Standout Performers From Olathe NW vs. Olathe South

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the most underrated games of the Regional Round was this crosstown rivalry matchup between the Olathe Northwest Ravens and the Olathe South Falcons. The sixth-seeded Ravens entered the contest after scoring 59 points during Week 9 against Wyandotte, and they were looking to make their first Sectional Round appearance in school history. But standing in their way would be the No. 3 seed on the East side of the 6A bracket. Olathe South tied for 2^nd place in the final&nbsp;<em>Sunflower League</em>&nbsp;standings, and they picked up their 7^th&nbsp;win of the season during Week 9, which is their highest win total since their state championship season in 2011.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This game would be the second meeting between the two rivals, as South defeated Northwest 35-7 back in Week 3. Although the Falcons got the better of the Ravens during the regular season, it is always tough to beat an opponent twice in one year. Especially in the playoffs.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>At first, it appeared as if this game was heading in the direction of the regular season matchup, as the Falcons quickly jumped out to a 7-0 lead after the Ravens had a special teams miscue on the opening kickoff. But the Ravens would respond with a score of their own, which would be a common theme throughout the first half. Both teams traded punches all the way up till halftime, but it would be the Ravens leading the Falcons 28-21 at intermission.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With all the fireworks that went off in the first half, it looked like this game was going to end up as a shootout. But both defenses would tighten up in the second half. One of the biggest plays of the game came late in the 3^rd quarter when South was threatening at Northwest's 3-yard line. The Ravens' defense would come up with a huge interception that kept the Falcons out of the end zone. This was the moment Northwest took full control of the game. Olathe Northwest would put the final nail in the coffin during the 4^th quarter, as the Ravens went on to stun the No. 3-seed in a final score of 35-21. The Ravens will face another crosstown rival next week when they take on Olathe West in their first-ever Sectional Round appearance. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's a look at the <em>Standout Performers</em> from this exciting Regional Round matchup&nbsp;<strong>(Unofficial Stats)</strong>.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><u>Offense:</u></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://twitter.com/max_keller22?s=21&amp;t=Qu8RdbY0qC2ytDozMdgXpg" data-type="URL" data-id="https://twitter.com/max_keller22?s=21&amp;t=Qu8RdbY0qC2ytDozMdgXpg">Max Keller</a> – Olathe NW, 5'10”, 185, ATH, Class of '23</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A case could be made that Olathe Northwest's entire offense was deserving of&nbsp;<em>Offensive MVP</em>. Multiple prospects stuck out, but senior running back, <a href="https://twitter.com/max_keller22?s=21&amp;t=Qu8RdbY0qC2ytDozMdgXpg" data-type="URL" data-id="https://twitter.com/max_keller22?s=21&amp;t=Qu8RdbY0qC2ytDozMdgXpg">Max Keller</a>, seemed to come up with some key plays whenever the Ravens needed an answer. Keller did a little bit of everything for Northwest, as the senior accounted for nearly 150 yards of total offense and two total touchdowns. He helped put the Falcons away down the stretch, and scored the final touchdown of the game to extend Northwest's lead to 14 points.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://twitter.com/zanehall_?s=21&amp;t=Qu8RdbY0qC2ytDozMdgXpg" data-type="URL" data-id="https://twitter.com/zanehall_?s=21&amp;t=Qu8RdbY0qC2ytDozMdgXpg">Zane Hall</a> – Olathe South, 6'0”, 185, WR, Class of '23</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Although the Falcons didn't come out on top, <a href="https://twitter.com/zanehall_?s=21&amp;t=Qu8RdbY0qC2ytDozMdgXpg" data-type="URL" data-id="https://twitter.com/zanehall_?s=21&amp;t=Qu8RdbY0qC2ytDozMdgXpg">Zane Hall</a> managed to turn in his best performance of the season. The senior was able to get separation from the opposing corners, and made some exciting plays after the catch. Hall was South's top wideout of the game, as he hauled in 10 receptions for 138 yards; both of which were season highs for the senior.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='415284' first='Bryce' last='Noernberg'] – Olathe South, 5'10”, 160, QB, Class of '24</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Noernberg had put up some impressive numbers over the past two weeks, but the Ravens' defense did a great job of limiting the dual-threat quarterback, and forced him to make a few mistakes. The junior wasn't able to get much going on the ground, and at times had to throw into some gusty winds. Noernberg would still finish with over 200 yards through the air, as he went on to complete 18-of-33 passes for 245 yards and two touchdowns.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='124032' first='Eric' last='Butler'] – Olathe NW, 6'2”, 220, RB, Class of '23</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='124032' first='Eric' last='Butler'] impressed on both sides of the ball in this one, but his strong running helped the Ravens come out on top. His physical style appeared to wear down the Falcons' defense late in the game, as he was averaging 6.5 yards per carry down the stretch. The senior finished the contest with two rushing touchdowns and 86 yards on 20 carries.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><u>Defense:</u></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='911401' first='Merak' last='Greinert']</strong> – Olathe NW, 6'2”, 185, ATH, Class of '25</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='911401' first='Merak' last='Greinert']</strong> has the potential to be a difference maker for the Ravens over the next few years. His play at safety helped the Ravens limit the Falcons' shots down the field, and he came up with two game changing plays. Greinert picked off Noernberg in the red zone during the 3^rd&nbsp;quarter, and once again in the 4^th&nbsp;quarter to help the Ravens seal the deal.&nbsp;The sophomore also showed promise under center, as he threw for 108 yards, with one pass being an 88-yard touchdown.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='127724' first='Jordan' last='Allen'] – Olathe South, 6'4”, 240, DL, Class of '23</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The top ranked defensive lineman in our Class of '23 rankings had himself a night. Allen was an absolute force at defensive end. He'd go on to rack up eight total tackles, three tackles for loss, and one pass breakup. In addition to this, Allen also had a hat trick on offense. The talented senior accounted for all of the Falcons' points, as he scored three total touchdowns in the first half.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->