For the second consecutive season, the Missouri Class 6 state championship trophy in football will reside in St. Louis.
CBC defeated Blue Springs 31-14 to win the state title last Saturday night at Missouri State University in Springfield. It marked the second state title in the past four years for the Cadets, who finished the season with a 13-1 record.
Kirkwood defeated Blue Springs for the state championship last season. Blue Springs advanced to the state championship game with a victory at CBC, so the Cadets were able to gain a measure of revenge on the state’s biggest stage last weekend.
Standout running back Bryan Bradford did most of the damage on offense for the Cadets has he rushed for 123 yards on 29 carries and three touchdowns on short runs of 2,4 and 6 yards. The Cadets defense did a tremendous job of shutting down a potent Blue Springs team that had been averaging 35 points a game during the postseason.
Senior Lonnell Boyd, Jr. led the defensive charge with five solo tackles and a total 12 stops. Boyd also caught seven passes for 60 yards on offense. Larry Williams added six solo tackles while the Cadets also corralled two interceptions on the evening.
The Cadets overall talent and depth were also on display as they played without All-American receiver Kamryn Babb, who missed the entire season with a knee injury and top linebacker M.J. Anderson, also missed the season as well with an injury. Nebraska recruit Cameron Brown also missed the last two weeks with an injury, but the Cadets continued to march on to the state championship.
Pattonville advances to Class 5 final
The Pattonville Pirates continued their great postseason run as they advanced to Saturday’s Class 5 Show-Me Bowl against Staley at Faurot Field on the campus of the University of Missouri. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. The Pirates have knocked off defending state champion Vianney and defending state runner-up Fort Zumwalt North en route to getting to their second state title game appearance.
The Pirates are led by senior quarterback Kaleb Eleby, who is a four-year starter. The Western Michigan commit has passed for 2,421 yards and 22 touchdowns and only six interceptions. Senior David Ellison has been a stalwart two-way performer all season. He has rushed for 945 yards and 16 touchdowns on offense while recording 109 tackles and 10 interceptions on defense. Charles Shelton IV is the leading receiver with 34 catches for 672 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Pattonville will face a Staley team that has been dominating during the postseason. Staley has averaged an impressive 47 points a game in their four postseason victories.
Ladue to face Webb City in Class 4 Final
Ladue will be face perennial state power Webb City for the Class 4 state championship on Friday night at the University of Missouri. Kickoff is a 7 p.m. The Rams (12-2) defeated Parkway Central 31-14 in the state semifinals last Friday night.
The Rams are led by senior quarterback Jordan Jackson, who has passed for 1,753 yards and 20 touchdowns while rushing for 380 yards and six touchdowns. Ladue has not lost with Jackson at quarterback this season as he missed the first three weeks with an injury. Ladue was 1-2 without Jackson.
Running back Andrew Hunt has rushed for 1,108 yards and 13 touchdowns while junior Dale Chesson is a big-play receiver who has 44 catches for 899 yards and 13 touchdowns. B.J. Buchannon leads a strong Ladue defensive unit with 102 tackles, including 72 solos while 6’7” 250-pound junior defensive lineman Moses Okpala has recorded nine quarterback sacks.
In Webb City, Ladue will be facing one of the great dynasties in Missouri high school football. Webb City will be seeking a 14th state championship on Friday night.
Lamar stops Lutheran North title bid
In a battle of powerhouse small-school programs, Lamar edged Lutheran North 7-6 in a defensive slugfest to advance to this weekend’s state championship game in Columbia. Lamar will now play for a seventh consecutive state championship after winning their 48th consecutive game.
Neither team could score for the first quarters, but then traded touchdowns midway through the final stanza. The difference in the game was a blocked extra point by Lamar which enabled them to preserve the victory. Lutheran North finished its tremendous season with a 12-1 record.
