Cats try to keep focus on Tigers

When Blue Springs plays host to Lee’s Summit tonight at Peve Stadium in a 7 p.m. Class 6 sectional contest, Wildcats coach Kelly Donohoe believes his team will be totally focused on the 4-6 Tigers.
“We have to be focused at this time of the year,” Donohoe said, “because you lose and you go home. And none of us want to go home. We have a lot left to accomplish.”
This could be a dangerous matchup for the 9-1 Wildcats because a win means they could face longtime rival Rockhurst next Friday in a game that would allow Donohoe’s squad to get revenge for its lone loss of the regular season.
Since that 17-3 defeat in Week 3, the Wildcats have scored 42 or more points against every opponent – including a 54-17 win over the Tigers the week after the setback to the Hawklets.
Darrian Miller scored four touchdowns and rushed for 206 yards in that win over Lee’s Summit. Quarterback Jared Lanpher was 12 of 23 for 210 yards and a score and wide receiver Keeston Terry caught a touchdown and finished with 128 yards in the air against the Tigers.
“That was the fourth week of the season,” Lanpher said. “I’m sure they’re a better team now. If you’re in the playoffs, it means you’re playing winning football.
“We’re so focused right now. I’d be lying to you if I said we didn’t want another shot at Rockhurst – but all we’re thinking about is Lee’s Summit.”
Miller, who has 2,029 rushing yards and 32 total touchdowns, agrees.
“We want to get to state, and to get to state we have to beat Lee’s Summit,” Miller said. “We’re very focused and the only school we’re thinking about is Lee’s Summit. They’re coming over to our place and we want to show everyone who the better team is Friday night.”
Donohoe has led the Wildcats to two state championships (2001, 2003), but said this year’s team has done something that no team he’s every coached has accomplished.
“I’ve never had a team that’s just gone out and dominated opponents – with the exception of Week 3 – like this one,” Donohoe said. “To score 42 or more points in nine of 10 games and to score 50 or more points three times is pretty impressive.”
And those lofty totals have come with the starters playing less than three quarters. Donohoe usually unloads the bench when his team gets a running clock lead early in the third quarter.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” said former Wildcats head coach Tim Crone, who now broadcasts the Blue Springs football games on KCWJ 1030 AM. “Can you imagine the numbers Darrian or Keeston could put up if they played an entire game? I can think of one or two games this year where Kelly could have scored 100 points against an opponent – but Kelly’s too classy for that.
“When he has the big lead, he yanks the starters after one offensive series in the third quarter. When you stop and think about it, a kid like Darrian Miller has 2,000 yards on the ground and he did that playing half the season.”
When a team averages more than seven touchdowns a game, it’s easy to overlook a stingy defense whose starting unit has allowed fewer than 14 points a game throughout the season.
The Wildcats crowning defensive achievement came in a 42-0 victory over crosstown rival Blue Springs South.
“We don’t care about publicity or headlines,” said defensive lineman Jordan Chrisman, who recorded a career-high five sacks in a key 51-21 district win at Liberty. “I’d be writing and talking about our offense, too. When you see Darrian or Keeston or Nick (Halterman) or any of those guys do what they’ve been doing all season, it just makes you want to work that much harder because every time we shut down an opponent, it means our offense gets the ball – and that means points on the scoreboard.”
Tonight’s game will be broadcast on KCWJ 1030 AM with the pregame show starting at 4 p.m.