The Staley Falcons will take on the Liberty Blue Jays at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Staley is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. They took their game with ease, bagging a 56-13 win over Central. The Falcons haven't had any issues with the Indians recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive victory against them.
Lance Holsted
| 10/24/25 @ Raymore-Peculiar | 186 |
| 10/30/25 @ Central | 172 |
| 08/29/25 @ Oak Park | 108 |
| 10/17/25 @ Lee's Summit | 31 |
| 10/10/25 vs Lee's Summit West | 26 |
| + 1 more games |
Lance Holsted was his usual excellent self, rushing for 172 yards and three TDs on only 13 carries. Staley is undefeated when Holsted posts 80 or more rushing yards, but 1-6 otherwise. Nick Ballew helped out on the ground, rushing for 90 yards and two rushing touchdowns.
Staley's run defense was locked in: Central could only muster 1.7 yards per carry. The team can thank Derek Holmer for the heroic effort on defense: he. Staley's run defense has been on the up-and-up: they allowed 4.53 yards per carry earlier this season, but they've only allowed 6.37 on average over their last five games.
Staley's defense didn't let Kanon Wetlaufer, get away unscathed either: they got into the backfield for three sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Kellan Vega, Aj Gowin, and Winston Smith, who each picked up one sack apiece. Staley got some further help from Vega: he picked up a sack and made seven total tackles (2.0 for loss).
Meanwhile, Liberty faced North Kansas City in a battle between two of the state's top teams last Friday. The Blue Jays blew past the Hornets 42-21. With that win, the Blue Jays brought their scoring average up to 25.9 points per game.
Staley better focus on containing Colt Nolin and Connor Hatfield as the pair were huge in Liberty's win. Nolin rushed for 124 yards and a pair of scores, while Hatfield threw for 136 yards and two touchdowns. That's the most passing touchdowns Hatfield has posted since back in October of 2024.
Liberty didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Cade Pierson, Warner Burch, and Derek Wilson picked up one apiece.
Staley's record is now 4-6. As for Liberty, their record now sits at 8-1.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Staley has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 156.4 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Liberty struggles in that department as they've been averaging 200.3 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Staley ended up a good deal behind Liberty in their previous matchup back in September of 2023, losing 21-6. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of the Blue Jays' Andrew Olson, who rushed for 118 yards and one TD on only 14 carries. Now that the Falcons know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
