Two years ago, Bishop Miege head coach Jon Holmes handed off the keys to his team’s offense to a junior quarterback with moxie and swagger.

Mac Armstrong bypassed the need for a transition period and almost immediately started to deliver as the signal-caller in the Stags high-scoring offense.

Two years later, Armstrong is now graduated after racking up more than 6,000 passing yards, 60 passing touchdowns and winning a state championship victory last fall.

This year, Holmes is handing off the keys of his team’s offense to another junior quarterback with a similar confidence shown by Armstrong. In fact, Armstrong is partially responsible for the confidence displayed by junior quarterback Marco Rodriguez this season.

Rodriguez said that Armstrong went up to him after last year’s state championship win and gave him a message: “It’s all you, my man.”

“He handed it off to me and I just kind of took it and ran with it,” Rodriguez said. “He’s a great person to look up to and I did. I’m trying to do what he did and get us to a state championship and win it.”

With that vote of confidence, Rodriguez worked hard in the offseason to prepare himself for a new starting role.

“He has the trust of the guys,” Holmes said. “He earned that in the offseason by showing up at all the offseason workouts and doing all these little things right.”
 

By the time the regular season rolled around, Rodriguez was ready to hit the ground running just as Armstrong did in 2021. He’s thrown for 472 yards and six touchdowns through two games. His completion percentage still trails what his predecessor delivered in his first season, but Rodriguez already has a rushing total in one game that is one-third of Armstrong’s best season total.

There are other differences as well, such as Rodriguez 6-foot-5 frame towers over Armstrong’s height of 6-foot-flat. But that similar confidence has shown through in Rodriguez’s first two games as the starter.

That was definitely clear in Miege’s 51-28 victory over Blue Valley Southwest in Week 2. Rodriguez threw for 254 yards with two touchdowns while also rushing for 49 yards and one of the Stags’ five touchdowns on the ground.

Rodriguez hit those marks even as a few big passing plays fell apart early in the game.

Junior Teryn Jackson, who finished with 94 receiving yards and one touchdown in Week 1 against Blue Valley North, had a chance to match that output early against the Timberwolves. He found himself running past the Blue Valley Southwest secondary on his team’s first possession, only for the ball to slip through his fingers. On the next play, Jackson dropped another catch deep down the field. On the next drive, Rodriguez took another deep shot to Jackson, but Blue Valley Southwest junior defensive back Parker Lindman intercepted the pass.

With the passing game not quite working, Miege took to the ground to get the offense in rhythm on its third possession. That’s when senior running back David Garcia reeled off a 31-yard rushing touchdown to put the Stags up 7-0 midway through the first quarter.

Blue Valley Southwest tried to respond on its next series, trading long passes for screens and pick plays to get the ball to receivers in space. But Dunn took one more deep shot, which found its way into the hands of LJ Lynch. He had a big return on the play, although a block in the back penalty brought it back to Stags 14-yard line.
 

Not a problem for the Stags. 

Rodriguez connected with Howard Peoples on a curl route past the sticks. Instead of settling for the first down, Peoples shook his first defender to turn upfield. That’s when Jackson threw a block that gave Peoples room to take off for an 89-yard touchdown on the play.

Holmes said that after Jackson's second drop, he went up to his receiver to tell him that the ball was going to come back to him and to make the next play.

"He came off and before I could tell him, he said, 'I got you next time, Coach,'" Holmes said. "That's what we have to do. Then you see other guys step as well."

The Stags ending up needing those players to step up in the first half. Blue Valley Southwest really got its offense in rhythm on the next drive, picking up a series of first downs before Dunn found senior wide receiver Tate Everard on a 19-yard touchdown pass to cut Miege’s lead to seven early in the second quarter.

The Stags matched that result on its next drive. Logan Thilges slashed through the defense for a huge gain, only for the Timberwolves to corral him a yard short of the end zone. Miege went right back to Thilges, who punched it in for the rushing touchdown and put his team up 21-7.

The Timberwolves quickly pushed themselves into scoring territory on the next possession. Alex Parks completed the drive by scoring on a 36-yard touchdown pass from Dunn.

Blue Valley Southwest’s defense finally got a stop to give their offense a shot at a two-minute drill. Dunn continued to push the ball down field, leading to a 9-yard touchdown pass to Emmitt Peters in the final minute of the second quarter and tying the game at 21-all.

Rodriguez led a nearly perfect two-minute drill of his own, setting up an end-of-half field goal try, but the kick sailed wide right.

But it was almost all Miege after that.
 

The Stags defense got a quick stop to start the third quarter. Jackson muffed the ensuing punt. But instead of the Stags getting pinned back deep, he retrieved the ball, cut across the field and avoided multiple would-be tacklers to find room up the right sideline for a big gain. A penalty erased most of the yards gained, but the Stags still seemed energized off the play. They quickly moved across midfield to set up a 38-yard touchdown run by Garcia, who finished the game with 203 rushing yards.

Another short Blue Valley Southwest possession and a blocked punt set up Miege for another quick score. Rodriguez sliced through the defense on a QB keeper for a 6-yard rushing touchdown to go up 35-21 midway through the third quarter.

Despite the standout rushing performance, Rodriguez said his teammates have not always seen running the ball as one of his strengths.

“Everybody always jokes, they say I can’t run,” Rodriguez said. “But today, as soon as we called that play, I had no doubt in my mind that my guys would lead me to the end zone. I just got to follow my guys and trust that they’ll get me there.”

Dunn tried to get the Timberwolves going with a long pass down the right sideline, but his receiver ended up tipping the ball into the air on his catch attempt. Miege’s Charlie Vossen snatched the ball out of the air, giving Miege the ball once again. This time the Stags turned their possession into a quick field goal.

After another stop by the Stags defense, Miege scored again with Rodriguez throwing a 30-yard touchdown pass to Hollis Moeller. Miege went up 44-21 after a missed extra point.

Senior linebacker Justyce Betts caused a fumble on Blue Valley Southwest’s next possession, giving a chance for the Stags backups to get in the game. Miege still scored on that drive, with back-up quarterback Solomon Hirsch replicating Rodriguez’s goal-line touchdown run. Hirsch scored his from 8 yards out.

With the game out of reach, Blue Valley Southwest decided to run the ball on its last possession. Drake Dombrosky scored a rushing touchdown in the final seconds to give his team its first points of the second half as Miege won 51-28.

Rodriguez credited his coaches with the team’s performance in this one.

“We knew it was not going to come easy, we knew we had a lot of hard work that started on Monday,” Rodriguez said. “Our coaches got us well prepared and they gave us a game plan. We went out and executed it.”

But executing the game plan is no easy task in the Eastern Kansas League, particularly for a new starting quarterback.

“This is a hard league to get thrown into the fire as a quarterback,” Holmes said. “There’s great defenses and great players, so I’m proud of the effort he’s had and he showed great improvement from Week 1 to Week 2.”

Holmes is also expecting Rodriguez to keep making those weekly strides forward as the season goes along.
OTHER FOOTBALL STANDOUTS

• Frontenac were not quite able to comeback against Colgan in Week 1, but the Raiders found a way to pull out a close victory last Thursday. Frontenac outlasted Riverton in a 21-18 home win. Senior running back Peyton McDonald led his team with 178 rushing yards, 45 receiving yards and two touchdowns The Raiders will continue their two-game homestand when they host Bishop Ward in Week 3.
   
• Gardner Edgerton rolled through its opponent for a second straight week, defeating Shawnee Mission South 58-0 on the road. What might have been most impressive is that the team did so with only a handful of carries for star backs Dawson Kindler and Dylan Butash. Junior quarterback Bravin Powell threw for 149 yards and four passing touchdowns on his five completions. Senior wide receiver Randy Singleton had 55 receiving yards and touchdowns on each of his two catches. Senior wide receiver Colton Hawkins scored a 53-yard touchdown reception while sophomore Porter Swaim scored on a 35-yard touchdown reception. Sophomore running back Nehemiah Snype did most of the work on the ground with 59 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. Powell scored the team’s other rushing touchdown. The Trailblazers won their first two games by a combined score of 100-7. Gardner Edgerton will host Olathe West in its home opener in Week 3.
   
• St. Mary’s Colgan found a way to look even more impressive this week after already getting off to a strong start against Frontenac in Week 1. The Panthers followed up with a 47-8 win over Girard, the one team that had Colgan’s number in its 9-2 campaign in 2022. Senior quarterback Tucker Harrell threw for 152 yards and one passing touchdown. Senior running back Cooper Simmons ran for another 152 yards while also scoring three rushing touchdowns. Harrell added 89 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. Sophomore Carston Simmons gave the Panthers another rushing touchdown while sophomore Anthony Schremmer was the target of Harrell’s touchdown pass.
   
• Olathe North was not quite able to run away with its Week 2 game the way it did in the team’s season opener, but the Eagles still won with a cushion last Thursday. Olathe North took down Shawnee Mission Northwest 35-23 to move to 2-0. Junior quarterback Jamison Sarver threw for 141 yards and one passing touchdown while also scoring on a touchdown run. His back-up, junior Miller Jones, also threw a 79-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Aiden Bruce. Junior wide receiver Cole Smither racked up 107 receiving yards to edge out Bruce’s 98 for the game-high. Smither also had a touchdown reception. Senior running back TJ Porter finished with 126 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. The Eagles will host Shawnee Mission North in their home opener in Week 3.
   
• Atchison moved to 2-0 after rolling Sumner Academy in a 63-6 win last Friday. Junior running back Jaden Carter rushed for 80 yards and three rushing touchdowns. Senior quarterback Trey Carter threw for 119 passing yards and three touchdowns while also adding 72 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground. Junior running back Chris Bennett added another 74 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. Senior wide receiver Jeter Purdy led the team in receiving yards with 50, although he was not one of the recipients of Carter’s touchdown passes. Instead junior JZ Kelley hauled in two touchdowns and junior Eric Smith III caught another. After starting the year with a two-game road trip, the Phoenix will host JC Harmon for the team’s home opener in Week 3.
   
• Baxter Springs rolled Uniontown 48-0 on the road in Week 2 to move to 2-0 this season. Senior quarterback Payton Gaines threw for 198 passing yards and four passing touchdowns. Gaines also led the team in rushing with 79 yards and two touchdown runs. His top target through the air was junior Jacob Grant, who finished with 139 receiving yards and three touchdown receptions. Freshman Bradley Wade contributed a rushing touchdown and senior Javen Alexander had a touchdown reception. The Lions will return home to host Afton (Okla.) in Week 3.
   
• Lawrence looked just as impressive in the team’s second outing as it did in its first. Junior quarterback Banks Bowen led the team in rushing for the second straight week, finishing with 102 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Senior running back Tony Jacobsen was not too far behind with 97 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown of his own. Sophomore Tahj Edward and senior Malcolm Paul also had rushing scores. Bowen threw for 144 yards and two passing touchdowns to round out his performance. His top target was Junior Gabe Wingerd with 89 receiving yards  and a touchdown reception. Senior Mason Mosiman scored another touchdown reception. The Lions earned a 49-14 home win over Olathe West last Friday. Junior quarterback  Lawrence will host Shawnee Mission East in Week 3.
   
• Lawrence Free State kept its momentum going from its season opener to pitch a 26-0 shutout win over Olathe Northwest last Friday. Senior quarterback Wesley Edison did not need to pass nearly as much as he did in Week 1, opting instead for the ground attack. Edison racked up 142 rushing yards with two rushing touchdowns. He still threw for 113 yards and one passing touchdown, a 40-yard strike to senior wide receiver Devon Hamilton, who temporarily bobbled the catch before showing his concentration to reel it in anyway. Hamilton led the team with 49 receiving yards. After a two-game road trip to start the year, the Firebirds will host Olathe East in their home opener in Week 3. 
   
• Mill Valley rolled Shawnee Mission West in Week 2, winning the road matchup 65-7. Senior running back Jaden Scoobe led the team with 92 rushing yards while also scoring one rushing touchdown. His performance allowed senior starter Tristan Baker to work light duty with 25 yards on five carries, although three of those runs went for touchdowns. Senior quarterback Daniel Blaine went a perfect 4 of 4 through the air for 83 passing yards. He sent most of those passes to senior Davion Harris, who finished with 64 receiving yards. Junior Connor Bohon and sophomore Reggie Reece each earned a rushing touchdown to round out the Jags’ scoring. The Jaguars will continue their road trip as they head to Shawnee Mission Northwest to face the Cougars in Week 3.
   
• St. Thomas Aquinas earned a two-touchdown home victory over Blue Valley Northwest last week, winning 28-14. The Saints move to 2-0 heading into a matchup against Blue Valley North at home in Week 3.
   
• Eudora earned a 55-8 road victory against Bonner Springs last Friday. Senior quarterback Kole Manley threw for 199 passing yards and two passing touchdowns. Senior wide receiver Adrion Seals hauled in most of that, putting up 125 receiving yards and both of those touchdowns. Senior running back Matt Magette led the team with 61 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown. Four other Cardinals joined Magette in scoring a rushing touchdown in this one: Manley, junior Errol Siemon, sophomore Braedon Speer and junior Connor Watson. The Cardinals moved to 2-0, winning those games by an average margin of 44.0 points per game. Eudora will host a fellow undefeated Frontier League team in Spring Hill for Week 3.
   
• Spring Hill survived a close battle with Tonganoxie in Week 2, walking away with a 36-29 victory. The Broncos will hit the road to face fellow undefeated Frontier League team Eudora this Friday.
   
• Louisburg finished its two-week homestand to start this season with a second victory. The Wildcats defeated Paola 35-20 in Week 2. Louisburg will hit the road for the next two weeks, starting with a trip to Baldwin this Friday.
   
• Washington enters Week 3 needing just one more win to match the team’s season win total last year. The Wildcats rolled in a 61-0 victory of JC Harmon last Friday, moving to 2-0. Washington did not win its second game last season until Week 6. The Wildcats will host Bonner Springs in Week 3.
   
• Highland Park had a tougher battle last week than the team’s blowout win in the season opener. The Scots ended up outlasting Schlagle for a 32-26 win at home. Highland Park will go on the road to face Sumner Academy in Week 3.
   
• Chanute went on the road to Pittsburg and slayed the Dragons in a 27-0 win. The team has won its first two games by an average margin of 24.0 points per game. The Comets will complete their two-game road trip with a lengthy drive up to Tonganoxie in Week 3.
   
• Jayhawk Linn kept up the pace displayed in Week 1 by pitching a 46-0 shutout against Southeast Cherokee last Friday. After opening the year with a two-game road trip, the Jayhawks will host Three Rivers League foe Uniontown in Week 3.
   
• Pleasanton flipped from a low-scoring game in the season opener to opening up the offense in Week 2. The Blu-Jays took down Northeast Arma 34-14 to move to 2-0. Pleasanton will hit the road to face Belle Plaine in Week 3.
   
• Marmaton Valley rolled past Yates Center 74-0, putting them in first place of the Three Rivers League’s eight-player division. But the Wildcats will have to prove it late in the season against the two teams they currently lead by a half game, Colony Crest and St. Paul. Before those matchups, Marmaton Valley will have a three-week stretch against non-league opponents, starting with Sunrise Christian Academy in Week 3. The Wildcats have outscored their first two opponents by a margin of 124-0.
   
• St. Paul defeats Oswego 40-22 in Week 2, rebounding from the team’s 40-30 loss to Blue Valley Randolph in the season opener. After kicking off the year with a two-game road stretch, St. Paul will begin a three-game homestand with matchup against Yates Center in Week 3.
   
• Chetopa earned a 46-26 win over Peabody-Burns. Chetopa moves to 2-0, having won the team’s first two games by an margin average of 32.5 points per game.
   
• Parsons took down Labette County 24-13 in Week 2. The Vikings will finish off a two-week homestand by hosting Iola this Friday.