By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
In a matchup brimming with emotion, the Seaman Vikings avenged last year’s United Kansas Conference loss at rival Shawnee Heights by blasting the visiting T-Birds 62-7 Friday.
Seaman senior Cale Ketter threw for 393 yards and three touchdowns in the Vikings' 62-7 win over Shawnee Heights. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The Vikings struck on long runs and deep passes to run up the score and trigger a running clock in the fourth period.
Seaman senior quarterback Cale Ketter threw for 393 yards, 238 of which went to senior receiver Coy Barta.
Senior Coy Barta (left) celebrates a Seaman touchdown with Quentin Moravec (5) in Friday's 62-7 Viking win over Shawnee Heights. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The victory was Seaman’s first on the season, and it carried extra weight.
“This means a lot. Last year was a bitter taste in our mouth,” said Ketter, alluding to social media messaging between the two fan bases. “It means a lot to come out here and put up 62 points.
“This is a boost of confidence because now we can move forward. We have five games left and I think we can go win all five.”
In addition to its long scoring plays, Seaman blocked two Shawnee Heights punts, setting up short fields. The Vikings also picked off T-Bird quarterback Kolby Kutscher once in the first half. Kutscher struck for several long passes in the half, but the Shawnee Heights offense never approached the red zone.
The lone highlight of the first half for Shawnee Heights came on the final play of the half when senior safety Brody Daniels stepped in front of a Ketter pass at the T-Birds’ 15-yard line and took it the other way for a 85-yard touchdown return as the clock hit 0:00. But even with Daniels’ heroics, Shawnee Heights trailed 34-7 at the break.
The second half was even more lopsided. The Vikings scored three more touchdowns in the third period and the reserves tacked on a final touchdown as the clock quickly evaporated.
Ketter threw several long passes to Barta, but also dished the ball to seniors Josh Brown and Jack Becker and one long scoring toss to senior Peyton Glaze.
“I’m blessed to have great receivers. I love all of them,” Ketter said. “I’ve been throwing to them forever, pretty much. So, we have great chemistry together.”
Junior Quentin Moravec rushed for 141 yards and two touchdowns in Friday's 62-7 Seaman win over Shawnee Heights. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The Vikings’ offense consisted of more than just Ketter throws, however. Junior Quentin Moravec carried 13 times for 141 yards and two touchdowns. Senior Grady Piper added three touchdowns and 57 yards on 11 carries.
The Vikings, coming off tough losses to De Soto and Basehor-Linwood, were eager to get in the win column.
“It feels phenomenal,” said Viking coach Jared Swafford. “I’m so proud of these guys. They came to work this week. They grinded like crazy.
“We’ve got to keep building. We can’t be content with where we’re at. We’ve got to make sure that we continue to move forward, realize that we have a lot in front of us, a lot of season left, and if we keep improving, I think we can be pretty scary.”
Shawnee Heights, meanwhile, took another step back after winning the season opener against Turner. The T-Birds lost an overtime heartbreaker last Friday to Leavenworth and now sit 1-2 on the year.
SEAMAN 62, SHAWNEE HEIGHTS 7
Shawnee Heights (1-2, 1-2) 0 7 0 0 -- 7
Seaman (1-2, 1-2) 14 20 21 7 -- 62
Seaman – Barta 33 pass from Ketter (Serrano kick)
Seaman – Piper 7 run (Serrano kick)
Seaman – Moravec 80 run (run failed)
Seaman – Piper 14 run (Serrano kick)
Seaman – Glaze 47 pass from Ketter (Serrano kick)
Shawnee Heights – Daniels 85 interception return (Fisher kick)
Seaman – Moravec 8 run (Serrano kick)
Seaman – Barta 76 pass from Ketter (Serrano kick)
Seaman – Piper 1 run (Serrano kick)
Seaman – Hochard 2 run (Serrano kick)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing – Shawnee Heights: Purvis 18-40, Barksdale 4-4, Kutscher 2-(minus)10, Haverkamp 1-4, Mobley 3-28. Seaman: Moravec 13-141, Piper 11-57, Ketter 2-5, Thompson 1-1, Hochard 2-11.
Passing – Shawnee Heights: Kutscher 12-25-1 131 yards. Seaman: Ketter 18-24-1 393 yards.
Receiving – Shawnee Heights: Terrell 4-53, Purvis 2-5, Kamanda 4-35, Williams 2-38, Barksdale 1-0. Seaman: Brown 6-69, Barta 8-238, Becker 2-34, Glaze 1-47, Stallbaumer 1-5.
Punting – Shawnee Heights: Kutscher 2-25.5, Labrador 2-55.0. Seaman: Cheney 1-41.0.
