Big plays may decide semifinal

Kelly Donohoe usually keeps his two Class 6 football state championship rings in a drawer at home.

But this week, he’s been sporting the mementos from his squad’s two biggest wins over the past 10 years – one from 2001 and the other from 2003.

His 11-1 Wildcats play host to 12-0 DeSmet at 7 p.m. tonight at Peve Stadium with the winner advancing to next Friday’s Class 6 Show-Me Bowl state championship game at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis.

“I just want the guys to know what they’re playing for,” said Donohoe, whose Wildcats are in search of their third state title under Donohoe’s leadership and the fourth in school history. “Not many players have the chance to play for a ring. There are a lot of very good teams sitting at home right now. And I know none of our guys want the season to end until we make it to the Dome.”

The semifinal contest will match two prep titans as both teams are averaging nearly 48 points a game, while allowing just over seven.

The Spartans are led by senior quarterback Steve Kaiser, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound standout who has committed to Southern Methodist University, and running backs Malcolm Agnew and David Hill.

“They have quite an offense,” Donohoe said. “They can put points on the scoreboard in a hurry. But so can we.

“We’ve had a great week of practice. The weather has been really nasty, and the guys have gone out and taken care of business at practice. You can tell they’re focused and ready to go.

“I hear they’ve got buses of fans coming down for the game, so the atmosphere should be electric. I know our fans are excited and the players are excited. And I can’t speak for the rest of our staff, but I know I haven’t gotten much sleep this week, so it’s safe to say I’m excited, too.”

The past two years, Rockhurst has ended the Wildcats’ quest for a fourth school state championship.

That reign came to an end in thrilling fashion last Friday when Cody Best’s 21-yard field goal with no time showing on the clock led the Wildcats to a 23-21 victory.

“That win was just what we needed before the semifinals,” senior quarterback Jared Lanpher said. “Rock’s ended my season the past two years, and we’re all focused and all on the same page this year.

“We got past a huge hurdle last week, and we’ve all heard about DeSmet and its great offense and defense. We won a battle last week and we want to do it again this week – and I think we can.”

So does defensive lineman Jordan Chrisman, who has recently named the Defensive Player of the Year in the Suburban Big Seven.

“We have to shut them down early,” Chrisman said. “We have to establish ourselves defensively because they have all the tools – the Division I quarterback, the great running backs and wide receivers and the big offensive line.

“We’ve worked hard this week on different schemes. I can’t even tell you how many hours our coaches have worked on this game plan, and all we have to do is go out and execute it. We’re pumped. As big as last week’s game was against Rockhurst, this one is even bigger. They just keep getting bigger and bigger at this time of year.”

Darrian Miller, who has rushed for 2,438 yards and 36 touchdowns in the regular season and two playoff games this season, sees the game as a battle between big-time playmakers, including Blue Springs wide receiver Keeston Terry.

“They have the playmakers and so do we,” the junior running back said. “We hear the weather is going to be perfect, which is good news for both teams because we’ve been practicing in rain and pretty bad weather this week.

“Come Friday, you want the best to win and you don’t want the weather to have any effect on the outcome. I think it’s going to be a great game. Our coaches are coaching hard, the players are working hard – we’re ready.”