OVERLAND PARK, KS - As night fell and brisk winds began to roar through the stadium, Olathe North and Blue Valley Northwest High School engaged in a battle of the running backs with the region championship title on the line.
The game was not even for long, as Olathe North's defense, led by senior Jimmie Swain, stopped BVNW junior running back Miles Alexander in his tracks. Without a key part of their offense racking up yards and touchdowns, the Huskies were unable to keep up with the Eagles as ON went on to claim victory, 14-3.
“BVNW played really well today with a lot of intensity,” Swain said. “I think they played a big role in our development today. I’m so proud of our defense right now and I’m ready to move onto next week.”
Olathe North (6-3) jumped to an early lead with two minutes left in the first quarter as senior running back Venus Triplett dodged and twisted through a hole at the end of the line from 20 yards out for the score. While Triplett only made one trip to the end zone during the game, his performance was exceptional. The Eagle’s offense turned to him when the time came to convert downs or gain extra yards, and he fulfilled their expectations.
The loss dropped Blue Valley Northwest to 7-2.
Late in the second quarter, the Eagles put another seven up on the board when junior quarterback Cole Murphy aired it out to junior tight end Josh Moore who caught it in stride at the 35 and ran 15 yards for the final touchdown of the night.
“We played pretty hard,” Eagles coach Gene Wier said. “You do what you need to do to win, that’s our mantra. Our defense stepped up and did great. A few weeks ago when we played Gardner-Edgerton, we were up but then they came back and took the lead. We didn’t want that to happen again because we should’ve won.”
Added Swain: “The defense had a little bit of a chip on their shoulder from last year. We weren’t too good last year and a lot people didn’t respect our defense. We gave up too many points. This year was a focus for us to go out and show people that we mean business, and I think that we are accomplishing that.”
While a euphoric feeling took over Eagles fans as the game progressed, tension overcame the Husky sideline, as the offense could not keep a drive alive. Multiple turnovers, penalties, and fumbles kept the Huskies from possessing the ball for too long. BVNW was only able to put up three points from a field goal by Bryan Gish midway through the second quarter. The Eagle defense provided blanket coverage of Husky receivers.
“It happens,” BVNW coach Mike Zegunis said. “Especially toward the end of the game. There was some mis-communication and some plays didn’t go as planned. But they kept playing, so I’m proud of them.”
Swain said the Eagles knew BVNW liked to pass a lot, and rightfully so since the team has both the receivers and the routes for that type of offense. However, by sticking to the game plan, Swain said they were able to shut down the offense.
“We’re feeling really good right now,” Swain said. “We’re feeling amazing about our defense, we’re not giving up any points right now. We’re stopping the run, we’re picking picks, and I’m so proud.”
Though the Husky offense was effectively stopped, Zegunis credited the defense for keeping them in the game. After two touchdowns in the first half, the BVNW defense, led by senior Kyle Harrison and Jordan Carroll with tackles and deflections, kept the Eagles from scoring in the second half.
“Our defense was really great,” Zegunis said. “They gave us a lot of chances to get the ball back in good field position and score points. Our offense just didn’t succeed. When you have turnovers, negative plays, and incomplete passes, (it makes things difficult). That’s just how it played out tonight. I do give credit to [Olathe North’s] defense; they’re very good.”
Added senior receiver Jaquwan Stone: “They held onto the ball. Our offense just needed to capitalize on improving their passes and being prepared. We finished off the season pretty good. We could have gone further, but we still did pretty good.”
Zegunis predicts next year's team will be new and young, and hopes they will be able to compete and give it their all. As far as this season goes, Zegunis said he has no regrets.
“This season was outstanding,” Zegunis said. “The team played their tails off and gave it their all. I’m very proud of them.”
