With Gardner Edgerton and Shawnee Mission Northwest entering Friday night’s Class 6A Sectional playoff game at the Gardner District Activity Complex as prolific scorers, it came as no surprise that the outcome boiled down to a key defensive stop.
A second-half turnaround sparked by the Trailblazers’ (9-2) defense enabled the two-time defending 6A champions to advance to the state semifinals with a 49-42 win over the Cougars (7-4).
It is Gardner Edgerton’s fourth straight sectional title.
Gardner Edgerton rallied in second half
The Trailblazers trailed at halftime, 35-28.
“We were down 19-7 against Manhattan in the (2024) state title game, 13-7 against Derby two years ago, so this is a group that’s been around some deficits,” said Trailblazers coach Jesse Owen. “They did a good job tonight of not getting rattled.
With a chance to build on their halftime lead, the Cougars drove to the Trailblazers 1-yard line during their opening possession of the second half. But on fourth down, the Trailblazers defensive wall held up on the tenth play of the Cougars’ drive.
“It was a big stop,” said Trailblazers senior linebacker Porter Swaim. “I trust my guys every day, every play. I had all the faith in the world to get it done.”
Swaim was moved to the Trailblazers defense at mid-season when they were forced to regroup on the heels of the school’s first-ever loss to Olathe West.
“We had to move some players around and we had to wait for a player or two to get healthy enough to come back, so we had some guys step in and give up some big-time minutes in games,” said Owen. “It’s just a total team effort.”
Big plays defined game
Early in the season, Swaim was a blocking back for Syre Padilla, the Trailblazers’ featured running back, who finished with 239 rushing yards Friday night at the DAC on 31 carries.
“He’s great. He’s awesome, the best in the state,” said Swaim, when asked about Padilla.
The Cougars grabbed the early momentum in the game on explosive plays from their offense and special teams. Offensively, in the first quarter, the Cougars ran only six plays and averaged 24 yards per play.
Coming off a season-high 63-point performance last week against Olathe North — the second of two wins over North this season — the Trailblazers marched downfield for a touchdown on their 13-play opening drive for an early 7-0 lead with the extra point.
But the Cougars tied it with the extra point on a 52-yard touchdown run by senior fullback Demetric Tyler.
Sixth straight Gardner Edgerton win
Cougars quarterback Trai Woodruff was valiant in defeat. In the first half, with Woodruff calling the signals, he had already compiled 194 rushing yards.
The big play for the Cougars in the opening half was recovering an onside kick. They turned it into a touchdown drive that proved to be the difference in the opening half.
The Cougars’ only second-half touchdown came on a desperation pass completion by Woodruff with 15 seconds left in the game.
The Trailblazers, who won six straight since an earlier loss to Olathe West, will play Olathe Northwest in the sub-state round of the Class 6A playoffs this coming Friday
That game, to determine who goes to the Class 6A state championship game, be played next week at Gardner’s DAC.
