By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
The matchup of high-octane offenses from Shawnee Heights and Seaman didn’t disappoint Friday night.
A wild shootout ended in favor of the visiting Vikings 59-34 at Shawnee Heights.
Seaman junior running Kaden McKinney (9) ran for 204 yards and senior quarterback Max Huston (7) had 341 all-purpose yards in the Vikings' 59-34 UKC win over Shawne Heights. [File photo/TSN]
The T-Birds filled the sky with footballs, with junior quarterback Aiden Scott throwing for 339 yards and five touchdowns, while the Vikings hit for big plays on the ground and through the air.
Seaman junior running back Kaden McKinney made a statement out of the blocks. With the Vikings pinned at their 3-yard-line, he took a handoff up the middle and, after breaking through the line, found daylight. He raced 97 yards to set the tone. In the second period, he struck again, taking the first play of a Viking drive 55 yards for another score.
“We prepared all week knowing we were going to run the ball,” said the junior, who finished with 204 yards on 20 carries. “Taking the first play to the house gets everybody amped up. Getting that momentum goes a long way in the game of football.”
“Kaden is a very talented young man,” said Seaman coach Jared Swafford. “What he’s able to do with the ball in his hands, and the way our O-line is blocking right now, being able to run the ball is a really nice thing to have.”
The Vikings jumped out to what appeared to be a commanding 21-point advantage in the first 14 minutes of the game, holding the T-Birds scoreless on their first four possessions.
But Shawnee Heights began chipping away, getting two quick strikes from Scott to hotly recruited junior receiver Tyren Parker. The home team narrowed the deficit to 35-20 at the half.
“Defensively, we started out great,” Swafford said. “We held them for a goose egg for a quarter, plus. We know what they’re capable of. They put up points on everybody, so we knew some of those things were going to happen. We had the mentality ‘Bend but don’t break.’
“Yeah, we’ve got things to work on, but what they’re capable of, with that receiving corps and the way Aiden spins the ball, they’re tough.”
Scott continued the aerial assault in the second half, but the margin never was closer than 15 points.
Senior quarterback Max Huston triggered the Viking offense with 175 yards passing, 166 yards rushing, and five total touchdowns. He hit senior receiver Bryer Finley eight times for 173 yards.
“Max is a heck of a player,” Swafford said. “He’s able to do stuff on the run. They got some good pressure on him, but he’s able to just make magic with the ball.”
For the T-Birds, Scott completed 21 of 34 attempts for 339 yards. He spread the ball around, connecting at least four times with five different receivers.
While the defenses scrambled to keep up with offensive firepower, senior defensive back Marioano Collins put his stamp on the game. Covering Parker on deep throws, Collins high-pointed two passes from Scott for drive-killing interceptions. He also recovered a fumble late in the game.
“I like to make game changers. I like to impact the course of the game,” Collins said. “If I get the chance to, I’m going to take it. Facing (someone like Scott), it’s fun, but it’s challenging. He’s a good quarterback. Our secondary stepped up. We worked hard in practice for this.”
“Marioano has been playing hurt, but you would never know it by the way he just keeps working his tail off,” Swafford said. “I’m very proud of him for going against a phenomenal player in Parker, doing a great job going up to compete for those balls.”
The Vikings improved to 5-1, with a spotless 5-0 mark in the United Kansas Conference. Remaining on their schedule are games with undefeated Basehor-Linwood and De Soto, two teams still in the running for the league title.
“We knew we had a good plan tonight,” Swafford said. “We believe in our kids. We believe in what we’ve been doing. This process continues to build upon itself.”
SEAMAN 59, SHAWNEE HEIGHTS 34
Seaman (5-1, 5-0) 14 21 10 14 – 59
Shawnee Heights (1-5, 1-4) 0 20 7 7 -- 34
Seaman – McKinney 97 run (Geiger kick)
Seaman – Huston 5 run (Geiger kick)
Seaman – Finley 38 pass from Huston (Geiger kick)
Shawnee Heights – Parker 10 pass from Scott (Granado kick)
Seaman – McKinney 55 run (Geiger kick)
Shawnee Heights – Parker 15 pass from Scott (kick failed)
Seaman – Finley 46 pass from Huston (Geiger kick)
Shawnee Heights – Gallegos 7 pass from Scott (Granado kick)
Seaman – Geiger 23 FG
Seaman – Huston 2 run (Geiger kick)
Seaman – Huston 17 run (Geiger kick)
Shawnee Heights – Busenitz 15 pass from Scott (Granado kick)
Seaman – Tootle 1 run (Geiger kick)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing -- Seaman: McKinney 20-204, Huston 17-166, Finley 2-25, Tootle 11-23. Shawnee Heights: Purvis 4-6, Wakes 16-46, Scott 3-(minus)5.
Passing -- Seaman: 10-14-0 175 yards. Shawnee Heights: Scott 21-34-2 339.
Receiving -- Seaman: Finley 8-173, McKinney 1-2, Kobuszewski 1-0. Shawnee Heights: Busenitz 4-47, Gallegos 4-106, Rantz 4-45, Wakes 5-80, Parker 4-61.
Punting -- Seaman: Evan 2-27.0. Shawnee Heights: Scott 1-39.0, Granado 3-28.3.
