OLATHE — In a matchup between two of the hottest teams in Class 6A, Olathe West proved it belongs among the state’s elite. 

The Owls, riding a wave of momentum the last three weeks, held off Shawnee Mission East 37-28 on Friday night to move to 6-1 on the season—already doubling last year’s win total. The win marked Olathe West’s fourth straight and cemented their status as the top team, record-wise, on the east side of the 6A bracket. 

“This is a huge win,” said senior running back Josh Foland. “We’ve been doubted all season, and we just keep proving people wrong.” 

Foland, who rushed for 106 yards and had two touchdowns, was one of several playmakers to step up for an Olathe West team that continues to surprise after finishing 3-6 in 2024. 

The night started with a stunning turn of events for the Lancers (5-2), as standout quarterback Jack Reeves—one of the state’s most productive signal-callers—went down with a leg injury after a 37-yard run on the team’s first offensive play. Reeves came into the game with over 1,200 rushing yards, and his absence was immediately felt. 

“That was a hard way to start the game,” Shawnee Mission East coach Mark Simoneau said. “Jack is such a great player and leader in our program. You really hurt for Jack because he wants nothing more than to be out there with his teammates competing.” 

Even so, Shawnee Mission East found its footing behind backup quarterback Vince Kopp, who accounted for all four of the Lancers’ touchdowns on the ground. 

 

But Olathe West struck early and often, jumping out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. The Owls capitalized on a fumble recovery in the end zone for one score and a 12-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Brody Hale to Sam Kryzkowski. 

Kopp got East on the board in the second quarter with a 9-yard touchdown run, but the Owls quickly answered with Foland's 4-yard touchdown and a 15-yard strike from Hale to Weston Voight just before halftime, extending their lead to 28-14. 

A fake punt near midfield set up Voight’s touchdown, a pivotal moment that shifted the momentum firmly back in the Owls’ favor. 

Hale finished the night with 177 total yards and three total touchdowns—two through the air and one rushing—spreading the ball to six different receivers. 

Despite Kopp’s efforts, which included 155 total yards and four rushing touchdowns, East couldn’t quite close the gap. The Lancers cut the lead to two in the fourth quarter after a Kopp 6-yard TD and two-point conversion, but Hale responded with a 6-yard scoring run to push the lead back to two possessions that was set up by a 50-yard run by Foland. 
 

Olathe West’s defense sealed the win late, thanks to two fourth-quarter interceptions by Brody Butler. Jake Ables led the defense with 13 tackles and Cash Warren added 11. 

“We’ve been in games where we get up by a couple of scores and put teams away,” said Olathe West head coach Jon Wiemers. “But this one we had to fight until the end—and we made the plays when it mattered.” 

Shawnee Mission East head coach Mark Simoneau praised his team’s resilience and Kopp’s performance in relief of Reeves. 

“Vince has been great for us all year,” Simoneau said. “He has already made some big plays for us this season. He stepped in and ran the offense very effectively. I was very proud of the way Vince competed.” 

Olathe West now finds itself in a good position heading into the final stretch of the season, fueled by a balanced offense, an gritty defense, and a chip on its shoulder. 

“We’ve got guys all over the field making plays,” Foland said. “When we’re rolling on both the run and pass, we’re tough to stop.” 

With each win, that statement rings truer. And after another test passed, the Owls are flying high with the postseason on the horizon. 

"This is a huge win for us,” Wiemers said. “dWe have had some momentum going in the last couple weeks and so did Shawnee Mission East. They lost their guy (Reeves) in the beginning and I have to give them credit. They just kept fighting and wouldn’t go away.  

“I told our team this, that we have been in some games where we have been ahead by a couple scores late and it is over with, but this one we had to fight to the end and we made the plays when we needed to. This time of the year you need to win games like this because they all aren’t just going blowouts, you are going to have to make plays when it matters.” 

OW 14 14 3 6 — 37  

SME 0 14 6 8 — 28 

SCORING SUMMARY  

First Quarter 

OW: Josh Foland recovered fumble in endzone for TD (Dylan Wiman kick) 

OW: Sam Kryzkowski 12 pass from Brody Hale (Wiman kick) 

Second Quarter 

SME: Vince Kopp 9 run (kick good) 

OW: Josh Foland 4 run (Wiman kick) 

SME: Kopp 1 run (kick good) 

OW: Weston Voight 15 pass from Hale (Wiman kick) 

Third Quarter 

SME: Kopp 1 run (kick blocked) 

OW: Dylan Wiman 40 FG 

Fourth Quarter 

SME: Kopp 6 run (Kopp run) 

OW: Hale 6 run (kick failed) 
 

BOYDSTON’S BLOCK HELPS ST. JAMES EDGE 4A NO. 1 KAPAUN 

Brady Boydston gave the technical explanation of his victory-clinching, field-goal block on the final play of St. James Academy’s 38-35 victory over previously unbeaten Kapaun Mt. Carmel on Friday. 

Lined up on the defense’s left hash, Boydston said he stationed himself in the B-gap and waited for the kick. 

Then there was the practical reason for why the Thunder’s senior linebacker was in the right place at the right time. 

“He plays basketball and he can dunk with ease,” St. James coach Tom Radke said. “He just did his job in there.” 

Boydston timed his leap perfectly on Kapaun junior Ethan DuPont’s 28-yard attempt, deflecting it to the turf with his right hand. Cornerback Jonah Myers scooped up the ball and took a knee, setting off a spirited celebration of Thunder players and fans as St. James, now No. 3 in Class 5A, edged 4A’s No. 1-ranked Crusaders in a classic. 

St. James (6-1), which got 283 passing yards and four touchdowns from junior John Hornback, saw Kapaun rally to tie the Thunder four times, then take its first lead at 35-31 on junior Ken Huff’s 1-yard run with 6:04 remaining. 
 

But Hornback wasted no time putting St. James back on top, hitting junior Luke Niesen down the sideline amid a mix-up in coverage for a 66-yard touchdown just 52 seconds later. 

“It was a tough one,” Boydston said after celebrating with St. James students. “We knew it was going to be a grind-out game from the start. I didn’t expect it to be this close, but we beared down and got a win.  

“We say we don’t lose at home. We’re trying to keep it that way.” 

It required perseverance – and a little good fortune – against Kapaun, which dropped to 6-1. 

Starting at its own 20 with 5:12 remaining, the Crusaders embarked on an 18-play drive to set up DuPont’s potentially tying field goal. Kapaun converted on three third downs and a fourth-and-4 when quarterback Cole Rapp threw to junior receiver Jackson Gosch on a curl route. Gosch bobbled the ball, but gained control of it while on his back a yard ahead of the line to gain. 

Kapaun, which ran the ball 13 times on its final possession, appeared to have the game won on the play before the field goal. But Rapp’s pass to a wide-open Rocco Keller along the end zone’s side boundary sailed through Keller’s hands. 

Then came Boydston’s heroics. 

“I think they ran the same play maybe 30 times and we couldn’t stop it,” Radke said. “They’re very physical, very big. They’re coached really well and they say try to stop us. We just ended up making a couple more plays than they did in the end.” 

OTHER FOOTBALL STANDOUTS: 

• Shawnee Mission Northwest got a pair of strong performances on the ground in the Cougars’ 41-20 win over Shawnee Mission South. Running back Demetric Tyler had 157 yards rushing to go along with two touchdowns. Quarterback Trai Woodruff had three touchdowns and 112 yards rushing. 

• Pittsburg earned a 42-0 shutout over rival Chanute last Friday and got a big performance from its defense, more specifically lineman Parker Pinamonti. He finished with seven solo tackles, including three for a loss and also had an interception. He also had seven pancake blocks at center. Malcom Riley had 142 yards rushing and two scores, while Malakai Meadows had a 73-yard touchdown catch. 

• Gardner-Edgerton running back Syre Padilla continues to run away from opposing defenses and did so again in last Friday’s 55-35 win over Olathe South. Padilla had 30 carries for 365 yards and five touchdowns. 

• Mill Valley junior running back Max Piva etched his name into the Jaguars’ storied history book. Piva broke the school record for most rushing yards in a single game as he racked up a 403-yard performance and had four touchdowns in Mill Valley’s 63-28 win over Olathe Northwest. The previous mark was 330 yards that was set by Kyle Brunson in 2010. 

• Plays were made all over the field Friday as KC-Washington outlasted Schlagle, 49-33, to move to 7-0 on the season. Washington quarterback Savion Stone had 355 total yards and four scores, while Cam’Ron Fields had 190 yards on the ground and two touchdowns. For Schlagle, quarterback Josiah Evans had 387 yards passing and four touchdowns, while Bre’naj Price had six catches for 215 yards and three scores. Price also led the defense with 12 solo tackles. Cincere Lewis had 267 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns.  

• Spring Hill moved to 6-1 on the season as the Broncos rolled to a 43-0 win over Emporia. Bronco junior Brooks Bayer continued his scoring onslaught — on defense. The Spring Hill defensive end had a fumble recovery for a touchdown, which was his fifth defensive touchdown on the season. He also recorded two sacks, which gives him 11 on the year.  

• Louisburg earned back-to-back wins for the first time this season as the Wildcats knocked off Ottawa at home, 20-13. Senior running back Blaise Vohs had a big night for the Wildcats with 212 yards rushing and two touchdowns.