Standout Performers From BVSW vs. Mill Valley

Week 12 of the '22 campaign brought us a matchup from the East side of the 5A bracket, as the top-seeded Mill Valley Jaguars (10-1) hosted the eleventh-seeded Blue Valley Southwest Timberwolves (6-5) for the Sub-State Championship.   The two squads entered the semifinal round on fire. Southwest's offense had been on an absolute tear through three weeks of postseason play. Their point total increased each game, and they were averaging 55 points per contest. While that display of offensive firepower is impressive, Mill Valley had the defense to match it. Not only did the Jags' defense dominate their first three opponents, but they did so in shutout fashion. The odds were stacked against the Timberwolves, but they were determined to continue their Cinderella run. However, the Jaguars had other plans, as the defending 5A State Champions had their sights set on a fourth straight Sub-State title.   It didn't take long for the reigning champions to assert themselves in this one. After coming up with an interception early in the 1st quarter, the Jags would strike quickly on their first possession with a 44-yard touchdown run. These opening drives would be a precursor for what was to come the rest of the contest. Mill Valley's stout defensive front made it extremely difficult for the Timberwolves to sustain any drives. The Jags won the battle in the trenches, and were able to dictate the pace of the game with their rushing attack. They took a commanding 35-0 lead into intermission, and would run away with the game in the second half; ending Southwest's Cinderella run in a lopsided score of 63-0. Mill Valley completes their fourth straight shutout of the postseason, and are now just one win away from securing their sixth state championship in eight years.   Here's a look at the Standout Performers from this 5A Sub-State matchup (Unofficial Stats).   Offense:   [player_tooltip player_id='259742' first='Tristan' last='Baker'] – Mill Valley, 5'9”, 170, RB, Class of '24   This season Mill Valley has done a great job of distributing the football to all of their offensive playmakers. But in this game, [player_tooltip player_id='259742' first='Tristan' last='Baker'] was the star of the show. The junior takes home the Offensive MVP after having a career night on the ground. Mill Valley's offensive line opened up some gaping holes for Baker, and he'd turn 22 carries into 239 yards and five first half touchdowns.   <a href="https://twitter.com/amarian_graves?s=21&t=KpPTMoWVVegrmw3y9A-nJw">Amarian Graves</a> – Mill Valley, 5'10”, 195, RB, Class of '23   With the Jaguars already out to a sizable lead in the second half, they were able to give Baker some rest and turn to senior running back, <a href="https://twitter.com/amarian_graves?s=21&t=KpPTMoWVVegrmw3y9A-nJw">Amarian Graves</a>. The senior would pick up where Baker left off and continued the scoring. Graves nearly eclipsed 100 yards, as he finished with nine carries for 95 yards and two touchdowns.   [player_tooltip player_id='246338' first='Parker' last='Smith'] & <a href="https://twitter.com/alex4parks?s=21&t=KpPTMoWVVegrmw3y9A-nJw">[player_tooltip player_id='1103595' first='Alex' last='Parks']</a> – BVSW   The Jaguars' defense virtually shutdown any momentum that Southwest had going, which prevented them from extending drives and getting on the scoreboard. While it was tough sledding for the Timberwolves throughout the game, senior running back [player_tooltip player_id='246338' first='Parker' last='Smith'], and sophomore wideout, <a href="https://twitter.com/alex4parks?s=21&t=KpPTMoWVVegrmw3y9A-nJw">[player_tooltip player_id='1103595' first='Alex' last='Parks']</a>, were able to provide a little bit of a spark for their struggling offense. Smith finished his final high school game with 83 yards rushing on 15 carries, and Parks would turn eight touches into 62 yards of total offense.      Defense:   [player_tooltip player_id='510990' first='Spencer' last='Vaka'] & [player_tooltip player_id='519316' first='Jayden' last='Woods'] – Mill Valley   Mill Valley's defense as a whole deserves a ton of credit for their performance in this one. But this pass rushing duo really set the tone. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='510990' first='Spencer' last='Vaka'] and sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='519316' first='Jayden' last='Woods'], had [player_tooltip player_id='230440' first='Dylan' last='Dunn'] under duress through a majority of the game. The two defensive linemen were too much for the Timberwolves' offensive line, as the two combined for four sacks.   <a href="https://twitter.com/ryanspecht9?s=21&t=KpPTMoWVVegrmw3y9A-nJw">[player_tooltip player_id='1228486' first='Ryan' last='Specht']</a> & [player_tooltip player_id='405858' first='Trey' last='Thomas'] – BVSW   It was a rough night to say the least for Southwest's defense. They struggled to stop the run, but the few times they did limit the Jags, sophomore <a href="https://twitter.com/ryanspecht9?s=21&t=KpPTMoWVVegrmw3y9A-nJw">[player_tooltip player_id='1228486' first='Ryan' last='Specht']</a> was involved on the play. Specht finished as one of the leading tacklers for the Timberwolves, as he ended the game with over five total. Another Southwest defender that stood out was junior defensive back, [player_tooltip player_id='405858' first='Trey' last='Thomas']. Mill Valley didn't throw much, but when they did, Thomas nearly picked off [player_tooltip player_id='35652' first='Hayden' last='Jay'] twice.

Week 12 of the '22 campaign brought us a matchup from the East side of the 5A bracket, as the top-seeded Mill Valley Jaguars (10-1) hosted the eleventh-seeded Blue Valley Southwest Timberwolves (6-5) for the Sub-State Championship.