Wildcats roll on to state

Teams that advance to the state championship football game can usually look back on one or two game-breaking plays that pave the route to the biggest game of the season.
“Tonight, the football gods were on our side and our defense smashed DeSmet in the mouth,” Blue Springs quarterback Jared Lanpher said after Darrian Miller scored three touchdowns and the Blue Springs defense did not allow a touchdown against a 12-1 DeSmet squad that was averaging 46 points a game in a 35-5 Class 6 semifinal win Friday night at Peve Stadium.
“Do you know where we’re going?” asked a grinning Keeston Terry, the all-state wide receiver who scored the opening touchdown on a 12-yard run out of the Wildcat formation. “We’re going to the Dome!”
The 12-1 Wildcats will play the winner of Saturday’s Oakville-Hazelwood Central at 7:30 p.m. next Friday at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis.
After Terry scored on the Wildcats’ opening drive before the capacity crowd, Lanpher lofted a ball into the end zone that was nearly picked off by two Spartan defenders.
“After I threw it, I turned to one of our offensive linemen and said, ‘I’m sorry.’ ”
He didn’t need to apologize as Nick Halterman batted the ball away from the DeSmet defenders. A few plays later, Miller literally dribbled the ball into the end zone for the Wildcats as he dropped a pitch, picked it up and still found a gaping hole that resulted in a 12-yard score.
“I could have been intercepted, and we wind up scoring to make the score 14-0,” Lanpher said. “Then, they have No. 5 (sophomore sensation Durron Neal) in the clear for a touchdown and he drops it. And the biggest play of the game was Aaron’s fumble return for a touchdown (please see column).
“Last week, we beat Rockhurst (23-21 on a last-second 21-yard field goal by Cody Best) after Darrian gets two yards all by himself on a fourth-and-two in the closing seconds and tonight, the ball bounces our way and we get another big win.
“I wish I could tell you how good I feel right now. I’ve never felt like this before.”
While Lanpher was soaking it all in, Miller was hobbling off the field after getting drilled on the shin near the Blue Springs sideline.
“I wish I could enjoy this more, but I’m hurting,” said Miller, who carried the ball 24 times for 209 yards and three scores.
That gives him 4,000 yards in two seasons and 2,647 yards this season to go along with 39 touchdowns.
“Darrian is just so tough,” Wildcats coach Kelly Donohoe said. “Did you see the way he was stiff-arming those guys? I don’t think he knows how strong he is, or how good he is.
“And the line tonight – oh, my goodness. That hole Darrian had when he fumbled and picked it up and scored – it was huge!”
While the Wildcats were running at will against the Spartans, the visitors from St. Louis were desperately trying to find some way to put some points on the scoreboard.
They finally managed to avoid the shutout on a third-quarter 49-yard field goal by Chris Adams. Late in the game, the Spartans scored on a safety against the Blue Springs reserves.
“We did just what we wanted to do,” said defensive lineman Jordan Chrisman, who blew up the Spartans offensive line all night long. “We wanted to get up on them early, smash them in the mouth and never let them get in the game.
“The game plan was perfect and the offense took care of everything else.”
Blue Springs took a 28-0 lead into halftime on Miller’s second touchdown of the night – a bulldozing 15-yard run up the gut of the Spartans’ stunned defensive unit.
The Wildcat offense sputtered in the second half, scoring just one touchdown on a 10-yard Miller run.
But it didn’t matter as the Spartans totaled just 202 yards of offense (105 on the ground, 97 in the air).
“I’m so proud of this team, and I’m relieved,” Donohoe admitted. “I wanted them to win so badly tonight. When you get this close, and you’re working with such great kids, you just want the best for them.
“The looks on their faces after we won, well, I’ll never forget it. The coaches worked hard all week to come up with a great game plan, and they went out and followed it to the letter. They deserved this win. They worked hard for it.”

CLASS 6 STATE SEMIFINAL SUMMARY
At Peve Stadium, Blue Springs High School

BLUE SPRINGS 35, ST. LOUIS DeSMET 5
DeSmet        Blue Springs
14    First downs    19
36-105    Attempts-Yards Rushing    29-245
97    Yards Passing    70
20    Passes Attempted    12
9    Passes Completed    5
0    Passes Intercepted    1
5-43    Punts-Average    3-39
2-1    Fumbles-Lost    2-1
8-72    Penalties-Yards    8-81
DeSMET                0      0    3     2    —    5
BLUE SPRINGS    7    21    0     7    —    35
Scoring
First Quarter
BS — Keeston Terry 12 run (Cody Best kick), 7:44.
Second Quarter
BS — Darrian Miller 12 run (Best kick), 11:55.
BS — Aaron Peola 95 fumble return (Best kick), 8:40.
BS — Miller 15 run (Best kick), 3:43.
Third Quarter
D — Chris Adams 49 field goal, 6:02.
Fourth Quarter
BS — Miller 10 run (Best kick), 8:42, 6:02.
D — Safety, tackled Austin Pearce in end zone, 3:23.