By Kai Raymer (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Big and physical up front. A young playmaker flashing on the outside.
Lee’s Summit North’s simple formula was the perfect counter for everything Nixa could muster in Friday night’s Class 6 District 3 championship game.
Behind a steady running game and two game-swinging catches, the Broncos celebrated a second straight district championship with a 24-10 victory on Nixa’s home field.
“The big plays went their way. I thought our kids played really hard. We just couldn’t make a big play on offense or defense,” said Nixa coach John Perry. “We tried to steal a possession here or there. We didn’t get it done, but we had the opportunities.”
Lee’s Summit North sophomore wide receiver Isaiah Mozee burned the Eagles with big plays in crunch time.
Late in the first half, he had a spectacular 49-yard touchdown catch over two Nixa defenders that helped the Broncos take a 10-7 lead into halftime.
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With Lee’s Summit North leading 17-10 late in the fourth, Mozee hauled in a 19-yard touchdown on 4th and 13 to secure his team’s victory.
Mozee, the son of Lee’s Summit North head coach Jamar Mozee, finished with 117 yards and two touchdowns on eight receptions.
It was a breakout game for the 15-year-old sophomore. Coach Mozee noted that Isaiah Mozee didn’t have a catch in a rainy 20-7 win over Lee’s Summit West last week.
“We’re trying to get him the ball more and more. Tonight, he really stepped up to that,” Jamar Mozee said.
When they weren’t throwing it to Isaiah Mozee, the Broncos were handing the ball off to running backs Tanner Howes and Quincey Baker.
Lee’s Summit North ran for over 200 yards as a team, despite only having seven possessions in the game. Howes led the way with 100 yards on 18 carries.
“We’re going to run it. Especially in this weather,” Jamar Mozee said. “It’s cold. We’re going to hand it off. I feel like we have a good o-line, two good running backs and both of our quarterbacks can run, too.”
Often, Lee’s Summit North called runs toward massive left tackle Cayden Green, a 6’5”, 310-pound senior who has committed to play at Oklahoma.
“They ran the ball left behind their big boy (Green) and we just couldn’t get a stop,” Perry said.
Lee’s Summit North (11-1 overall) will play at DeSmet (7-5 overall) in the Class 6 semifinals on Friday, Nov. 18.
The Broncos have come a long way since finishing 1-9 in 2014 and 2-8 in 2016.
“It’s a sign of everybody buying in: Parents, kids, administration,” Jamar Mozee said. “How far we’ve come in eight years. Eight years ago, we were last place in the state. It’s a sign of progression.”
With both teams favoring a run-heavy approach on a cold, windy night, Nixa’s only touchdown on six possessions occurred late in the second quarter.
Junior Spencer Ward’s 9-yard touchdown run briefly put the Eagles up 7-3. Nixa had converted on a fake punt (32-yard pass) earlier in the drive to keep possession.
Nixa’s two scoring drives on the night: 11 plays, 80 yards (touchdown) and 15 plays, 74 yards (field goal).
“We couldn’t get loose outside and generate any big plays,” Perry said. “We had to keep snapping it and running more plays over and over. That’s hard when you’re only three to four yards a pop and have to move all the way down the field.”
Nixa had a chance for more points after Ward’s touchdown, squibbing the ensuing kickoff and nearly making the recovery. The missed opportunity would come back to haunt the Eagles.
Three plays later, Lee’s Summit North quarterback Elijah Leonard rolled right and launched a 49-yard pass to Isaiah Mozee, who beat two Nixa defenders for the ball and trotted into the endzone.
“We had him double-covered and couldn’t find the ball,” Perry said. “Fourth quarter, same thing: We had him covered and couldn’t find the ball.”
Nixa (10-2 overall) tied the game at 10-all on a field goal midway through the third quarter. Lee’s Summit North answered with a 12-play, 68-yard drive that ended with a Leonard touchdown pass to tight end Zack Coetzee.
Leonard, who split snaps with senior Maxxwell Ford, was efficient in limited passing duty. He finished 5-for-6 for 104 yards and three touchdowns, plus 36 yards on the ground.
After Lee’s Summit North went up 17-10 on Leonard’s touchdown pass to Coetzee, Nixa’s next two drives ended with interceptions.
“We knew their (d-line) could be an issue for us, so we had a plan to get rid of the ball quick and go with some screen stuff,” Perry said. “But man, they’d bat it down or run to the ball really well. I thought they were pretty dang good. You have to take your hat off to them – they made the plays when they had to.”
Nixa running back Ramone Green finished with 84 yards on 20 carries in his final high school game. Green missed most of his junior season with a broken collarbone.
“I’m proud of the year he had. He’s a fantastic person,” Perry said. “He probably ends up as the leading rusher in the state after tonight. He’s done a great job of carrying this football team.”
Lee’s Summit North 24, Nixa 10
Lee’s Summit North 0 10 0 14 — 24
Nixa 0 7 3 0 — 10
Second quarter
Lee’s Summit North – Kays 22 kick
Nixa – Ward 7 run (James kick)
Lee’s Summit North – Mozee 49 catch from Leonard (Barnhill kick)
Third quarter
Nixa – James 23 kick
Fourth quarter
Lee’s Summit North – Coetzee 11 catch from Leonard (Barnhill kick)
Lee’s Summit North – Mozee 19 catch from Leonard (Barnhill kick)
