Two dominant backs in Max Piva and Bryce Randall are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Mill Valley Jaguars will venture away from home to challenge the Olathe Northwest Ravens 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.
Mill Valley is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Kansas' top teams: Olathe West, who was ranked 18th at the time (Mill Valley was ranked third). The Jaguars took a hard 52-36 fall against the Owls on Friday. The Jaguars' loss signaled the end of their three-game winning streak.
Mill Valley might have lost, but man, Blake Jay was a machine: he rushed for 168 yards and one TD, and also threw for 111 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Jay was no stranger to the big play, taking off on a dash that went for 56 yards.
Meanwhile, Olathe Northwest entered their tilt with Shawnee Mission West on Friday with four consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with five. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat the Vikings 43-7. With the Ravens ahead 26-0 at the half, the contest was all but over already.
Olathe Northwest's win came from a few key players Mill Valley will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Michael Hefley, who rushed for 115 yards and one score on only six carries. Those 115 rushing yards gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Jaelen Douglas, who rushed for 94 yards and one touchdown on only nine carries.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Olathe Northwest was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 342 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 175 rushing yards every time they've taken the field this season.
One reason for the win was Olathe Northwest's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for three sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Mason Thomas, Quinn Sullivan, and Magnus Larson, who each picked up one sack apiece.
Olathe Northwest's win bumped their record up to 5-1. As for Mill Valley, their defeat was their first in the district, dropping their district record down to 4-1 and their overall record down to 4-2.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Mill Valley has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 342.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Olathe Northwest struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 275.5 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Everything came up roses for Mill Valley against Olathe Northwest when the teams last played back in September of 2023, as the team secured a 42-13 victory. In that contest, the Jaguars amassed a halftime lead of 28-6, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Friday.
