Valle falls to Penney in Missouri Class 1 championship game

ST. LOUIS -- Keagan Prather's 7-yard touchdown run with 5:40 to play gave Penney its first state title, as the Hornets rallied to defeat perennial power Valle Catholic 21-17 in the Class 1 Show-Me Bowl.

Prather's game-winning score was set-up by Dylan Chatwick's 49-yard run, which gave the Hornets (14-0) a first-and-goal at the 7-yard line. Prather took it in on the next play for his second touchdown of the game. He also scored in the first half to give Penney a 14-0 halftime advantage.

The Warriors tied the game in the third quarter on a 1-yard touchdown run by Michael Greminger and a 29-yard touchdown pass from Greminger to Nathan Geile.

Kevin Abts 25-yard field goal gave Valle Catholic (14-1) its first lead. But the Hornets went 66 yards in four plays on their ensuing drive, which was capped by Prather's 7-yard run.

Class 6

Spencer Davis' 76-yard punt return for a touchdown with 7:47 remaining set a Show-Me Bowl record and helped lift Hazelwood Central to its second straight state title, as the Hawks defeated Blue Springs 35-24 on Friday.

Davis was one of five players to score for Hazelwood Central (13-1) which won its fifth title by beating a Blue Springs team for the second straight season. The Hawks knocked off Blue Springs South 25-20 in the 2008 Class 6 Show-Me Bowl.

Blue Springs finished the year at 12-2. The Wildcats were led by Darrian Miller, who had 36 carries for 182 yards and a TD. Miller finished the year with 309 carries for 2,798 yards and 37 touchdowns.

With his team holding a 28-24 advantage, Davis fielded a punt from Jared Lanpher on his 24 and headed left. Thanks to a key block from Bakari Woods, Davis got the corner and sprinted the rest of the way down the left side line.

His 76-yard return was the longest in Show-Me Bowl history, breaking the record of 68 yards set by current University of Missouri running back Derrick Washington in 2006 when he was with Raymore-Peculiar.

The team's traded touchdowns in the first 24 minutes. Blue Springs took its third lead of the half at 21-14 when Lanpher scored from 1-yard out with 3:17 left in the second quarter. But Hazelwood Central answered that on the next play from scrimmage when Tra Brown took off on a 78-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 21-21 after one half.

Class 5

Derrick Dilworth completed 13-of-20 passes for 208 yards and two scores to lead Webster Groves to a 31-14 win over Fort Osage in the Class 5 Show-Me Bowl Saturday.

It was Webster Groves' (13-0) fourth state title. Fort Osage, which played in its first state title game, finished the year 13-1.

David Scanlon, who had 74 receiving yards, was the recipient of Dilworth's TD tosses -- his only two catches of the day.

After Fort Osage grabbed a 14-10 lead on a 79-yard TD pass from Edward Pearl to Garry Frisk 3:06 into the third quarter, Desmond Brown gave the Statesmen the lead with a 1-yard run.

Class 4

Shane Hartzler ran for one touchdown and passed for another to lead Kearney over Helias 27-15 in the Class 4 championship game Friday.

The Bulldogs (13-2) held previously unbeaten Helias (14-1) to 15 net yards rushing, although the Crusaders set a Show-Me Bowl record for longest completion on Clint Distler's 86-yard touchdown pass to Conner White.

Kearney trailed 9-7 at the half and went ahead for good on Hartzler's 1-yard touchdown run with 8:15 left in the third quarter. Keith Ringler added a 36-yard field goal later in the period, and Ashton Hiatt's 4-yard run on the first play of the fourth quarter gave Kearney a 24-9 lead.

The championship loss was the second in two years for Helias, which defeated previously unbeaten Sikeston last weekend in the semifinals.

Class 3

Trevor Tanner had 22 carries for 131 yards and two touchdowns to lead Cassville to its second straight state title with a 24-7 win over Bowling Green Saturday in the Class 3 Show-Me Bowl.

Joseph Gouvion added 123 yards on 17 carries for the Wildcats (14-1), including an 85-yard touchdown run that tied the score at 7-7. Cassville rushed the ball 47 times for 278 yards and had 407 yards of total offense.

Bowling Green (14-1) was held to 239 yards on 68 plays. Class 2

Gavin Talmadge rushed 18 times for 130 yards and a touchdown, and teammate Derek DeMott ran 13 times for 73 yards and two scores Friday as Maryville beat Brentwood 35-0 in the Class 2 championship game.

Maryville (14-1) went a step further than last year, when the Spoofhounds lost 10-7 to Clark County in the 2008 title game. The loss snapped an 11-game winning streak for Brentwood (12-2).

-- The Associated Press