The Olathe North Eagles will challenge the Shawnee Mission East Lancers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The timing is sure in Olathe North's favor as the squad sits on seven straight wins at home (dating back to last season) while Shawnee Mission East has been banged up by four consecutive losses on the road also dating back to last season.
Olathe North is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Kansas' top teams: Lawrence, who was ranked 25th in their home state at the time (Olathe North was ranked 22nd). Olathe North came out on top against Lawrence by a score of 42-34 on Friday.
Blaise Adger was nothing short of spectacular: he rushed for 203 yards and four touchdowns while picking up 7.3 yards per carry. The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in rushing yards. Jamison Sarver was another key player, rushing for 123 yards and a touchdown on only five carries.
Olathe North's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged two passes before it was all said and done. Sam Simmons picked up that interception and then proceeded to rub salt in the wound by taking it back the other way for a touchdown. Kelvin Parker was another major factor on D, making 12 total tackles.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Olathe North was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 374 rushing yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Lawrence only rushed for 149.
Meanwhile, Shawnee Mission East won against Seaman two weeks ago with 35 points and they decided to stick to that point total again on Friday. Shawnee Mission East put the hurt on Shawnee Mission South with a sharp 35-14 win. The score at the end of the third wound up being the final score as the Lancers just coasted through the last quarter.
Jack Reeves had a dynamite game for Shawnee Mission East, rushing for 125 yards and a touchdown on only 14 carries, while also throwing for 116 yards and two touchdowns on only seven passes. Another rusher making a difference was Nate Phillips, who rushed for 73 yards and two touchdowns.
Olathe North's first victory this season bumped their record up to 1-2. As for Shawnee Mission East, they now have a winning record of 2-1.
Friday's contest might be decided in the on the ground. Olathe North has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 194.7 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Shawnee Mission East struggles in that department as they've been averaging 246. It's looking like Friday's game might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Everything came up roses for Olathe North against Shawnee Mission East when the teams last played back in October of 2021, as the team secured a 56-14 win. In that match, Olathe North amassed a halftime lead of 48-0, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Friday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
