Before every game, Blue Springs senior Gus Toca writes on his wristbands: ’Til I collapse, go hard.
With his Wildcats teammates cramping, battling serious illness and flu-like conditions, the big man never left the field in a memorable season opener coach Kelly Donohoe called, “As special as any game I’ve ever been a part of in my nine years at Blue Springs High School.”
When it looked like visiting Lee’s Summit West had sealed a victory over the host Wildcats, Toca and his teammates went to work.
“Big Gus is 250 pounds of heart – and a lot of muscle,” Donohoe said, of the massive tight end/defensive end who participated in every play of the Wildcats improbable 36-35 victory that was sealed by a 2-point conversion that left the standing room only crowd at Peve Stadium stunned.
“Kelly Donohoe doesn’t have two cajones,” former Wildcats coach Kenny Vance said, as he left the pressbox, “he has four or six. That was the damnedest call I’ve ever seen in my life. No one but Kelly makes that call.”
But long before that call, Toca proved that his senior season was going to be special.
He caught a 5-yard touchdown pass from Jared Lanpher on the opening play of the fourth quarter to cut the Wildcats deficit to 28-21, but the Titans’ Aaron Vanderpool helped West regain momentum with a 71-yard touchdown run where he burst through the middle of the line on a third-and-one play.
“That got us mad,” said Toca, who had a sack and scored the first touchdown of the game on a 3-yard run from the fullback position. “We knew we couldn’t give them any more scoring opportunities, and we didn’t.”
With his teammates cramping on the sidelines, Toca rallied the defense, which did not allow another first down the remainder of the game.
Rex Reynolds came up with a big sack against Titans quarterback B.J. Jackson, Bernard Thomas recovered a Titan fumble and frustrated sophomore running back Darrian Miller finally lived up to the preseason hype by scoring on a 5-yard run to make it 35-28 with 6:23 to play.
“I had some stomach problems,” said Miller, who finished with 86 yards 14 carries. “But that had nothing to do with my problems running the ball. It took some time to get into the flow of the game. I felt bad, because all of them working so hard and I wasn’t making a contribution.”
Thomas’ fumble recovery gave the Wildcats the ball at the West 41 with 4:33 to play.
“We knew we had to score and score pretty quick,” Lanpher said. “Their offense didn’t have a lot of success the fourth quarter, expect for the one long run, and you could tell the defense had been on the field for a long time and was getting kind of tired.”
Lanpher hit Nick Halterman for an 8-yard gain and Miller followed with a six-yard run, good for a first down.
Facing a third and four on the 25, Miller sprinted to the near sideline for a seven-yard gain, and another first down.
After an unsuccessful run and an incomplete pass, Lanpher found his go-to receiver – returning all-state receiver Keeston Terry – on a pass to the flat. Terry bounced off a couple of Titan defenders and scored from the 9, making it a one-point game, 35-34, with 1:41 to play.
“Before that last offensive series, coach told three guys that we were going for two if we scored,” Lanpher said, “me, (tight end) Brady Letchworth and Nick.”
Upon hearing that comment, Terry said, “I’m glad I didn’t know. I’d have been freaking out.”
Lanpher couldn’t find Letchworth because of the Titan pass rush, but saw Halterman near to goal line on the far side.
“I threw it, and thank goodness he caught it,” Lanpher said. “When he caught it, it was like, ‘YES!’”
The Titans couldn’t get anything going on their final offensive series and the Wildcats began the postgame celebration.
“This hurts, it really does,” said Titans coach Royce Boehm, whose team moved up to Class 5 after winning the Class 4 state championship last year, “but I am so proud of my guys. I know Coach Donohoe is proud of his guys, too. I just told our young men to keep their heads up, because they gave one of the best teams in the state a real battle.”
As Donohoe addressed his players at midfield, he pointed toward the Titans and said, “That is a great team. That team could win the Class 5 title. They came to our place and gave us everything they could and then some. They don’t deserve to lose this game, but guys, I am so proud of you.”
Long after the game had ended, Donohoe sat in the locker room, soaking in that post-victory feeling that keeps his juices flowing.
Toca came up and said, “Coach, I’m pretty sore. But I sure feel good.”
As he left the locker room, Donohoe called out, “Big man, we’re going to try and get you some time off next Friday, but we needed all you gave tonight.
“That’s the reason I do this. Kids like Gus Toca – who bleed purple and gold – and games like this. You never forget them – never.”
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Before every game, Blue Springs senior Gus Toca writes on his wristbands: ’Til I collapse, go hard.
With his Wildcats teammates cramping, battling serious illness and flu-like conditions, the big man never left the field in a memorable season opener coach Kelly Donohoe called, “As special as any game I’ve ever been a part of in my nine years at Blue Springs High School.”
When it looked like visiting Lee’s Summit West had sealed a victory over the host Wildcats, Toca and his teammates went to work.
“Big Gus is 250 pounds of heart – and a lot of muscle,” Donohoe said, of the massive tight end/defensive end who participated in every play of the Wildcats improbable 36-35 victory that was sealed by a 2-point conversion that left the standing room only crowd at Peve Stadium stunned.
“Kelly Donohoe doesn’t have two cajones,” former Wildcats coach Kenny Vance said, as he left the pressbox, “he has four or six. That was the damnedest call I’ve ever seen in my life. No one but Kelly makes that call.”
But long before that call, Toca proved that his senior season was going to be special.
He caught a 5-yard touchdown pass from Jared Lanpher on the opening play of the fourth quarter to cut the Wildcats deficit to 28-21, but the Titans’ Aaron Vanderpool helped West regain momentum with a 71-yard touchdown run where he burst through the middle of the line on a third-and-one play.
“That got us mad,” said Toca, who had a sack and scored the first touchdown of the game on a 3-yard run from the fullback position. “We knew we couldn’t give them any more scoring opportunities, and we didn’t.”
With his teammates cramping on the sidelines, Toca rallied the defense, which did not allow another first down the remainder of the game.
Rex Reynolds came up with a big sack against Titans quarterback B.J. Jackson, Bernard Thomas recovered a Titan fumble and frustrated sophomore running back Darrian Miller finally lived up to the preseason hype by scoring on a 5-yard run to make it 35-28 with 6:23 to play.
“I had some stomach problems,” said Miller, who finished with 86 yards 14 carries. “But that had nothing to do with my problems running the ball. It took some time to get into the flow of the game. I felt bad, because all of them working so hard and I wasn’t making a contribution.”
Thomas’ fumble recovery gave the Wildcats the ball at the West 41 with 4:33 to play.
“We knew we had to score and score pretty quick,” Lanpher said. “Their offense didn’t have a lot of success the fourth quarter, expect for the one long run, and you could tell the defense had been on the field for a long time and was getting kind of tired.”
Lanpher hit Nick Halterman for an 8-yard gain and Miller followed with a six-yard run, good for a first down.
Facing a third and four on the 25, Miller sprinted to the near sideline for a seven-yard gain, and another first down.
After an unsuccessful run and an incomplete pass, Lanpher found his go-to receiver – returning all-state receiver Keeston Terry – on a pass to the flat. Terry bounced off a couple of Titan defenders and scored from the 9, making it a one-point game, 35-34, with 1:41 to play.
“Before that last offensive series, coach told three guys that we were going for two if we scored,” Lanpher said, “me, (tight end) Brady Letchworth and Nick.”
Upon hearing that comment, Terry said, “I’m glad I didn’t know. I’d have been freaking out.”
Lanpher couldn’t find Letchworth because of the Titan pass rush, but saw Halterman near to goal line on the far side.
“I threw it, and thank goodness he caught it,” Lanpher said. “When he caught it, it was like, ‘YES!’”
The Titans couldn’t get anything going on their final offensive series and the Wildcats began the postgame celebration.
“This hurts, it really does,” said Titans coach Royce Boehm, whose team moved up to Class 5 after winning the Class 4 state championship last year, “but I am so proud of my guys. I know Coach Donohoe is proud of his guys, too. I just told our young men to keep their heads up, because they gave one of the best teams in the state a real battle.”
As Donohoe addressed his players at midfield, he pointed toward the Titans and said, “That is a great team. That team could win the Class 5 title. They came to our place and gave us everything they could and then some. They don’t deserve to lose this game, but guys, I am so proud of you.”
Long after the game had ended, Donohoe sat in the locker room, soaking in that post-victory feeling that keeps his juices flowing.
Toca came up and said, “Coach, I’m pretty sore. But I sure feel good.”
As he left the locker room, Donohoe called out, “Big man, we’re going to try and get you some time off next Friday, but we needed all you gave tonight.
“That’s the reason I do this. Kids like Gus Toca – who bleed purple and gold – and games like this. You never forget them – never.”
