Jordan Jackson's final pass bounced and rolled around in the end zone. There would be no miracle finish. No shocking victory. No trip to state.

The Ladue football team and its junior quarterback were fresh out of miracles.

After pulling out back-to-back thrillers in the district final against MICDS and the quarterfinal at Cape Central, Ladue met defending Class 4 champion Kearney on a blustery, cold day at St. Louis U. High, its home away from home.

Kearney scored twice in the first six minutes of the game and didn't score again — but it was enough to pull out a 14-10 Class 4 semifinal victory.

The No. 1 team in Class 4, Kearney (13-1) advanced to play Harrisonville (11-3) for the state championship at 7 p.m. Friday at Plaster Stadium on the campus of Missouri State University.

The No. 6 team in Class 4 and No. 10 large school in the STLhighschoolsports.com rankings, Ladue (12-2) had its season ended in the semifinals for the second time in three seasons. It lost at Battle 34-6 in Class 5 in 2014.

The Rams did themselves no favors in the first quarter. They ran three plays on the opening drive for a net 4 yards. The ensuing punt was popped up and Kearney had the ball at Ladue's 41-yard line for its first possession. Two plays later, senior quarterback Anthony Pritzel found senior receiver Jess Davis for a 43-yard touchdown. Three minutes and three seconds in, Kearney had a 7-0 lead.

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