In front of a capacity crowd and Mayor Quinton Lucas in attendance at 810 Varsity Showcase 36, Oak Park put at a stamp on who’s the top team in the city. And a loud statement at that.

Oak Park, which entered Saturday night ranked No. 2 in the 810 Varsity Top 25, throttled No. 1 Shawnee Mission Northwest, 76-44, at Oak Park High School. The Northmen (4-1) came off a 48-44 win at No. 4 Staley on Friday night, and used a 20-2 surge after intermission to blow the doors off the game.

The Cougars (0-1), the defending Kansas Class 6A state champions, rode a 25-game win streak into its season opener. The hyped matchup was set over the summer, and was anticipated by both schools for months.

“There was a lot of talking back and forth between both groups,” stated Oak Park head coach Sherron Collins. “This was a game we all looked for and had circled on our calendar. We played a complete game tonight.”

But Illinois commit Keaton Wagler was limited to 13 points, while 7-foot-1 junior Ethan Taylor was taken out of the attack by Oak Park for just six points.

Meanwhile, the Northmen balanced attack of five players in double-digit scoring was fueled by its defensive effort and interior play against the taller Cougars. Caleb Estes paced Oak Park with 18 points, while Josh Kori scored 13 of his 15 points in the first half to help build a 37-30 lead at the break.

“These guys have been playing together since sixth grade,” Collins added. “They're so unselfish and don't care who scores and just want to win. When you get a group like that, it's fun to coach.”

Zeke Brown fired in 16 points, including two three-pointers during the third period barrage. Corbin Allen and Aedin Fields each netted 12.

Mayor Lucas attended the finale of 810 Varsity Showcase 36, and enjoyed watching the contest which featured multiple NCAA Division I recruits.

“We spend a lot of time talking about the issues in Kansas City. This is the exact opposite, and this is how you solve it. The more we can build up and celebrate our young people, no matter what the engagement is, that's great,” Lucas stated. “I love 810 Varsity giving everyone an opportunity to see this great talent at its best."

SM Northwest (44)

Wagler 4 3-4 13, Collins 2 1-1 6, Riley 1 2-2 5, Salmon 6 1-1 14, Taylor 3 0-0 6. Totals 16 7-8 44.

Oak Park (76)

Kori 7 0-0 15, Fields 5 2-2 12, Allen 4 3-4 12, Estes 6 4-4 18, Brown 7 0-0 16, Ross 1 0-0 3. Totals 30 9-10 76.

Three-pointers: Wagler 2, Collins, Riley, Salmon; Estes 2, Brown 2, Ross, Kori, Allen. 

Score by quarters