Aquinas dominated Friday night’s Class 5A state quarterfinal offensively and defensively, ending Seaman’s Cinderella season.

The Saints scored all five times they had the ball in the first half en route to a 37-7 lead on the way to a 57-21 victory at Seaman.

Aquinas, 8-3, advanced to next week’s state semifinals to face defending 5A champion Mill Valley while Seaman ended its season 8-3.

“We got a penalty on the first kickoff return and got stuck inside our 10 and it didn’t get any better for the most part,” Seaman coach Glenn O’Neil said. “They’ve got a great program and coach (Randy) Dreiling does a great job with a good staff and we just didn’t have any answers for them with our defense against their offense tonight.

“They’re the measuring stick along with Mill Valley and some of the other good (Eastern Kansas League) teams and we’re a program that’s trying to catch up to where they are.”

Seaman and Aquinas were tied at 7-7 with 3:48 left in the first quarter after a 4-yard Dalton Cowan touchdown run (Walker Bassett kick), but the Saints ended the half with 30 unanswered points.

Aquinas junior Drew Hicks carried the ball nine times for 125 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the half while junior quarterback Will Swanson completed five of eight passes for 202 yards and 34-yard and 74-yard touchdowns passes. Swanson also scored a touchdown on a 1-yard plunge.

The half ended with Aquinas sophomore Joe O’Leary kicking a 42-yard field goal.

Seaman had trouble denting Aquinas’ defense, finishing the first half with 49 rushing yards and 94 total yards while the Saints had 387 total yards by halftime.

Swanson’s five first-half pass completions all went for at least 29 yards as Seaman had trouble keeping track of the Saints’ receivers.

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