For the third time in three years, Saint Thomas Aquinas (10-1) and Mill Valley (7-4) will meet in the Kansas state Class 5A semifinal, with kickoff set for 7 p.m., this Friday at Saints Stadium. 

The winner of the Saints-Jaguars matchup will face the winner of the Bishop Carroll at Goddard contest, in the state title game on Saturday, November 25 at Carnie Smith Stadium on the campus of Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg.  
 
This week's meeting between the two will be the 11th overall, with the Saints holding a 6-4 advantage. It will be the seventh time in the last four years that the two have met, with the Jaguars taking both state semifinal contests and advancing to win the title each time. Last year, Mill Valley won the semifinal 14-13, at Saints Stadium.

"Obviously, they are the champions until someone eliminates them," Saints head coach Randy Dreiling said. "We have a great deal of respect for their program and what they have been able to accomplish. They play hard and throw a lot of looks at you on both sides of the ball. To say we will have to play well to win is an understatement."

Earlier this season on Sept. 29, the Saints took a 42-21 win over the Jaguars on the road.  St. Thomas Aquinas limited the Jags to 156 yards and one touchdown through three quarters of play. The Saints mixed it up a little on defense, utilizing a three-man line to stymie the Jaguars .

"Our defense played very well," Dreiling said. "Mill Valley has a potent offense, so to limit them as we did says something. I thought our defensive line got great pressure and our linebackers pursued well."
 
It was a defensive play which turned the game. The Saints jumped to a quick 14-0 lead, scoring on their first two drives on a three-yard run by senior quarterback Will Swanson and a two-yard run by junior running back Cameron Jackson. But the Jaguars struck back quickly, riding the arm of senior quarterback Brody Flaming, who tossed a 14-yard scoring pass to Logan Talley, cutting the lead to 14-7.

The Mill Valley defense held the Saints the next time Aquinas had the ball, setting the stage for the Jags to potentially tie the game. However, in going for a fourth and less than a yard from their own 34-yard line, Flaming was stuffed for no gain. It took only a minute for Swanson to score his second touchdown, going in from two-yards out to extend the lead to 21-7.

"That was a huge play," Dreiling said. "Mill Valley had some momentum. But the defense held its ground and gave the offense a short field in which to score. Big, big play."
  
The Saints extended their lead to 28-7 just before halftime on a nine-yard scamper around the right side by senior running back Drew Hicks. Aquinas put the game out of reach on its first drive of the second half as Swanson and Hicks hooked up on a 38-yard scoring pass and catch just 45 seconds into the third quarter. The lead would balloon to 42-7 on a 28-yard dash around the right side by freshman Tyron Young on a fourth and seven with 9:19 left in the game. Swanson was solid in the passing game, completing 7-of-8 for 91 yards and touchdown. Hicks did a little bit of everything, scoring twice, rushing for 34 yards on seven carries, catching a pass for 38 yards and blocking well from his running back position.
 
But Dreiling knows this is a different Mill Valley team. After the loss to the Saints, the Jaguars stood at 2-3, since then they have gone 5-1 (including wins in their last five games). They have plenty of firepower in two-year starter Flaming, two veteran receivers to target in Logan Talley and Evan Rice and running back Cameron Young -- a 1,000-yard rusher last season.

"Aquinas has been here before - we know they'll be tough," Mill Valley head coach Joel Applebee said. "At the same time, I like our guys. They haven't won 13 straight playoff games for no reason."

 The Jags advanced to the semifinal with a 21-14 win over St. James, recording a red-zone defensive stand that sealed the deal. The key was strong defensive play which limited outstanding Thunder running back Jack Petz to 77 yards on 31 carries.
  
The strength of the Eastern Kansas League (EKL) continues to shine in the playoffs with five teams alive. Both 6A and 5A semifinal matchups are all EKL affairs, while Bishop Miege is hosting Desoto.