Advertisement

Friday night lights: Kearney, Rock, Smithville, St. Pius among Missouri winners

Here’s a look at highlights from some big Missouri-side high school football games around the Kansas City metro on Friday night.

Kearney 38, Park Hill 17

Kearney has shown early why its the defending Class 4 state champion, not to mention a group that looks poised to make another run at the title this year.

Bulldogs senior Grant Noland and sophomore quarterback Carter Temple each accounted for two touchdowns as host Kearney, ranked No. 1 in the 810 Varsity Missouri Class 4 state rankings, improved to 4-0.

Kearney scuffled early on a goal-line series. But after three unsuccessful tries from the Park Hill 1, a KHS version of the tush-push produced a 1-yard TD plunge by Noland.

And from there, Kearney piled up the points. Temple hit Noland for a TD with 6 seconds left in the half and the Bulldogs led 17-3 at the break.

Junior Corbin Emmons joined the party with a 45-yard scoring scamper to open the third period before Park Hill (2-2) finally countered with the first of two TD passes to Dante Dixon.

Temple found the end zone on a twisting TD run that made it 31-10 Kearney with 7:37 left. Dixon scored his second TD on an 80-yard catch, but Tristan Williams’ TD iced it.

Kearney will play host to North Kansas City (3-1) next Friday night, while Park Hill is scheduled to take on rival Park Hill South.

Rockhurst 38, Lee’s Summit West 17

Rockhurst stayed undefeated on Friday night, but Lee’s Summit West made the Hawklets sweat for a minute.

The Hawklets, ranked No. 2 in the 810 Varsity Top 25, held a 24-7 halftime lead at Dasta Stadium. But the Titans cut into that margin when Jonathan Panto’s early-second half interception led to a field goal.

Then Lee’s Summit West’s Alexander Duncan capped a five-play, 65-yard drive with a 55-yard dash for the end zone, and suddenly it was 24-17 with 2:20 remaining in the third.

But the fourth quarter belonged to Rockhurst. The Hawklets’ Van Pham, who scored on a 10-yard TD run in the first half, was hurt in the third quarter, and in stepped Pierce Fisher and Cash Lewandoski to pick up the slack.

Their rushing set up a decisive 7-yard TD on a jet sweep by Blake Thomas with 2:39 remaining.

The Hawklets play Bishop Miege (0-3) next Friday, while the Titans face Lee’s Summit (3-1).

Smithville 18, Oak Park 10

Host Smithville, ranked No. 17 in the 810 Varsity Top 25, capitalized on turnovers to score the game’s first 18 points ... and then held off the No. 19 Northmen down the stretch.

Junior running back Austin Clevenger opened the scoring on fourth-and-goal with 11:24 to go in the first half. A key 18-yard pass on fourth-and-5 from QB Peyton Steffen to Bodie Ballenger kept the drive going.

Oak Park fumbled on its next possession and Smithville’s Jake Kruse recovered at the 14-yard line. The Warriors turned that into points as well, with Aiden Verhulst booting a 33-yard field goal at the 9:17 mark.

Steffen scored on a 35-yard run to make it 18-0 with 8:04 left in the third, but the Northmen mounted a comeback attempt.

First, Donovan Ross ran back the ensuing kickoff for a TD to make it 18-7. Then the visitors hit a field goal. Oak Park got the ball back one final time with 3:24, but the rally fell short.

Smithville will travel to Excelsior Springs next Friday, while Oak Park is set to play host to Fort Osage.

St. Pius X 61, Maryville 0

St. Pius X put up huge numbers again, beating Maryville 61-0 at home.

In their last three games, the Warriors have scored 57, 59 and 61 points while allowing just 15 — total.

St. Pius X got going right away in this one with a rushing TD from Larry Cascone, his first of three in the first half. An interception by the Warriors set up Cascone’s second TD, and then St. Pius added a field goal.

The Warriors picked off another Maryville pass late in the first quarter. On the very next play, Hudson Bailey connected with Tommy Hustler for a 54-yard TD to make it 24-0.

Cascone scored his third TD late in the first half. But there was still enough time for the Warriors to get the ball back and tack on a Bailey-to-Noah McPhee TD and lead 38-0 at intermission.

The Warriors (3-1), ranked fourth in Missouri Class 5 in the latest 810 Varsity rankings, will play host to Chillicothe next week.

For scores, stats, recaps, rankings, broadcasts and more, visit 810Varsity.com.