Football Game Preview: Shawnee Mission Northwest Cougars vs. Mill Valley Jaguars

The Shawnee Mission Northwest Cougars are taking a road trip to take on the Mill Valley Jaguars at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.

On Friday, Shawnee Mission Northwest didn't have quite enough to beat Olathe Northwest and fell 31-28. The Cougars were up 21-7 in the second quarter but couldn't hold on to the lead.

The losing side was boosted by Traimyre Woodruff, who rushed for 59 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Mill Valley duked it out with Lawrence on Friday. The Jaguars were the clear victors by a 42-21 margin over the Lions. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Jaguars' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Kansas football rankings (they are ranked second, while the Lions are ranked 40th).

Shawnee Mission Northwest better keep an eye on Max Piva. He was instrumental in Mill Valley's win, rushing for 237 yards and three TDs while picking up 8.2 yards per carry. Those 237 rushing yards gave Piva a new career-high. Blake Jay was another key player, rushing for 78 yards and a pair of scores.

They were just one part of a punishing run game: Mill Valley was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 356 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.

The victory made it two in a row for Mill Valley and bumps their season record up to 3-1. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 49.0 points over those games. As for Shawnee Mission Northwest, their loss was their first in the district, dropping their district record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 2-2.

Shawnee Mission Northwest couldn't quite get it done against Mill Valley in their previous matchup back in September of 2023 as they fell 14-7. Thankfully for the Cougars, Tristan Baker (who rushed for 128 yards and one touchdown) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.