MaxPreps.com Staff Report
STILLWELL, Kan. --- The MaxPreps Tour of Champions, presented by The Army National Guard, made its way to the Sunflower State Friday to honor Kansas' Class 5A state football champion, Blue Valley.
Although the Tigers finished No. 38 in the final MaxPreps National Rankings, not many - if any - of the teams ranked ahead of them dominated their schedule like Blue Valley did.
The Tigers blew by Great Bend in the 5A title game Nov. 25, 34-3, capping a 13-0 season and a two-year record of 24-2. Blue Valley's biggest scare of the season came in the state semifinals against Aquinas - a game it won by 16 points.
For the season, the Stillwell (south of Kansas City) school outscored opponents by an average margin of 38 points. During a six-game stretch from Sept. 15 to Oct. 20, the Tigers allowed just 34 points, including four shutouts, while racking 299 (49.8 points per game) of their own.
Blue Valley placed eight players on the Topeka Capital-Journal Class 5A All-State team, including quarterback Zach Rampy (first team), offensive linemen Hank Driskell (first team), Ben Ehret (first team), and Jake Osmundson (honorable mention), linebackers Ryan Heil (first team) and Kyle Hoge (honorable mention), defensive back Tyler Mikkelson (first team), and wide receiver/defensive back Trey Hobson (honorable mention).
The Tigers also captured state titles in football 1991, 1998, and 2003.