[wpbvideo id=’302352′]
By Nolan Epstein
Springfield, MO – Rockhurst’s defensive front proved to be too much for top-seeded Kickapoo to handle on Friday night as the Chiefs (9-2) fell by a 26-3 final to the nine-time state champion Hawklets (8-2) in district semifinal action.
Armed with a front-seven that helped hold opponents to just 12 PPG coming into the night, Rockhurst frustrated head coach Kurt Thompson’s team all game long – containing the Chiefs to just 31 rushing yards and their lowest point total since a 41-0 defeat at the hands of the Hawklets in 2014.
“We knew they were good on defense,” Thompson said of No. 4 seed Rockhurst. “They played great on defense all year. They made some plays and we left some plays out there, but with good football teams, that’s what’s going to happen.”
Kickapoo senior QB Chris Lawson managed to find some success through the air by completing 20 of 30 passes for 195 yards, but the usually-lethal ground combo of Lawson and running back Devin Kruse couldn’t get anything going when it came to the run.
Out of nine total offensive possessions, the Chiefs were forced to punt five times while committing three turnovers-on-down. The lone successful possession for Kickapoo came shortly before halftime when Joshua Scheiderer knocked through a 47-yard field goal.
“We decided that everything we did this year was to concentrate on playing great defense,” Rockhurst head coach Tony Severino said following the win. “We don’t have that home run hitter on offense, but we do have some pretty tough kids. We just decided that’s the way we’re going to win. If we have to win ugly, we’ll win ugly.”
While Kickapoo didn’t get inside Rockhurst’s 30-yard line until the 6:43 mark of the fourth quarter, the Hawklets were having no trouble in reaching the endzone. Led by a 117-yard rushing performance by junior tailback Brady McCanles and a three-touchdown night from quarterback Chance May, Severino’s club put up nearly 400 total yards to keep the Kickapoo faithful sitting on its hands.
“That’s what we expect out of those two guys,” Severino said of May and McCanles. “They’re going to get you yards and they’re not going to make many mistakes. They both did a great job tonight.”
The Chiefs had a chance late in the contest to finally reach pay dirt when they crept inside the 5-yard line, but a sack delivered to Lawson pushed them back out of prime striking distance – ultimately leading to the final TOD of the night and preserving the 26-3 advantage for the Hawklets.
The loss may have left a bitter taste in the mouths of the Chiefs, but according to Kruse, a senior playing in his last game, Coach Thompson did his best to lift the spirits of his final-year players and gave them some words to remember as they walked off the gridiron one last time.
“He’s not really an emotional guy or anything, but he wanted to let everyone know that he loved each one of us and he knows that this is one of the best teams he’s coached,” Kruse said of Thompson. “I really appreciated it.”
Rockhurst advances to play Lee’s Summit West (9-2) in the district title game next Friday.
Rockhurst 26, Kickapoo 3
Rockhurst 6-7-7-6 – 26
Kickapoo 0-3-0-0 – 3
First quarter
Rockhurst – McCanles 6 run (kick no good)
Second quarter
Kickapoo – Scheiderer 47 kick
Rockhurst – Sykes 1 catch from May (kick good)
Third quarter
Rockhurst – May 2 run (kick good)
Fourth quarter
Rockhurst – May 1 run (kick no good)
