Each Friday this fall, the Johnson County Post will cover one local high school football game. Tell us the next game we should cover by emailing us at stories@johnsoncountypost.com.
The two-time defending Kansas Class 6A state champion Gardner-Edgerton Trailblazers flexed their muscles early en route to a 42-7 victory over Olathe North Friday night at the Olathe District Activity Center.
An Eagles punt after the game’s opening drive pinned the Blazers back to their own 8-yard line. Undaunted by their poor field position, the Trailblazers (3-1) answered raucously on their first play from scrimmage when senior running back Syre Padilla bowled his way through the Eagle defense for a 92-yard touchdown run.
Padilla’s TD gave the Blazers a 7-0 lead with the extra point at the 8:30 mark of the opening quarter, and they were off and running.
“Obviously, Syre is dangerous when he get in the open field, but he would be the first guy to credit the offensive line,” said Blazers coach Jesse Owen. “They did a great job up front to give him that opportunity.”
Padilla, also one of the Blazers’ team captains, scored four touchdowns on the night, equaling the number of touchdowns he scored in the Blazers’ three previous games this season.
“I think we were pretty confident,” said Padilla. “We knew Olathe North wasn’t going to be easy, but we knew that we were going to break them.”
The Eagles (2-2) were plagued by mistakes on each of their five possessions during the opening half, including a turnover on a fumble. As a result, they trailed, 28-0, at halftime.
The Eagles took advantage of one of the few Blazers mistakes in the third quarter on a recovered fumble after a punt on the Blazer 24-yard line. Running back Blaise Adger eventually scored the Eagles’ only touchdown of the night on a 1-yard run. It was Adger’s seventh touchdown this season.
But with a big deficit to recover from at halftime, the Eagles needed to strike quickly against a team that largely controlled the clock with its running game, and the Blazers added to their lead on Padilla’s fourth touchdown run.
Padilla, who rushed for 180 yards in the Class 6A championship game against Manhattan to cap his junior season, entered the game averaging 218 rushing yards per game this season.
Even in Gardner-Edgerton’s only loss this season, 35-34 at Lawrence Free State, the Blazers have demonstrated their propensity to score often. Through four games this season, the Blazers are averaging 40 points a game.
Owen credits the Blazers’ recent surge to an improved defense.
“The defense got off to a rocky start. Our first two opponents were pretty good,” said Owen. “But the defense has bounced back and they’re settling in.”
The Blazers will try to continue their roll since that heartbreaking loss to Free State in the season opener with another road game next Friday against Olathe West.
The Eagles, after dropping their first district game with the loss, will regroup and play a road contest against Shawnee Mission West next Friday. Olathe North’s other loss this season came against Rockhurst.
