Patriots to Host Pembroke Hill

The Christ Prep Patriots return to their home field to host the Pembroke Hill Raiders in a 7:00 p.m. contest to be held Saturday evening, October 2 at Shawnee Mission North field.  Christ Prep is 2-2 and seeking to move into winning territory at mid-point in the season. Pembroke Hill is trying to stay in positive territory as it takes its 3-2 record into the game.

CPA is coming off a tough 21-7 loss to University Academy while Pembroke Hill seeks to build momentum gained in an easy 69-8 victory over Lincoln Prep last week. Pembroke Hill's other wins came over Renaissance Academy (28-14) and Northeast (60-0). The Raiders' losses have come at the hands of Center (21-13) and John Burroughs of St. Louis (34-14). Neither Christ Prep nor Pembroke Hill have played common opponents at this point in the season, although both the Raiders and CPA's opponent last week--University Academy--lost to Center. University Academy lost by a score of 35-7 in the season opener.

Pembroke Hill, located at 400 W. 51st Street in Kansas City, is a Missouri Class 3 school and plays an independent schedule.

Look for results of this game to be posted Saturday evening.

Patriots Fall 21-7

The Christ Prep Patriots battled hard but fell 21-7 to a very athletic University Academy Gryphons team this afternoon in a football game played at Center High School in south Kansas City.  CPA dodged a number of bullets in the first half as several Gryphon big plays were called back because of penalties.
The Patriots lone score came on a 12 yard touchdown pass from Darren Wallace to Jack Layman. Defensive highlights included pass interceptions by Zach Hersberger (2) and Wallace as well as some excellent tackling by the Patriot linebacker corps and defensive line.

Check back on this post later as we hope to add some game statistics.

Patriots down 13-7 at Half

The Christ Prep Patriots are down 13-7 to University Academy in a football contest being played today at Center High School in South Kansas City. University Academy's explosive offensive was  held in check by penalties in the first half and the Patriots managed to tie the game with just over 1 minute left in the second quarter. The Gryphons then received the kickoff and promptly marched 80 yards down the field  on a drive capped off by a touchdown pass with :04 left on the clock. The extra point try was no good.

The game is being broadcast over the internet at http://mokssports.com (click on the link for the University Academy/CPA game.

Patriots to Play University Academy Saturday

The Christ Prep Patriots travel to Center High School to play the University Academy Gryphons in a 2:00 p.m. contest Saturday.  University Academy is coming off a 48-31 loss last week to Hogan Prep. The Gryphons stand 2-2 on the season. Christ Prep will try to build on its 22-7 win last Friday at Central Heights as the Patriots seek to move to 3-1.

University Academy has come on strong during the last couple of seasons. Last year the Gryphons were 9-3 and made it to the second round of the Missouri Class 1 playoffs where the team lost to Tipton 49-7. The Gryphons and Patriots have not met at the varsity level for at least three years, although both teams' JV squads faced off last season. That game went to triple overtime where University Academy pulled out a stunning 13-7 win.

This season University Academy's two wins came against Northeast (45-0) and Washington (15-6). The Gryphons' other loss was at the hands of Center 35-7.

Saturday's game is a home game for University Academy, which plays its home games at Center High School. Center's field is located at 8715 Holmes Rd. in south Kansas City, Missouri.

JV Prevails at Central Heights

The Christ Prep Patriots made a goal line stand during the game's final two minutes and prevailed 7-6 over the Central Heights Vikings in a JV matchup in Richmond, Kansas last night.

The JV contest with Central Heights was the first opportunity for many of the Patriots to see some game action this year. They did not disappoint.  Although the game was not an offensive showcase, the Patriots managed to score just enough points to secure the victory. After trailing the Vikings 6-0 at halftime, The Patriots' got it going in the third quarter on a 55-yard run by Ezra Boyd. Boyd's score brought the Patriots even with Central Heights then Timothy Finley's extra point put the Patriots ahead 7-6 for a lead they would not relinguish.

Tyler Sorrell made two touchdown saving tackles for the Patriots, the last one allowing the Patriots to make their goal line stand. Jonathan Kahn had an excellent pass reception in the fourth quarter. All in all it was a great opportunity for many of the guys to put into action the things they've been learning so far this season.

The JV returns to action next Monday at University Academy.

Above Photo: Zachary Kangas tackles a Viking running back.

Patriots Defeat Central Heights 22-7

The Christ Prep Patriots overcame an early deficit on their way to defeating the Central Heights Vikings 22-7 tonight in Richmond, Kansas. The Patriots received the opening kickoff but were sluggish in their first possession, finding themselves pinned deep in their own territory where they were forced to punt.  The Vikings then established the run early and marched about 60 yards in several plays, finally punching the ball into the end zone for a 7-0 lead.

The Patriots were still in a rut early in the second quarter as they found themselves pinned deep in their own territory after a Central Heights punt. Starting at the 3 yard line, CPA drove 97 yards in just a handful of plays, the most impressive a 76 yard run by RB Jared Nield. Darren Wallace then punched through the end zone on a 4-yard keeper.

The Patriots made several defensive adjustments in the second quarter which seemed to confuse the Vikings running attack. At the same time, Christ Prep kept clicking offensively as Jared Nield scored on a  10-yard run. After the Patriots recovered a  Wallace onside kick on the ensuing kickoff, CPA drove 40-plus yards but was stopped just short of the end zone. The Patriots then settled for a 25-yard Wallace field goal which put them up 15-6 at intermission.

Both teams by-and-large treaded possessions throughout most of the second half, the exception being Jesse Mann's 4-yard run late in the third quarter.  Wallace then added the extra point which put the Patriots up 22-7, a lead they would hold until the end of the game.

The Patriots once again had a strong showing offensively with the running game.  Nield gained 123 yards on 13 carries while Mann ground out 62 yards on ten tries. Wallace had 12 rushes for 31 yards. Wallace was 3 of 9 passing for 46 yards. Jack Layman was the recipient of two Wallace passes while Nield caught the other (a 27 yard screen pass).

Defensively the Patriots made key adjustments which halted the Vikings running games. Strong individual performances were turned in by linebackers Michael Force (15 tackles and one sack) Jacob Bronars (ten tackles). Ezra Boyd, Logan Newson, and Jack Layman added six tackles of their own while Drew Langston delivered a key sack while Wallace provided a timely pass interception. Zach Hershberger provided 39 return yards on two kickoffs and a punt.

With tonight's win the Patriots improve to 2-1 while the Vikings fall to 1-2. The Christ Prep varsity gets back into action next Saturday, September 25 when they will make a short trip across town to play University Academy in a 2:00 p.m. contest to be held at Center High School in Kansas City. The CPA JV travels back to Central Heights for a 4:30 p.m. contest on this Monday, September 20.

To view photos of last night's and last week's action, go to http://gallery.me.com/sandeefinley#1000015

Patriots Travel to Central Heights on Friday

The Christ Prep Patriots will travel to Richmond, Kansas Friday to play a 7:00 p.m. game against the Central Heights Vikings. Both teams are 1-1 but Central Heights is coming off a 34-12 victory over Jayhawk-Linn while the Patriots are trying to overcome a 55-28 loss at the hands of the La Crosse Leapords.

Central Heights is coming off of a 4-6 season in 2009 where the Vikings' 2-3 conference record placed them fourth in the Pioneer League (Osawatomie, Anderson County, Wellsville, Central Heights, Prairie View, and Jayhawk-Linn). During the 2009 campaign the Vikings scored 152 points while allowing 241. Max Preps ranks Central Heights 205th among Kansas high school programs.

Patriots Fall 55-28 to La Crosse Leopards

The La Crosse Leopards outplayed the Christ Prep Patriots and came away with a 55-28 victory last night in a contest held at Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas.

Things did not go well for the CPA from the very beginning as the Leopards returned the opening kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown. After a two-point conversion the Patriots found themselves quickly down 8-0.

The Patriots showed some offensive promise early, as Darren Wallace found Zach Hershberger for a 53 yard touchdown strike on CPA's opening drive.  La Crosse countered with a sustained drive on its next possession and capped it off with a 11 yard touchdown run.

Christ Prep then ground out another drive of its own, culminating in a 4 yard Wallace run. This tied the score 14-all, but that's the closest the Patriots would get the rest of the evening. La Crosse once again returned the ensuing kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown. The Leopards then really got rolling, frustrating the Patriots defensively and doing essentially what they pleased when they had the ball. The Leopards scored three more touchdowns and a safety and took a 42-14 lead into the locker room at halftime.

The second half saw each team score two touchdowns, but the Leopards scored both of there's first on runs of about 42 and 59 yards, respectively. These scores forced the Patriots into a running clock situation, which gave them little time to get much going. The Patriots did manage two late fourth quarter touchdowns on Wallace runs of around 10 and one yards. These scores brought the Patriots to within 55-28, which was the final score.

Next week the Patriots will take their 1-1 record to Richmond, Kans. to play the Central Heights Vikings, who were 34-12 winners last night over Jayhawk-Linn. Central Heights is 1-1, losing a close game last week to Prairie View.

Final Score: La Crosse 55-CPA 28

Patriots Down 42-14 at Halftime

Patriots to Face LaCrosse Leopards Friday Night

A pair of unbeaten teams square off this Friday evening as the Christ Prep Patriots take on the La Crosse Leopards at a neutral site—Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kans. The Patriots and Leopards are both 1-0 and are coming off impressive performances last weekend.

CPA won its opener 54-33 against the Sunrise Christian Academy Buffaloes last Saturday night. The previous evening, La Crosse won 51-6 over the Larned Indians in a game where La Crosse's varsity was pulled by halftime.

La Crosse is coming off a 7-3 season which saw them win the Central Prairie Conference with a 2-0 record. According to MaxPreps, the Leopards were ranked 133rd among Kansas high school football programs. The team scored 301 points during the 2009 season while holding opponents to 232. The 2010 team returns last season's leading rusher Marcus Moeder, who averaged 152 yards per and 9.4 points per game. Quarterback Tayler Stull also returns. Stull threw for over 60 yards per game during the 2009 campaign.

La Crosse is located in Rush County in west-central Kansas. The Leopards will travel a little over 100 miles east to Lindsborg to play the Patriots at Bethany College's Philip Anderson Field. The stadium, home of Bethany's "Fighting Swedes," features an all-weather playing surface and seats approximately 2,500. It should prove to be an excellent venue for the CPA-La Crosse matchup. To view photos and information of the stadium follow this link: 

http://www.bethanyswedes.com/f/Facilities.php

Patriots Run to Victory Over Sunrise

The Christ Prep Patriots amassed over 600 yards total offense en route to a 54-33 victory last night over the Sunrise Christian Academy Buffaloes at Shawnee Mission North field.

The Patriots offense got going early as senior QB Darren Wallace scored two first-quarter touchdowns on runs of 44 and six yards. Junior RB Jesse Mann added a run of 7 yards as the first quarter ended with the Patriots up 21-7. Senior RB Jared Nield added another second quarter touchdown on a 1 yard run and the first half ended with the Patriots leading 28-13.

After halftime things really got going for both teams as the third quarter saw CPA scoring three touchdowns while Sunrise pushed across the end zone twice. The Patriots scored first as Nield found junior WR Jack Layman on a 23 yard scoring strike on a perfectly executed halfback pass. Nield and Wallace then added runs of 2 yards and 68 yards, respectively and the third quarter ended with Christ Prep up 48-27.  The teams traded fourth quarter touchdowns with the Patriots scoring coming on a 22 yard touchdown pass from Wallace to Layman. Final score 54-33.

The Patriots delivered a well-rounded and explosive offensive performance. Christ Prep totaled 478 yards rushing on 54 carries for an average gain of  almost 9 yards per carry. The Patriots threw for 125 yards on five attempts. Individually, Wallace rushed for 222 yards on 18 carries (12.33 yard average) while Mann and Nield ran for 131 and 123 yards, respectively. Nield had 19 rushes and averaged about 6.5 yards per carry while Mann carried 16 times, averaging 8 yard per attempt.  Wallace was 4-13  passing (3 to Layman; one to Timothy Finley; two INT) for 99 yards while Nield was 1-1 (to Layman) for 23 yards. Besides the scoring mentioned above, Timothy Finley converted on 5 PAT attempts while Wallace added one.

Sunrise turned in an impressive offensive performance of its own. Senior QB Andrew Westerfield ran for three touchdowns and threw for two more while keeping the Patriot secondary guessing all night. Sunrise, in its first year playing 11-man football, showed few difficulties in its transition from 8-man play.

The Patriot defense delivered key plays at key moments throughout the game. Three Patriots, Nield, Layman, and junior safety Zach Hershberger , intercepted Westerfield passes. Two of these occurred while the Buffaloes were in Patriot territory

The Patriots linebacker corps delivered some brutal hits throughout the game. Senior LB Michael Force led Patriot tacklers with 11. Freshman LB Ezra Boyd added eight tackles while senior LB Jacob Bronars added six. Nield, senior LB Will Willis and senior safety Josiah Marischler turned in five tackles each. Bronars had one sack and one forced fumble.

With last night's win, the Patriots open the season 1-0 while the Buffaloes fall to 0-2. This week Sunrise travels to Canton-Galva while the Patriots meet Lacrosse at a neutral site--Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas.

Please enjoy more photos of last night's action below. Have an excellent Lord's Day!

Patriots Lead Sunrise at Halftime

The Christ Prep Patriots took a 28-13 halftime lead into the locker room in their season opener against Sunrise Christian Academy this evening at Shawnee Mission North field.Darren Wallace scored two first quarter touchdowns on quarterback keepers while RB Jesse Mann added another. Senior RB Jared Nield added another 2Q TD on a one-yard run.  After scoring a first quarter touchdown, Sunrise added a second touchdown on a short pass as the half expired. The PAT was blocked and the half ended with the Patriots ahead 28-13.

Stay tuned for the final results after the game.