Saturday, Nov. 07 2009 1:10AM
Wildcats roll past Tigers 45-12
Stephen Bubalo, the Journal Staff
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ReprintSince a week three loss to Rockhurst in which they scored just three points, the Blue Springs football teams offense has been close to unstoppable, scoring 42 or more points in seven straight games.
Lee’s Summit was the Wildcats’ latest victim Friday night in Class 6 sectional playoff action at Blue Springs High School as a 45-12 defeat ended the Tigers season and moved the Wildcats into the state quarterfinals next Friday against Rockhurst.
“We’re hard to stop,” Wildcat running back Darrian Miller said. “What kind of defense do you put out to stop both the run and the pass? We have weapons everywhere.”
Blue Springs has now outscored its opponents 391-106 since its lone loss to the Hawklets, and the Tigers saw them close to their best Friday night.
“(Blue Springs head coach) Kelly (Donohoe) has a great team. They’ve been to the playoffs so many times and tonight they tough us a lesson that the playoffs are a different level of football,” Tigers head coach Mike Spiegel said. “We have to take away that knowledge of what the playoffs are like and the level of play. Blue Springs came to play.”
The Wildcats scored first on a 32-yard touchdown pass from Jared Lanpher to Jordan Nubine but after an interception on their next possession, the Tigers started to move the ball.
After three first downs put Lee’s Summit in Blue Springs territory, Brady Letchworth the defensive play of the game when he tipped a Corbin Berkstresser pitch to running back Zach Stark in the air, caught it and ran it 52 yards for a touchdown. “That was a big play for a great kid,” Donohoe said. “We’ve been trying to get him a touchdown on offense but it was nice to get him in the end zone on defense.”
“We moved the ball pretty well we just had some timely mistakes. That option pick off was a big momentum swing,” Berkstresser said. “I wasn’t expecting that. He just tipped it up and caught it.”
The Tigers were able to respond, though, with a 66-yard touchdown run by D.J. Nelson to make it 14-6.
But much like the Wildcats have all year, they responded in a hurry, needing just four plays to go 80 yards, capping the drive with a 16-yard score by Miller. “We’ve responded well all year,” Donohoe said. “We have a tendency to come back and do well. Our seniors don’t panic.”
And for the Tiger defense, they were left shaking their heads.
“That’s what makes Blue Springs, Blue Springs. At any moment they can score from anywhere on the field,” Tiger cornerback Richard Chungong said.
Added Spiegel, “That’s what they do. That’s how good they are.”
The Wildcats caught fire from there, scoring again in the first half on a 4-yard touchdown pass to Keeston Terry for a 28-6 halftime lead.
It didn’t take long for Blue Springs to shut the door in the second half when their kickoff to the Tigers got caught up in the wind and nobody took charge to catch it, leaving a mad scramble for the ball in which the Wildcats recovered.
On the very next play Miller was in the end zone again from 14 yards out for a 35-6 lead.
“I thought we could start the third quarter the way we ended the second, but we didn’t. That was a huge play. It took the air out of us,” Spiegel said.
The Tigers were able to get on the board again in the second half on a 55-yard touchdown run by Stark. They ended the season with a record of 4-7, but more importantly, their first playoff trip in 22 years. “Our seniors gave us this experience and we need to build on it. We needed to break the ice, and we did that,” Spiegel said. “It’s up the freshman, sophomores and juniors to build on that foundation.”
Meanwhile, the Wildcats (10-1) move on to quarterfinal action in which they will travel to Rockhurst.
The Hawklets won the first meeting between the two teams this season 17-3, as well as beating the Wildcats 42-0 in the playoffs last year. Needless to say, the Wildcats are ready. “If you told me we were playing them tomorrow morning I’d be just as pumped,” Miller said. “But they’re a good team. We have to respect them.”
Donohoe told his team after the game that the loss has made them a better team. They’ll find out how much better next Friday. “We need to have a good week of practice and I hope we can go out and execute. We’ve had eight straight weeks of really good execution,” Donohoe said. “They did make us better and hungrier. It’ll be a lot of fun.”
To reach Journal sports editor Stephen Bubalo, call 282-7015 or e-mail sbubalo@lsjournal.com
