FRONTENAC 42, ROCK CREEK 26
Frontenac never trailed against Rock Creek, but couldn't shake the Mustangs until midway through the third quarter.
After ties at 7-7 and 14-14 and holding a slim 21-20 lead after a Rock Creek score early in the third quarter, Frontenac finally created some separation with three straight touchdowns to take a commanding 42-20 lead. Justice Compton had all three scores, taking in a 7-yard touchdown run in the third quarter before opening the fourth with a 5-yard TD pass from Collin McCartney and a 10-yard TD run.
Compton finished with 113 yards rushing and three touchdowns – also scoring on a 34-yard run in the second quarter – while backfield mate Mario Menghini ran for 195 yards and two touchdowns, coming on runs of 14 and 3 yards in the first half. As a team, Frontenac ran for 379 yards.
Rock Creek quarterback Dalton Whitworth threw for 272 yards and three touchdowns, hitting Ethan Burgess on a 34-yard scoring strike, Daegan Vinduska for 62 yards and Yanci Spiller for six yards. Burgess finished with 117 yards receiving.
Rock Creek finished the season 7-4 while Frontenac improved to 9-2 and will take on Holton (11-0) in the semifinals
HOLTON 36, GIRARD 0
Girard had turned the ball over just five times all season going into its state quarterfinal clash at Holton. Thanks to a smothering performance by the Holton defense, the Trojans matched their season total, turning it over five times overall including four times in the opening half.
Holton didn't capitalize on all of Girard's miscues, but did enough to build a 29-0 halftime lead. Jake Zeller had a pair of interceptions in the game, while Lucas Adcock had a pick and fumble recovery an Cayden Jackson added a fumble recovery.
The Wildcats scored on their opening drive of the game with Matt Lierz popping a 28-yard run on a quarterback keeper around the right side. Jayden Fletcher and Garyson Booth each had a pair of touchdown runs in the game with Fletcher scoring on runs of 1 and 3 yards and Booth on runs of 1 and 33 yards, the latter the lone touchdown in the second half of the game.
When Girard wasn't turning it over, the Trojans couldn't get anything going offensively. They finished with just 123 yards of total offense and had half as many first downs in the first half (2) as they did turnovers (4), suffering their lone loss in a 10-1 season.
Holton has reached the state semifinals for the second straight season. Last year, the Wildcats lost to Big Seven League rival Perry-Lecompton in the semis. This year, Holton will face Frontenac, a team the Wildcats dismantled 42-6 in last year's state quarterfinals.
ANDALE 54, CONCORDIA 14
For the first time this season, Andale's defense gave up more than six points to an opponent.
By the time Concordia got its second touchdown of the game, however, the Indians already had their trip back to the state semifinals – and 37
th straight victory – well in hand.
Andale led 16-0 at the end of the first quarter on touchdown runs by Wyatt Spexarth (3 yards) and Gage Prosser (52 yards) and 32-6 at halftime before dropping 22 points on Concordia in the third quarter to blow the game completely open. The Panthers cut the Indian lead to 16-6 on Carlgren's 14-yard run, but Kelby Eck returned the ensuing kickoff 80 yards for a score to start a string of 38 straight points.
Prosser added a second touchdown run of 34 yards, while Riley Marx (24) and Jonah Meyer (7) also had TD runs and Spexarth threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to Drew Bugner.
Andale's stout defense held Concordia's leading rusher, Keyan Miller to just 38 yards on 23 carries. Aidan Poore ran for 100 yards for the Panthers, scoring one of the two touchdowns with Carlgren rushing for the other.
Andale (11-0) will take on fellow unbeaten Southeast of Saline (11-0) in this week's semifinals. Concordia finished the season 8-3.
SOUTHEAST OF SALINE 34, CHENEY 28
Southeast of Saline trailed by 14 points before it ran its first offensive play – the Trojans' first deficit of the season – but rallied for the road victory in a battle of unbeaten Class 3A teams.
Quarterback Luke Gebhardt scored the winning touchdown on a 33-yard run with 8:28 remaining. It was the only lead of the game for Southeast, which improved to 11-0 and advanced to the 3A semifinals for the first time since its 2005 championship season.
Turnovers and miscues by both teams contributed to several momentum swings. Cheney committed four turnovers, the first of which prevented the Cardinals from going up three scores in the opening quarter after they got the ball in Southeast territory on Quincy Thomas' interception.
Gebhardt passed for 171 yards and three touchdowns, two to his twin brother Jake. His other touchdown, a 19-yarder to running back Matthew Rodriguez, and a two-point conversion pass to Landen Allen tied the score at 28 late in the third quarter.
Cheney (10-1), which got 256 passing yards and four touchdowns from quarterback Harrison Voth, moved to Southeast's 13 on the first play of the fourth quarter on Voth's 39-yard completion to Dayton Higgs. But the Cardinals fumbled on the next play and Rodriguez recovered, setting up the Trojans' game-winning, 87-yard drive.
Southeast finished with 435 yards of total offense. Cheney ended with 398, including Thomas' 113 rushing yards and 66 receiving yards.