By Mack McClure
810Varsity.com

ROELAND PARK – Bishop Miege had only one blemish last season, as it rolled to its third straight Class 4A Division-I state football championship.

After blanking DeSoto 31-0 on Friday night in a battle of unbeaten teams, the Stags (8-0) seem hell-bent on running the table after two district games.

Besides a fourth straight crown, 2016 Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year, Stags quarterback Carter Putz, wants more for his team in the form of running the table.

“We want to go undefeated," Putz said. “The team got together before the start of the season, and that was our main goal besides winning another state title.

"Unfortunately, we lost one game last year, Blue Valley, the runner-up in 6A. We just want to build off last year’s state championship."

The Stags scored on their opening drive of the game, culminated by a 17-yard touchdown pass from Putz to sophomore speedster Daniel Jackson in the right flat. 

That made it 7-0 with 8:44 left in the first quarter.

"We knew that they liked to bring the blitz off the edge," Putz said. "We knew that if we got the ball in the flat, we could make a play."

In the midst of one of its top seasons in recent memory, DeSoto (7-1) went toe-to-toe with the high-octane Stags from that juncture, keeping them scoreless the remainder of period.

The Stags' AJ Brady's 29-yard field goal with 11:15 remaining in the second quarter increased Miege's lead to 10-0.

If you're looking for a turning point, glance no further than Putz's game-breaking, momentum-seizing 73-yard touchdown run, where he faked a handoff, manuevered to his left and set sail down the sideline.

Putz's touchdown came with 4:57 remaining in the second quarter, effectively serving as the knockout punch as the lead grew to 17-0.

"We had a run to the right and I am reading the end," Putz said. "Earlier in the game, we saw that he was pretty aggressive and came down the line.

"I knew later in the game, if I got another chance, it might be open and fortunately, it worked out. I think that was a huge play in the momentum shift and got our offense going." 

In a second half that found an increasingly strong breeze, the Wildcats' Ben Everson missed a 39-yard field goal. 

His miss came near the four-minute mark in the third quarter, leaving the score at 17-0.

Miege topped off the scoring with a pair of 15-yard touchdowns, including sophomore running back Brison Cobbins racing for the final score with 6:23 remaining in the fourth quarter.