One of the most difficult things to do in sports is to keep an unbeaten season going. Every week you must play at your best because your opponent is always extra eager to try and hand you your first loss.
This week the Patriots, who were ranked 2nd in the state going into the game, took their unbeaten streak on the road to face the 7th-rated Spartans of Lincoln East. Despite a tough challenge against a team with 4 wins and only 1 loss, the Patriots prevailed to improve their record to 6 wins without a loss.
The game got off to a fast start as on the first drive of the game sophomore quarterback Jett Thomalla threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to put the Patriots up 7-0. This would be the only score of the 1st quarter and the Patriots held the lead.
In the second quarter, the Spartans answered the early touchdown with one of their own to even up the score at 7 apiece. The Patriots once again answered as they scored a field goal to go up 10-7. That remained the score when the game went to halftime.
The road ahead became tougher for the Patriots in the second half as Lincoln East put up a touchdown to grab their first lead of the game at 14-10. The Patriots answered with a score of their own and at the end of the third quarter led 17-14.
An offensive explosion occurred in the fourth and final quarter. The Spartans scored an early touchdown to move ahead 21-17. The Patriots needed an answer and they got it when Thomalla threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to put the Patriots up 24-21.
The Patriots struck again in the fourth quarter with yet another touchdown pass with this one going for 61 yards to put the Pats up 31-21. The fourth quarter trend continued when sophomore Amarion Jackson returned a punt to the house going for 70 yards which made the score 38-21.
Millard South would not be done scoring yet though. Junior linebacker Dylan Kuhl intercepted the ball late in the fourth quarter and ran it back 65 yards to extend the lead to 45-21. This is what the final score would be as the Patriots moved to 6-0 on the season and the Spartans dropped their record to 4-2.
This proved to be an all-around game for the Patriots and one of the best of their season of their season as Thomall threw for 190 yards with 3 touchdowns all going to different receivers. Kuhl, Jackson, and sophomore Isaac Jensen all had touchdown receptions, and sophomore running back Gabriel Prucha also chipped in with 97 yards rushing and a touchdown.
The Patriots will look to keep the winner’s mentality going as they prepare to put their 6-0 record to the test next week when they travel to 2-4 Columbus before returning home to finish out the regular season.
