Photo Credit: Dean Backes/PrepsKCShawnee Mission East scored the first points of Thursday night’s gridiron battle at Mill Valley, and the final points. The host Jaguars, however, lit up the scoreboard for 56 straight points in between those Lancer scores to run away with a 56-13 victory to close out the regular season.
Although Mill Valley fell behind early, the Jaguars wasted little time in taking the lead for good. After forcing Mill Valley to punt on its first possession, Shawnee Mission East went on a long, methodical drive that concluded with Lancer senior signal caller Luke Pearcy’s three-yard run with four and a half minutes left in the opening quarter to put Shawnee Mission East up 6-0.
The Jaguars returned the ensuing kickoff to their own 24-yard line. Twenty-seconds later, Mill Valley senior quarterback Connor Bohon raced 76 yards on the only play of the possession to put the Jaguars on top for good 7-6.
“We have to get rid of our slow starts,” Mill Valley head coach Joel Applebee said. “Effort-wise, I never complain about their effort. It’s just some mental things early on that kind of killed us.
“I was really proud of them for settling in and playing very, very well and playing disciplined on both sides of the ball.”
Bohon added a six-yard scoring run with a little over nine minutes left in the first half. Then, on Shawnee Mission East’s next possession, Jaguar defensive back Garret Clark stepped in front of a Pearcy pass at the Shawnee Mission East 42-yard line.
Bohon extended the defending state champion Jaguar lead to 21-6 two plays later when he raced 36 yards on the keeper with 2:39 left in the half. Mill Valley senior running back Tristan Baker added another Jaguar score 95-seconds later when he reached the end zone following a 37-yard run.
Mill Valley flexed its special teams muscle to open the second half when the Jaguars recovered a successful onside kick to take possession at the Shawnee Mission East 48. Five plays later, Baker put the hosts up 35-6 with a 56-yard romp up the middle just a minute into the second half.
“I just really wanted to No. 1 get the ball back to our offense so we could get the ball going,” Applebee said of opening the third quarter with an onside kick after the Jaguars ran just 17 first half plays. “That was really what that was about. We just kind of wanted to get the tempo going for part of the game.
“We knew they were going to be very methodical with their offense. They did a great job of that.”
After allowing Shawnee Mission East to gain just seven yards in three plays, Mill Valley blocked a Lancer punt and took over at the Shawnee Mission East 34. Bohon raced 14 yards to the Lancer 20 before yardage for a Shawnee Mission East personal foul placed the football at the Lancer 10.
Jaguar senior running back Jaden Scobee scored from seven yards out two plays later to put Mill Valley up 42-6.
“That’s a phase of our game that I’m really proud of,” Applebee said of special teams. “Our kids have done a really good job all year with that. Once again, we have to improve in that area just like we do in all phases.”
Pearcy was sacked on third down on Shawnee Mission East’s next possession and the punt rolled out of bounds at the Jaguar 40 allowing Mill Valley to take over there with 4:20 left in the third quarter. Five plays later Scobee found the end zone with a nine-yard run to put Mill Valley up 49-6 at the third quarter break.
The Jaguars grabbed a 56-6 advantage with a little over three minutes left in the game when sophomore quarterback Blake Jay ran it in from 13 yards out. Lancer senior receiver Andres Driver then returned the ensuing kickoff all the way to round out the game’s scoring.
“It’s always great. That’s what you want heading into the playoffs.” Applebee said of getting a win in the regular season finale. “But more importantly, I wanted to see improvement from last week to this week. That’s what we saw as a coaching staff. Our kids took a short week and prepared very well. I think that showed on the field tonight.”
Mill Valley will head into postseason play with a 6-2 record while Shawnee Mission East finishes the regular season at 3-5. Both the Lancers and Jaguars will have to wait a few days to find out who their first-round playoff opponent is.
