Olathe West took one big step to clinching the top seed in the Kansas Class 6A playoffs on Friday night.

The Owls outlasted Shawnee Mission East, 37-28, as both teams entered with a 5-1 record, in a four-way tie atop the Kansas Class 6A East standings. But the Lancers loss, an Olathe Northwest loss and Free State postponed but trailing 21-14 left Olathe West atop the seedings at 6-1.

Olathe West’s Josh Foland helped the seal the game with a 49-yard run after an Owl interception of East. Following the big run, Brody Hale took a quarterback keeper into the end zone for a 37-28 lead with 1:56 left.

The Lancers (5-2) needed heroics from backup quarterback Vince Kopp, who replaced starter Jack Reeves after an injury on the game’s first drive. But Kopp merely scored four rushing touchdowns to help Shawnee Mission East hang close, including his final one on a seven-yard keeper for a 31-28 deficit with 6:31 to play.

Olathe West took the upper hand early on after a touchdown pass from Hale was fumbled, but recovered for a 7-0 lead, then Hale hit Sam Krzykowski for a 12-yard pass and a 13-0 lead with 3:18 in the quarter.

Kopp and East pulled to 21-7, but a Foland four-yard touchdown run kept arm’s distance at 21-7 with 6:01 in the half.

A fake punt with 42 seconds left in the half, another Krzykowski big catch and a Hale 15-yard touchdown pass to Weston Voight gave the Owls a 28-14 halftime lead.

Olathe West will face Olathe Northwest next Friday, while the Lancers will host Shawnee Mission Northwest.