After the rain moved through the metro area, Blue Springs South and Rockhurst had no problem moving the ball up down the field. Both teams moved back and forth, with explosive plays making for an entertaining offensive game.

But it was a 91-yard interception by Blue Springs South’s Rickey Nichols that made the difference in pushing the Jaguars over the top in a 37-27 victory. In the fourth quarter, Nichols jumped a route and ran the ball all the way for the score as players on the sideline jumped for joy.

“He’s got that knack for the ball and it worked out well for us, ” Blue Springs coach Greg Oder said.

Led by running back Adam Cofield’s effort on the ground, Blue Springs South continued to move forward in its undefeated season. Cofield had 129 rushing yards and two total touchdowns.

“Our offensive line works really hard, and it’s blessing to work behind them,” Cofield said.

Every time Rockhurst scored, the Jaguars came up with a quick strike of their own, whether it was running or through the air.

Senior quarterback Noah Nigro was impressive, throwing for three touchdowns. Nigro spread the ball around well to open targets. He hit five different receivers, including a great catch by Briley Moore-McKinney, who jumped up for the 27-yard pass and brought it down over the Rockhurst defender.

Nigro also threw a touchdown to Cofield and one on a quick 3-yard slant to Jake Lamb. Having all those targets helped Nigro throughout the game.

“Our offense was clicking in the first half and our defense picked it up,” Nigro said. “Everything just went right for us.

That 24-point second quarter helped Blue Springs South jump out to a comfortable lead. Having a lead like that against Rockhurst was huge early on.

“Rockhurst is a great team, but we play a lot of great teams,” Nigro said. “We play them like anybody else. We just play as hard as we can every time.”

The Hawklets, 1-4, stayed in the game thanks to Wisconsin commitment A.J. Taylor. First he broke off a 51-yard touchdown run after tiptoeing down the left sideline. Then his 86-yard kickoff return brought Rockhurst within striking distances.

Taylor finished the night with 138 rushing yards and three total touchdowns.

Rockhurst continued to push toward a comeback throughout the second half. The Hawklets took to the air in the second half as Tyler Benninghoff connected with Chris Teahan. But the Jaguars stopped Taylor in his tracks late in the third quarter, negating the chance for Rockhurst to draw closer.

A late rush by Rockhurst came up short and the Jaguars prevailed at the end. Now they take their 5-0 record and try to keep up this momentum through the hard fall months ahead.

“We came in here knowing that Rockhurst was going to have a good fight,” Cofield said. “We were prepared just like every other week.”