Missouri Class 6 State Championship Game Preview: Raymore-Peculiar vs. De Smet Jesuit
Written by Charlie Beuttel
Twitter: @charlie_cds3
We’ve reached the championship game in Missouri’s Class 6 as Raymore-Peculiar (from Peculiar, just outside of Kansas City) will battle De Smet Jesuit (from St. Louis) this Saturday afternoon in Jefferson City.
In the semifinals, Ray-Pec defeated Liberty North, 24-17, while De Smet Jesuit blanked Fox, 13-0. Who will come out of this colossal matchup as the top team in Class 6? Only time will tell.
Raymore-Peculiar Panthers
The Panthers come into this game 11-2 with losses coming at Lee’s Summit West on Sept. 25 (34-27) and at home against Park Hill (19-13) on Oct. 23.
Offense
Their offense, which averages 32.4 points a game, is led by senior quarterback Conrad Hawley who has thrown 2,675 yards and 25 touchdowns. The leading rusher on the team is senior Philip Fager who has 941 yards on 198 carries and 19 touchdowns.
Sophomore Jaidyn Doss leads the team with 46 receptions for 976 yards and seven touchdowns. Senior wide receiver Weston Ropp also has seven receiving touchdowns to go along with his 467 receiving yards and 26 receptions. Junior tight end Tucker Miller is another weapon and he has 456 receiving yards and four touchdowns.
Defense
Senior linebackers Benjamin Einess and Parker Bowen are the leaders of a defense that allow only 16.2 points a game. Einess has 93 tackles including seven for a loss while Bowen has 84 tackles including 10 for a loss and a sack.
Senior defensive lineman Ethan George is the man upfront and has 50 total tackles including 12 for a loss and 11 sacks. Another defensive force to watch is sophomore defensive lineman Isaac Cook who has 38 total tackles including 13 for a loss and six sacks. Gunnar Griffin is a player to watch in the secondary as he has six interceptions and 40 total tackles.
De Smet Jesuit Spartans
The Spartans come into the game undefeated (6-0) with a roster loaded with Division I talent.
Offense
De Smet’s offense averages 38.1 points a game behind the rushing attack of seniors Rico Barfield (Ball State commit) and Taj Butts (Missouri commit). Barfield has 654 yards and eight touchdowns while Butts has chipped in with 379 yards and five scores. The general of the offense is junior quarterback Seth Marcione who has thrown for 723 yards and seven touchdowns while adding 390 more yards and four scores on the ground.
De Smet CB Jakailin Johnson
Another weapon on offense is Darez Snider, a Miami of Ohio commit, who has 355 rushing yards and five rushing yards and 91 receiving yards and one more through the air. The offensive line is anchored by Brody Wisecarver (Illinois commit) and Hutson Lillibridge (Tulane commit).
Defense
On defense, the Spartans give up just 11.8 points per game and are led up front by senior defensive tackles Mekhi Wingo (Missouri commit) and Dakota Doyle (Baylor commit). In the middle, senior linebacker Carter Edwards and junior linebacker Christopher Skiljan are players to watch. Edwards has 28 tackles and one sack and Skiljan leads the team with 57 tackles and two sacks.
Jakailin Johnson, one of the top recruits in Missouri and an Ohio State commit, and junior safety Kaleb Purdy patrol Smet’s secondary always ready to make a play. Johnson has 18 tackles, two interceptions, and two fumble recoveries while Purdy has 49 tackles and leads the team with three interceptions.
Photo credit: 810 Varsity; Raymore-Peculiar QB Conrad Hawley
Photo credit: Buckeyes Wire-USA Today; De Smet CB Jakailin Johnson