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Rock Bridge, Tolton football look toward tough opponents at state quarterfinals

jaden lewis, columbia daily tribune
·4 min read
Rock Bridge's Drevyn Seamon (1) gets past Troy Buchanan's Talen Howland (4) during the Class 6 District 4 championship game at Rock Bridge High School on Nov. 10, 2023, in Columbia, Mo.
Rock Bridge's Drevyn Seamon (1) gets past Troy Buchanan's Talen Howland (4) during the Class 6 District 4 championship game at Rock Bridge High School on Nov. 10, 2023, in Columbia, Mo.

The goal of winning a district title for both Rock Bridge and Tolton was accomplished last Friday, and now the next goal for both Boone County schools is to get out of the state quarterfinals and keep the dream of being the final teams standing on Dec. 2 alive.

Both teams will take the field on Saturday at 7 p.m. with the Bruins going on the road, while the Trailblazers will host Fair View at 2 p.m. in the MSHAA State Quarterfinal round.

Rock Bridge's last time out

Rock Bridge's Cooper Myers (32) celebrates in the end zone after scoring a Bruins' touchdown during the Class 6 District 4 championship game at Rock Bridge High School on Nov. 10, 2023, in Columbia, Mo.
Rock Bridge's Cooper Myers (32) celebrates in the end zone after scoring a Bruins' touchdown during the Class 6 District 4 championship game at Rock Bridge High School on Nov. 10, 2023, in Columbia, Mo.

Rock Bridge maintained control in its 38-7 victory over Troy Buchanan from start to finish. It marked the first time in a decade the Bruins became victorious in a district final as they took home the Class 6, District 2 crown. The Bruins' defense, led by Elijah Morton, limited the physical Trojans rushing attack to under four yards per carry. Offensively, Cooper Myers, Crew Norden, Drevyn Seamon, and Stefan Williams reached the end zone for Rock Bridge, completing a 31-point victory.

The opponent: De Smet Jesuit

The Bruins will travel to St. Louis to face De Smet Jesuit, which is 9-1 with a point differential of 363-126. The Spartans are coming off a narrow 19-13 victory over St. Louis University High, where it came down to a last-second fourth-down sack.

Both Rock Bridge and De Smet met in the Class 6, District 3 title game last year in Columbia where the Spartans took down the Spartans 44-21. The last time Rock Bridge defeated De Smet came on Aug. 25, 2017, when it won on the road 45-24. The Spartans have won three straight against the Bruins since.

What to keep an eye out for

Rock Bridge's offensive line vs. Quincy Byas

The player that ended SLUH's season last Friday night was defensive lineman Quincy Byas who sacked Marco Sanson with 10 seconds remaining in the Class 6, District 3 title game. If Rock Bridge wants to get its offense going, it starts in the trenches and its offensive line is going to need to keep Brady Davidson upright while creating lanes for both Seamon and Myers.

Linebacker Elijah Morton vs. Quarterback Dillon Duff

Rock Bridge's Elijah Morton (2) recovers A loose football in the end zone for a Bruins touchdown during a game against Hickman at Hickman High School on Oct. 13, 2023, in Columbia, Mo.
Rock Bridge's Elijah Morton (2) recovers A loose football in the end zone for a Bruins touchdown during a game against Hickman at Hickman High School on Oct. 13, 2023, in Columbia, Mo.

Elijah Morton made life difficult for Troy-Buchanan last week. He helped stop the Trojans offense in their tracks while picking off quarterback Patrick Keene. Morton is going to need to fly around in limiting De Smet quarterback Dillon Duff who can not only pass but run as well. He ran for a pair of scores in last week's win against SLUH.

Tolton's last time out

Like Rock Bridge, Tolton took care of business defeating Warsaw 40-7 in the Class 2, District 3 title game for its first district championship in program history. Cameron Lee scored a total of four touchdowns for the Trailblazers, two through the air, one on the ground and a pick-six.

Carson Jacaway broke free for long touchdown runs of 68 and 74 yards, while the defense once again held strong holding an opponent to single digits for the 10th time this season.

The opponent: Fair Grove

Coming to Columbia to face the Trailblazers is Fair Grove High School. The Eagles are a perfect 11-0 and have outscored their opponents by a 558-89 margin. In its last matchup, Fair Grove defeated Stratford 26-10 in the Class 2, District 3 title claim claiming its first district championship since the 2011 season.

What to keep an eye out for

Tolton's defense vs. Kellen Lair and Spencer Seigar

The Eagles possess a run-heavy attack that picked up 405 yards in its victory against Strafford. Most of those yards came from Kellen Lair and quarterback Spencer Seigar who scored from 13, 15, and 53 yards out. The Trailblazers' defense has been stout all season and the key to success for Tolton is to make sure that the Eagles' ground game doesn't get going.

Can Tolton's passing attack force Fair Grove to not be one-dimensional?

Father Tolton quarterback Jake Ryan (6) looks downfield as the Versailles pass rush tries to crash down on him during a Class 2 District 3 semifinal game at Father Tolton Catholic High School on Nov. 3, 2023, in Columbia, Mo.
Father Tolton quarterback Jake Ryan (6) looks downfield as the Versailles pass rush tries to crash down on him during a Class 2 District 3 semifinal game at Father Tolton Catholic High School on Nov. 3, 2023, in Columbia, Mo.

One thing that can of course help the Trailblazers' defense is Tolton's offense. With quarterback Jake Ryan, they can sling to ball around to the likes of Lee and Sam Ryan. This allows the Trailblazers to often run out to big leads in games resulting in blowout victories. If Tolton can get out and front early and put its foot on the gas, it may have to force Fair Grove to go away from its rushing attack.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Rock Bridge, Tolton football set for state quarterfinals