St. Thomas Aquinas defeated Bishop Miege, 45-32, Friday night at Miege.

 

The Saints have won 19 consecutive games, including two consecutive against Miege, dating back to 2018.

 

With the win Aquinas claimed the Eastern Kansas League title for the second consecutive season.

 

The Saints (7-0) are in second place in the Class 5A East playoff standings.  De Soto (7-0), which is No. 1, hosts Pittsburg (4-3) this week.  

 

Aquinas has a bye this week, as it enjoys the Miege victory and begins to prepare for the playoffs.

 

"Beating Miege and winning the league certainly were things we wanted to do this season," said coach Randy Dreiling, "but we're entering the second phase of the season now.  We have many positive things to build on moving forward.  I'm very proud of our performance against Miege on Friday night."

 

Junior fullback Tyron "Tank" Young carried the ball 52 times, equaling Miege's number of plays.  Young rushed for 303 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 5.8 yards per carry.

 

"Tank's had many great games for us," said Dreiling, "and that ranks as one of his best."

 

Aquinas did not punt, ran 20 more plays than Miege (72-52), converted 11 of 17 third and fourth downs, and won time of possession 32-15.  The Saints had 506 yards of offense to Miege's 354.  Aquinas led 38-20 and 45-26.

 

"We were physical on both sides of the ball," said Dreiling.  "And we made big plays when we needed it.  I was very pleased with our overall performance."

 

The game didn't start the way it ended.  Miege burst out to a 13-0 lead, similar to last season's 14-0 Miege start.

 

But Aquinas closed the first quarter with a Finn Barnett touchdown catch and a Young touchdown run, taking a 14-13 lead and never giving it back.

 

Miege received the opening kickoff, and Brison Cobbins led off the scoring at the 9:51 mark.

 

On its ensuing drive, Aquinas gained a first down, but Miege intercepted a tipped pass at the Aquinas 30-yard line, setting up a 26-yard touchdown pass and a 13-0 Miege lead.

 

Then the Aquinas offense went to work.  Starting from the Aquinas 37-yard line, the Saints faced 4th and 5 on the initial series of downs.  But Barnett sprinted around the left edge for 14 yards, and a 15-yard penalty for a late hit on Barnett set the Saints up at the Miege 28-yard line.  On the next play junior quarterback Blake Anderson hit Barnett in stride up the right hashes in the end zone to narrow the score, 13-7.

 

Sophomore defensive back Will Gavin intercepted the Miege quarterback on a deep ball at the Aquinas 34-yard line, and after a Miege horse collar on the return, Aquinas started from its 49.

 

Barnett scampered 30 yards on a pull and pitch left, setting up Young's runs of 23 and 8 for a touchdown and a 14-13 lead.

 

Miege went three-and-out, and Aquinas was fortunate to recover the fumbled punt.  Aquinas bled the clock, going on an 11-play drive to the 7:54 mark of the second quarter.  Young carried the ball ten times, including on 4th and 1 from the 6-yard line and on the touchdown.  Aquinas led 21-13.

 

Miege scored a touchdown on eight plays at the 5:38 mark, but Aquinas used the rest of the quarter on a 14-play drive, culminating in a 24-yard field goal by sophomore kicker Charlie Weinrich, his first attempt of the season, after a 44-yard touchdown run by Young was called back to the 28-yard line for a block in the back.  On the initial series of downs on the drive on 3rd and 9, slot Tom Downey received a 19-yard out pattern to extend the drive.  Young carried five more times after the called-back touchdown, setting up the field goal and a 24-20 halftime lead.

 

Aquinas received the second-half kickoff.  The Saints drove from their 33 to the Miege 2-yard line on 11 plays, but on 4th and 1 were called for delay of game.  On 4th and 6, Anderson recovered a dropped snap but threw an incomplete pass.

 

Then the Saints defense made the biggest stop of the game.  Junior defensive lineman Caden Reeves stopped Cobbins, then on 3rd and 3 freshman defensive end Sa'o Siavi'i sacked the quarterback, forcing a punt to the Saints' 47-yard line.

 

Senior wideout Isaiah Gavin received a comeback on the left sideline on 3rd and 13 to extend the drive.  Aquinas scored on four more plays, plus a 15-yard facemask penalty on Miege, Young coasting into the end zone on a toss sweep right.  Aquinas led 31-20.

 

Then the Saints made another big stop, bending but not breaking.  Miege gained four first downs, driving to the Saints' 22-yard line.  But on 1st and 10, Michael McNamara, Siavi'i, and Jalen Marshall stopped Cobbins.  Then Reeves slid out right and stopped the pitchman.  On 3rd and 9, sophomore linebacker Payton Ptasnik forced a scrambling Miege quarterback, barely evading Reeves' bull-rush, out of bounds.  On 4th and 9, defensive back Terrence Collins broke up an out pattern on the right sideline for a turnover on downs.

 

Taking over at the 10:15 mark of the fourth quarter, Aquinas scored on 13 plays.  Young ran 19 yards on a pitch right.  After six more Young carries, Anderson found Barnett again for 27 yards on a corner route in double coverage over the shoulder.  On 3rd and goal from the 8, Isaiah Gavin ripped away a touchdown reception above the right hashes.

 

Aquinas led 38-20 at the 4:48 mark, before the teams traded scores to end it.  Leading 38-26, Downey recovered an onside kick, and Aquinas scored on 4th and 14 when Anderson found a wide-open Tommy Carroll on a crossing route for a 33-yard score to bring the lead to 45-26.  After another Miege score, Downey recovered another onside kick.

 

Anderson completed six of nine passes for 129 yards and three touchdowns.

 

Reeves led the tackle chart from the interior defensive line with a tackle for loss, two hurries, and five solo tackles.  McNamara had eight solo tackles.  Siavi'i had a sack, tackle for loss, two hurries, and four solo tackles.  Isaiah Gavin had six solo tackles and a hurry.