raiders head to head. Mill Valley and Olathe South trail with two losses each.

The Raiders have earned a sub-state top seed with just one loss, while SM Northwest (15-3), Blue Valley (15-3), Olathe North (13-4) and Mill Valley remain in the hunt with a week to go.

Shawnee Mission South vs. Mill Valley box score

Shawnee Mission South (74)

Gregory 9, DeBaun 7, Allen 12, McKenna 16, Kerrigan 20, Sautter 5, Featherston 5.

Mill Valley (61)

Carter 15, Riedel 15, Carpenter 7, Kaifes 19, Henderson 3, Everhart 2.

Threes: SMS: Allen 2, Gregory, DeBaun, Featherston, McKenna; MV: Riedel 2, Henderson, Kaifes

This story was originally published February 23, 2025 at 12:43 PM.