Blue Valley sends SM West packing, winning 42-18

Friday November 6, 2009 7:00 PM
Team (Record)	1^st	2^nd	3^rd	4^th	Total
Blue Valley (4 - 6)	14	14	14	0	42
Shawnee Mission West (7 - 2)	3	7	0	8	18

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Source: The Star

Mike Ransdell | The Kansas City Star

Blue Valley’s Bryant Reber (left) set the tone for Friday’s game late in the first quarter when he corralled a muffed Shawnee Mission West kickoff at the 15-yard line. The Tigers scored on the next play, and the Vikings never recovered. Blue Valley led 28-10 at halftime and 42-10 going into the final quarter.

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Blue Valley continued its inspired late-season run on Friday, defeating Shawnee Mission West 42-18 in the first round of the Kansas 6A state playoffs.

The Tigers, who started the regular season with losses in five of their first six games, captured their third game in a row by pummeling the second-seeded Vikings, the second-place team in the Sunflower League, at SM South District Stadium.

The Vikings were in a similar situation in 2008, losing an undefeated season with an 27-14 decision to Blue Valley Northwest. The Tigers, 4-6, will play BV Northwest next Friday. The Vikings finished the season with an 8-2 record.

Senior quarterback Anthony Abenoja had a hand in all six touchdowns. He ran for three TDs, all on 1-yard runs. He tossed touchdown passes of 15 yards to junior P.J. DeBey, 21 yards to senior Connor Rusnak and 40-yards to junior Matt Hamblin.

“Our line played great, our running backs did a great job and the defense stopped their run,” Abenoja said.

Abenoja completed eight of 17 passes for 162 yards and rushed 15 times for 55.

Sophomore running back Justin Fulks had a career-high 163 yards on 22 carries.

“I just ran through the holes,” Fulks said. “I just did my part.”

Tigers coach Steve Rampy said he had told Fulks that he was no longer a sophomore.

“He has played nine games, and he’s a junior now. He ran hard tonight,” Rampy said.

“We took away their run, and our offensive balance was good.”

The Vikings had 169 yards rushing on 35 carries. Senior quarterback D.J. Balazs completed 10 of 23 passes for 166 yards and three touchdowns.

SM West scored first after forcing a Blue Valley punt. They moved 42 yards in nine plays to the Tigers 32. The drive stalled and senior kicker Nick Sylvester toed a 49-yard field goal to make it 3-0 with seven minutes and 23 seconds left in the first quarter.

Blue Valley tallied its first TD by going 80 yards in seven plays with Abenoja scoring from the 1 with 1:43 remaining in the first quarter. Fulks had a 51-yard run in the drive.

Perhaps the game’s crucial play came on the ensuing kickoff. Sophomore Austin Johnson’s kickoff into a strong wind bounced around the 20 and past a Viking.

The ball was recovered by junior Bryant Reber at the West 15. The Tigers quickly went for the score, with Abenoja throwing a fade to junior P.J. DeBey in the left corner of the end zone just 9 seconds after the Tigers’ first touchdown.

submitted by CHARLES REDFIELD - 2009-11-06 23:18:02