For the John Burroughs Bombers, the fifth time proved to be a charm as they captured that elusive state championship last weekend.
The Bombers had been to the Show-Me Bowl four of the past five years, only to fall short of the state title. That wasn’t the case last Saturday as John Burroughs dominated Odessa 30-6 to win the Class 3 state championship at the Edward Jones Dome. It was the program’s ninth state championship and first since 2001.
Sophomore running back Jake Bain enjoyed a dominating performance in leading the Bombers offensive attack. Bain rushed for 261 yards on 36 carries and scored three touchdowns on runs of 13, 54 and 59 yards. Bain finished the season with 2,172 yards on the ground and 33 touchdowns, thus carrying on the recent run of standout backs at JBS that includes Ezekiel Elliott (Ohio State) and John Moten (Northwestern).
Sophomore quarterback Tyler Foote completed eight of his 14 passes for 83 yards. Foote completed the season with 2,152 yards passing and 35 touchdowns. Foote and Bain will continue to be the offensive leaders for the next two seasons.
For the talented senior class, which included linebackers Thomas Bolstad and Hunter Wilkins, lineman Graham Cummings and two-way playmakers Ronald Smith and Chris Booker, a state title was a fitting way to end their standout careers. Bolstad led a stingy defensive effort by having a hand in 16 tackles.
West Side rises again
The West Side of the state enjoyed a dominant weekend in St. Louis as it took home three state championships and snapped some impressive winning streaks in the process.
In the Class 6 Show-Me Bowl, Blue Springs South defeated CBC 37-28 in a battle of undefeated teams. The Jaguars rallied from a 21-6 deficit in the first half to take home the state title. Not only did Blue Springs South deny the Cadets a repeat state title, but they broke their 27-game winning streak in the process. It marked the third time that Blue Springs South has defeated CBC in the state-championship game. The championship in football concludes a tremendous calendar year for Blue Springs South, which also won the Class 5 state championship in basketball last March.
CBC’s Tre Bryant closed out his brilliant career by rushing for 186 yards and scoring three touchdowns. Bryant will continue his career at Nebraska next fall.
Kearney pulled off the biggest shocker of the weekend when it took down five-time defending state champion Webb City 17-14 in the Class 4 state championship game. Kearney broke Webb City’s five-year stranglehold on the Class 4 crown and snapped the Cardinals’ 42-game winning streak in the process. The game ended in a dramatic way as Kearney forced a Webb City fumble on the goal-line in the closing seconds to deny the Cardinals a winning touchdown.
Fort Osage brought the Class 5 state championship back to the West as it defeated Chaminade 63-28 last Saturday night. Senior quarterback Skylar Thompson enjoyed a record-setting performance to lead Fort Osage. The Kansas State commit amassed a state-record total of 455 yards passing and rushing and scored three touchdowns to lead the rout. Chaminade was making its first appearance in the state-championship game since 1972. On a team stacked with juniors and sophomores, the Red Devils have a good chance to return to the Dome next season.
Business as usual
The Class 1 and 2 state championship outcomes proved to be business and usual as St. Genevieve Valle and Lamar brought home state titles. In the Class 1 final, Valle defeated Hamilton Penney 61-36 to win its state-record 14th championship. In the Class 2 championship game, Lamar defeated Malden 37-0 to take home its fifth consecutive state title.
