Gardner Edgerton overwhelms Mill Valley

Friday November 14, 2008 7:00 PM
Team (Record)	1^st	2^nd	3^rd	4^th	Total
Mill Valley (9 - 2)	0	0	0	0	0
Gardner Edgerton (10 - 2)	13	15	10	7	45

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Source: The Star

JOHN SLEEZER | THE KANSAS CITY STAR

Coach Marvin Diener and his players celebrated their 45-0 victory over Mill Valley that gave them their first sectional championship.

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Gardner Edgerton coach Marvin Diener wanted his team to make a statement in the first home playoff game of his three-year tenure.

Turns out the Trailblazers didn’t waste any time following his orders. Gardner Edgerton thrilled the home crowd early and often Friday, riding a swarming defense and a huge game from senior running back Taylor Richardson to a convincing 45-0 victory over Mill Valley in the Kansas 5A quarterfinals.

“It was very important for the kids to come out and play well,” said Diener, whose Trailblazers improved to 10-1 and won the sectional football title for the first time in school history. “This was another big steppingstone for us.”

The Trailblazers’ defense, which has allowed only 42 points all season, continued its strong play by bottling up dynamic Mill Valley senior running back Nick Woods. Woods entered the game with more than 1,600 yards and 17 touchdowns, but the Trailblazers held him to 28 yards in 18 carries.

And with Woods effectively shut down, the run-heavy Jaguars, who won the Kaw Valley League and entered the game with a 9-1 record, struggled to move the football.

“Defensively, we were unbelievable,” Diener said. “We did a good job reading blocks, and we tackled very well.”

But while Gardner Edgerton’s defense was dominant, its offense wasn’t too shabby, either, as they took advantage of the terrific field position their defense gave them by pounding the ball behind their physical offensive line.

The group paved the way for Richardson, who rushed 13 times for 69 yards and five touchdowns, including four in the first half that gave the Trailblazers a comfortable 28-0 halftime lead it would not relinquish.

The victory gives Gardner Edgerton a tremendous amount of momentum heading into the state semifinals, where it will face St. Thomas Aquinas, the same team that eliminated the Trailblazers from the playoffs last year and handed them a 12-6 loss on Oct. 24 that ruined their hopes of a perfect season.

However, unlike the last two times the Saints and Trailblazers met, the semifinal game will be played at Gardner Edgerton, where the Trailblazers proved on Friday they know how to win.

“To be able to get this game here next week will be very good for us,” Diener said. “I’d say there’s a good rivalry there already, but a rivalry doesn’t get heated until each team has won a game.

“We hope we’re able to do that.”

submitted by TEREZ A. PAYLOR - 2008-11-14 23:33:01