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Road WarriorsPhoto Credit: Jason Burritt/Bay's Creek Photography

   

 

Complete Box Score and Stats

WICHITA, Kan. — It all came down to the right leg of St. James Academy first-year kicker Kylar Haarhuis.

With the game on the line, Haarhuis nailed a game-winning 24-yard field goal with three seconds left to lift the Thunder to a 31-29 nonconference victory and a fourth straight win Friday night at Kapaun Mt. Caramel.

Minutes prior, the Crusaders (3-4) gambled and converted a two-point conversion to take a 28-27 lead. After a successful drive that featured plenty of Kapaun running back Omari Elias, the 5-foot-10, 190-pound junior darted into the end zone for a short touchdown run. He also easily converted the two-point conversion for the temporary lead with 2:30 to go.

Then, senior quarterback Blake Boydston and the St. James offense went to work. And quick. The Thunder converted a few crucial fourth and third down conversions, with Boydston connecting with senior receivers Finn Burritt and John Neisen to put the visitors in field goal range. And then Haarhuis took care of the rest.

“It’s a great win against a great team,” St. James coach Tom Radke said. “The defense did a great job in the first half against (Elias). And then our offense put Kylar in a great position to come up big with the field goal. I’m just proud of the guys for pulling out a very nice win.”

The Thunder led 14-7 at halftime before the Crusaders knotted the score at 21-all with Elias’ two-yard touchdown run. Boydston then tallied his fourth touchdown pass with a 13-yard connection with Callahan Huston for a 28-21 lead early in the fourth quarter.

Kapaun then marched down the field with its rushing attack to make things interesting.

Defense was the name of the game in the first half.

Boydston connected with John Neisen on a 25-yard strike early in the first quarter. Kapaun countered with a touchdown of its own when Hamilton Dylan completed a 39-yard pass to Shibley Dominic.

Boydston finished the contest with 260 passing yards and four touchdown passes and 114 rushing yards. Meanwhile, Burritt had five catches for 101 yards and two touchdowns and Niesen six receptions for 81 yards and a touchdown.

St. James improved to 4-3 on the season and will host Blue Valley North (0-6) in a regular-season finale next Friday at Bishop Miege.