The first Eastern Kansas League matchup of two Top 25 teams lived up to its billing.

In the opening week of Kansas football, No. 18 St. Thomas Aquinas prevailed, 25-21, over No. 23 Blue Valley West on Friday night at Aquinas.

After trailing 19-14 at halftime time, Blue Valley West took its only lead of the second half when senior quarterback Tate Nagy capped a drive with a keeper with 3:11 left in the third for a 21-19 margin.

But the Saints methodical drives added up again, as an 8-play, 66-yard drive was capped off by an Calin Arndt 4-yard rushing touchdown to go up 25-21 and with four minutes burned off the clock.

The Jaguars had their chance though, with 8:21 remaining. After driving the ball for two long plays, a 15-yard sack of Nagy by Joey Goodenow set West back insurmountably. It turned out to be their last shot, as the Saints offense took over and would not relinquish, sealing the 25-21 win via a 6:30 drive that took the rest of the game.

The first quarter saw a bit more scoring, as a 26-yard run from Will Callahan with 3:31 left broke the seal and put the Saints (1-0) ahead, 7-0. The Saints got another stop on the ensuing Jaguar drive and went up 13-0 after another great offensive drive was capped off by a 3-yard run from Calin Arndt with 1:56 to go.

The Jaguars (0-1) finally struck back though after falling behind two scores when they needed just two plays to find the endzone. Nagy took a scramble 11 yards in for a score to make it 13-7 with 0:29 remaining.

The Jaguars clawed their way back in the second quarter when the Saints fumbled a handoff to open the quarter, only for it to end up in the Jaguars’ Ben McDavid’s hands. West would score four plays later after a 4-yard pass and catch from Nagy to Crew Meyers to make it 14-13 with 10:42 left. The Saints answered right back though with an 11-play, 75 yard drive capped off by a 1-yard dive from Elzie Slaughter to make it 19-14.

The Saints will host St. James Academy (1-0) next Friday night, while Blue Valley West will play at Olathe West (1-0) next Thursday.