4A Championship Preview

St. James somehow held it together despite losing the first four games of the season, all against bigger schools. None of those games were particularly close. But once they got a chance to play someone their own size, the Thunder started rolling. They believed, and they achieved. In their eight straight wins, they haven’t been held to fewer than 31 points. Meanwhile, Andover Central hasn’t scored fewer than 42 points in a playoff game, and they have outscored their opponents 187-31. But considering how St. James played bigger schools to start the season, and how strong they are finishing, it shapes up to be a great game. Here are some players to watch Saturday: [player_tooltip player_id="166977" first="Jackson" last="House"], 6-foot, 182 pound quarterback, 2023, St. James: House provides a ton of the offense for the Thunder. He has thrown for over 2,600 yards and 23 touchdowns, while being picked off just four times. The junior has also run for over 700 yards this year. [player_tooltip player_id="237220" first="John" last="Niesen"], 6-foot-3, 180 pound receiver, 2023, St. James: House has a couple of long, talented wideouts to throw to. Niesen has hauled in 60 catches for 1,222 and eight touchdowns. [player_tooltip player_id="35590" first="Tyler" last="Claiborne"], 6-foot-3, 185 pound receiver, 2022, St. James: Claiborne leads the Thunder with 78 catches for nearly 1,000 and has 13 touchdowns receiving this year. [player_tooltip player_id="159157" first="Kai" last="Kunz"], 6-foot-3, 187 pound quarterback, 2022, Andover Central: House’s counterpart is just as essential to the Jaguars’ offense. Kunz has completed nearly 66% of passes, amassing 1,865 yards through the air. The senior has also carried for 546 yards, picking up 5.8 yards per carry. [player_tooltip player_id="113647" first="Ashton" last="Barkdull"], 6-foot-1, 174 pound running back, 2022, Andover Central: One of the leading ground gainers in 4A, the senior has gained1,143 rushing, with 20 touchdowns. Barkdull has a nifty 6.1 yards-per-carry average.