Blue Valley Tigers (1-0) vs. Blue Valley West Jaguars (1-0)
(Home game)
Friday, Sept. 12, 2014 at 7 p.m.
Blue Valley:
The Tigers defense absolutely smothered Shawnee Mission Northwest to say the least. They prevented the Cougars from scoring and made several key stops on third-down situations. On the offensive side, the 29-0 scoreline reflects an effort that saw the Tigers slowly grind out the Viking defense. Running back junior A.J. Totta was too much to handle, rushing for 138 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback junior Colton McCumber was solid as quarterback, protecting the ball well and adding a rushing touchdown of his own. McCumber attempted only seven passes all game, completing six of them. All in all, the Tigers looked well-organized and disciplined to bring home a solid win on the road.
Blue Valley West:
Blue Valley West began its chase for the State title with a rout of the Lawrence Lions. With the score only 14-7 at halftime, The Jaguars reeled off 23 unanswered points to put the game away by the beginning of the fourth quarter. New starting quarterback Zev Malin threw for 3 touchdowns in the game, while running back Tyler Cox rushed for 100 yards to complement the offense.
BV will win if: The team can pass the ball. Last week, Colton McCumber had little need to throw the ball. The Tigers running game tore the Shawnee Mission Northwest defense apart. However, against a much better Blue Valley West defense, the Tigers must be able to throw the ball to keep the Jaguars on their heels and protect the ball at all times. Turnovers and a stagnant offense will most definitely result in disaster.
Players to watch:
BV — Quarterback Colton McCumber
McCumber only attempted seven passes last week, completing six. That turned out to be more than enough against the Cougars. However, the Jaguar defense is much stronger, and it will be interesting to see how McCumber responds to more pressure and better defensive backs. Passing the ball will become a necessity this week.
Blue Valley West — Running Back Tyler Cox
Cox was honorable-mention All-EKL last season and began his senior year with a 100-yard night against Lawrence, including a 45-yard touchdown run. It will be interesting to see how the Tiger defense reacts to him tonight along with the rest of a prolific Jaguar offene.
Last Matchup — In one of the most exciting games in school history, the Tigers topped BV West 38-33 in the Kansas Sub-State Championship game. A back-an- forth affair resulted in wide receiver graduate Mikey Henson find the winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter to cap a remarkable season. Fans and players stormed the field in mayhem at the conclusion of the contest. The Tigers went on to defeat Salina South in the State Championship Game for Blue Valley’s sixth State title. The win avenged the Tigers loss to the Jaguars in the last game of the regular season.
Prediction — The long anticipated rematch has finally arrived and will not disappoint. An exciting game will see both defenses called upon. After going back and forth, the Tiger defense will make a crucial stand in the fourth quarter to seal a hard-earned victory.
BV: 24 Blue Valley West: 20
