Darrian Miller grinned and shook his head when asked if it was “Miller Time,” at Rockhurst High School Saturday.
“It’s not ‘Miller Time,’ it’s Wildcats Time,” the sophomore running back said, after rushing for 193 yards and three scores – including the game winner in overtime – to lead the Wildcats to a 28-21 victory over the No. 1 ranked Hawklets.
“I wish I could tell you how I feel right now. To see the seniors celebrating this win, and to see the guys who had to play because of injuries come up so big … this was just a great team win.
“And what can I say about my line and our coaches? We’re all going to enjoy this one.”
The game, which was moved to a drizzly Saturday morning because of Friday’s severe weather, was not decided until Miller scored on a 2-yard run in overtime.
Blue Springs linebacker Aarre-Oen Tomlin sealed the win when he tipped a Nathan Scheelhaase pass to teammate Matthew Perry, who came up with the interception to end the game.
Rockhurst, ranked No. 1 in Class 6 in the state and nationally ranked by USA Today, took a quick 7-0 lead on a 4-yard run by Scheelhaase. His run capped a nine-play, 75-yard drive.
But the Wildcats, ranked No. 2 in the state, answered with a 17-play, 68-yard. Miller capped it with a 3-yard run with 11:11 left in the second quarter.
Following a three-and-out series, Scheelhaase again marched the Hawklets down the field and Chris Castelluccio scored on a 1-yard run.
“We knew we had to find a way to stop their run,” Blue Springs defensive end Gus Toca said. “We just went to work.”
The Wildcats scored two more touchdowns as Jared Lanpher hit Jordan Durrell on a 4-yard pass with 51 seconds left in the half, and Ricky Ortiz picked off Scheelhaase and returned the ball 16 yards to the Hawklets’ 3-yard line with 11 seconds left.
Miller scored again from 3 yards out to give Blue Springs a 21-14 lead going into halftime.
“We were all so confident at the half,” said Lanpher, who completed 12 for 21 passes for 91 yards and the one touchdown. “But we knew we had to come out and establish something the second half.”
What the Wildcats didn’t know was that all-state wide receiver Keeston Terry would cramp up early in the third period and not be able to play the remainder of the game.
Scheelhaase, who carried the Hawklets on his back most of the game, tied the score with 2:01 left in the third quarter when he scored on a 54-yard run on a fourth-and-two call at Rockhurst’s 46-yard line.
“That call caught us off guard, but the kids didn’t panic,” Blue Springs coach Kelly Donohoe said. “They just went out and took care of business the rest of the game. Scheelhaase is such a special player, and our guys weren’t going to let him beat us late in the game.”
Scheelhaase and the Hawklets couldn’t get anything going in the fourth quarter, and the Wildcats had a chance to win in regulation when a 65-yard drive stalled on the Hawklets’ 25.
Cody Best’s 41-yard field goal attempt was short, and the game went into overtime.
Blue Springs caught the Hawklets defense off guard on the first play of overtime from the 25-yard line when Lanpher hit Toca on a 19-yard slant pattern.
“They were overplaying the line, thinking Darrian was going to get the ball, and we made the big play on the pass,” said Toca, a tight end. “Then, we turned it over to Darrian.”
Miller rushed for 4 yards on his first carry and scored the game-winning touchdown on his second.
“The feeling when I scored was unbelievable,” Miller said. “But all the credit goes to the O-line and our coaches. Those guys blocked and the coaches called the right plays. After I scored, I knew we’d shut them down.”
Scheelhaase rushed for 20 yards on the first overtime play for Rockhurst, but a holding call on the next play moved the ball back to the 14.
Scheelhasse, facing a rush by the Wildcats offensive line, threw for the near corner of the end zone, only to have Tomlin tip the ball to Perry.
“I saw Matthew out of the corner of my eye, and I didn’t know whether to bat the ball down or tip it – hoping Perry would be there,” Tomlin said. “I decided to tip it, and I’m so happy I did.”
Perry, who was playing in place of the injured Bernard Thomas, avoided the late-heroics spotlight.
“I just happened to intercept the pass,” Perry said as his teammates pounded him on the back. “Tomlin made the big play, and the line put on a great pass rush. The play was kind of like the whole game, everyone contributed.”
Editor’s note: Read more about the Wildcats’ 28-21 win in Tuesday’s Examiner as Bill Althaus features assistant coach Tim Dade’s defense and the role it played in helping Blue Springs defeat the No. 1 team in the state.
