Another comeback? No problem for Lee's Summit West.

The undefeated Titans rallied from a 17-8 deficit in the final period against Staley for a 23-17 win on Friday night. The game was a clash between previously undefeated and No. 1 in Missouri Class 5 Staley, and No. 2 in Class 6, LS West.

Trailing by two scores with just 7:29 left in the game, the Titans went to work on a 3rd-and-7 completion from Ben Kobel to Sammy Cooper for 36 yards. Then Cooper raced another 10 yards on a run and at the Staley 26 with 5:49 left. Runs of 11, 7 and 8 yards by Max Payne set up a Cooper 2-yard touchdown run, but West still trailed, 17-14.

The defense rose up with a three-and-out, and West took over at midfield after a Cooper 36-yard punt return to the Staley 44.
 

Kobel then hit Cade Clemons for a 7-yard pass, and Trevor Kardell for 4 yards to the Staley 3. After three runs to the Staley 16, Kobel eluded a rusher, scrambled to his left, then found Kardell open at the 5, who raced in for a 16-yard touchdown and a 21-17 Titan lead. 

The comeback is the second big one for Lee's Summit West, which overcame a 15-0 second-half margin at Fort Osage for a 22-15 win.

"We just know that even though we're down, we can come back with big stops and big plays," said Kobel, who finished the night with 194 passing yards and two touchdowns. "We've played a long time together, and that helps in those situations."

West took an early 8-0 lead after a safety and a Kobel play-action pass to Marcian Marshall for a 7-yard socore early in the second. 

But running back Jaden Moss, returning from an injury last week, scooted 6 yards for a touchdown and an 8-6 deficit. Moss finished with 64 yards on 15 carries.

Staley then took advance of a Payne fumble with a scoop and score by Landon Donaldson, who went 33 yards for a touchdown and a 14-8 lead after a Loa Grace two-point conversion. A 50-yard field goal from Jacob Stewart to start the fourth gave the Falcons (3-1) a 17-8 lead. But the Titans defense clamped down thereafter.

"Ben (Kobel) and our offense gets a lot of attention, but our defense has come up big all year," said West head coach Vinny Careswell. "Any comeback at any level has to start on the defensive side, and the guys came up big again."

Bradley Myers paced the Titans defensive effort with 10 tackles. Offensively, Kardell hauled in seven catches for 61 yards and a score, while Cooper added 59 receiving yards in addition to 12 rushing and a touchdown on the ground.

Lee's Summit West will face Lee's Summit North (3-2) next week, while Staley will face Liberty North (3-2).