TOPEKA 

Bishop Miege football players flashed wide smiles, gave each other big hugs and posed for numerous photos at Hummer Sports Complex on Saturday afternoon, basking in yet another end-of-the-season celebration.

They were champions again, for the third straight time, after defeating Buhler 53-21 in the Kansas Class 4A-Division I title game.

Bishop Miege scored the first 46 points before easing up late in the third quarter. The Stags, 12-1, finished the season with 12 straight victories after opening with a loss to Blue Valley, the runners-up in Class 6A. Miege has seven state titles in its history since 1972.

“This is what we do it for,” senior lineman Colin Grunhard said. “It’s amazing. We’ve lost two games in three years — both to Blue Valley. The program’s only getting better, too.”

Junior quarterback Carter Putz threw for 331 yards and five touchdowns, including three scores to senior receiver Jafar Armstrong, a Missouri commit who caught eight passes for 219 yards. Bishop Miege’s downfield blocking, from receivers and linemen alike, was particularly effective.

“It’s all preparation and hard work,” Putz said. “Our coaches got on us about making plays down the field and our receivers took on the challenge.”

Putz’s longest pass plays came in the second quarter, on a 68-yard score to Armstrong and an 85-yard touchdown — on a screen pass with flawless blocking — to Cameron Clark. Putz called his receivers the best athletes in the state of Kansas, and coach Jon Holmes said their unselfish play sets the perfect example for the rest of the Stags.

“We tell the wideouts, if they want to get the ball down the field, they’re going to have to block,” Holmes said. “You see Landry Weber and Jafar Armstrong, they are big-time receivers, being unselfish in the run game and making big plays for guys to get the runs going downfield.”

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