Defense and big plays were the recipe for Fort Osage as they flummoxed the Staley Falcons all afternoon as they rolled to a 33-3 win in the quarterfinals of Class 5 at North Kansas City District Stadium on Saturday.
"I did not see this coming," For Osage head coach Brock Bult said.
"Every Fort Osage-Staley game is usually a defensive battle. It seemed like the ball was bouncing our way and the kids took advantage of it.
You can never count on three defensive touchdowns, but our kids we're really focused and prepared well this week."
The Indians (8-4) never trailed in the game taking their first lead of the game on a 12-yard touchdown run by Ty Baker at the 3:53 mark to make it 6-0.
Fort Osage’s opportunistic defense, which forced six turnovers in the win, accounted for the next score as Trystan Floyd recovered a fumble and returned it 40 yards for the TD giving the visitors a 13-0 lead less than one minute into the second quarter.
A 29-yard field goal by Staley's Jacob Stewart cut the lead to 10 at the half.
But the Indians defense was back at it in the third quarter making yet another big play. With 4:08 to go in the quarter, Von Young's pick-six for 68 yards pushed the lead to 17 (20-3).
Young made his presence known once more with his second interception of the game with 7:57 left in the game. Just two plays later, Young called his own number, running it in from five yards out to give Fort Osage a 26-3 lead.
In fitting style, the Indians closed the scoring with a defensive touchdown, a fumble recovery by Jaheim Middleton in the end zone, that put them ahead 33-3 with just over five minutes left in the game.
Baker finished the game with 112 yards passing to lead the Indians, who will host Columbia Battle next week with a spot in the state championship game on the line.
"We talked before the game about all the adversity we've faced this season," Bult said. "There's nothing that can happen on the field that we haven't seen or can't overcome as long as we stay together."
For more photos of this game and other photography needs go to www.toddnugent.net
