Mike's Prediction:
On paper, this game appears to favor Blue Springs South in a big way. Blue Springs is Maxpreps #5 ranked team in the country, is undefeated, and yet to show a real weakness this year. Meanwhile, Christian Brothers has not even cracked the Maxpreps top 100, has had several tuff battles throughout the year, and was even given a legitimate thumping in their season opener, losing 12-35. However, the records can be tossed out the window once these teams take the field, because the bottom line is both of these teams are the best of the best and had to overcome tremendous adversity to make it this far.
If Christian Brothers has one thing on its side, it's experience. They are loaded with seniors, while their counterparts feature a much younger squad. If Christian Brothers plans on taking home the state championship, it will be done with their high powered offensive attack of senior running back Rayon Simmons and senior QB David Kannapel. The task of moving the ball against a stalwart Blue Springs South defense will not be easy as they have only given up more than 20 points on two occasions.
On the other side of the ball, the game will be in the hands of a sophomore QB, but this is not just any sophomore signal caller. Blaine Dalton has led his team to an unbelievable year and gained praises from many around the state. While being a sophomore QB on most teams would be a big deal, but Blue Springs South entire team is young, and apparently no one has let them know that they are not supposed to be having this much success with so much youth on the team. In the end, I believe Blue Springs South is going to come out on top despite their youth and be crowned Missouri State Champs. If this prediction holds up, I will be the first to point to Blue Springs South as one of the most incredible stories of our Road Tour and as a team to watch for next season.
Because it is the State Championships and becuase Chris has been bugging me, it's time for me to start making score predictions as well!
I've got Blue Springs South winning 24-14 over Christian Brothers.
Chris' Prediction:
40 plus sophomores on the Blue Springs South team has me questioning if they are as good as their record indicates, or have they had the luck of playing against mediocre competition all year long. If you were to ask the Jaguars, and the teams they played this year, you would probably hear about the quality of not only them, but also their opponents. Blue Springs South has only allowed 128 (10.7 per game) points this season leading them to a 12-0 record in the western part of the state, where if you were to ask around the state, has the best football.
Christian Brothers College has the "Big Three" with their QB David Kannapel, RB Rayon Simmons, and WR Clay Wolff. If these boys come to play, they will put a lot of pressure on the defense of Blue Springs South, and make it hard for the overpowering offensive line to control the games tempo. My problem with the Cadets is that they have allowed 229 points this year, making me wonder if their defense will be able to stop the offense of the Jaguars when they get the chance.
My final prediction is that the sophomore QB Blaine Dalton is going to be the MVP of the game, and Blue Springs South will prove once more that the wild wild west is the best with a 28-17 win in the Edward Jones Dome for the schools first Show-Me Bowl title.