Mill Valley lives up to billing as top team in Kansas
SHAWNEE, Kan. (BVM) 鈥� Mill Valley was the team to beat from the start of the 2020 high school football season. With many talented and experienced players returning from the 2019 Class 5A state championship squad, the Jaguars were ranked in the preseason as the No. 1 team in Kansas.
More than three months later, it鈥檚 clearer now more than ever that they were deserving of that billing.聽
Despite all of the uncertainties that came along with playing a fall football season in the midst of a pandemic, a senior-led Mill Valley team remained focused, rose to the occasion when it had to and was rewarded with back-to-back state titles after beating Wichita Northwest, 49-35, on Nov. 28 in Pittsburg, Kan.
鈥淭here is no doubt it was a special year,鈥� Mill Valley coach Joel Applebee said. 鈥淭his is a special senior class. They鈥檝e been completely focused on the task at hand, knowing that each day could be the last that they may be playing football, whether it be for a period of time or for the entire season, and that鈥檚 what made it probably most rewarding for all of us is the fact that they focused on the day-to-day process and in the end it allowed them to have the success that they did.鈥�
While the Jaguars鈥� focus was undoubtedly important, so was their talent and leadership. And no leader was more critical to the Jags鈥� success than senior quarterback Cooper Marsh, who accounted for six of his team鈥檚 touchdowns in the title game victory over the Grizzlies. Marsh not only threw for 255 and three touchdowns, he also rushed for 127 and three scores in the final football game of his high school career.聽 聽 聽
鈥淗e was the leader of our offense and a big leader for the entire team,鈥� Applebee said. 鈥淭he one thing that I love about him, and I鈥檝e said this many times, is he鈥檚 a winner. He doesn鈥檛 care about stats. He鈥檚 not an ego guy. He just wants to win the game, whatever that takes. He did whatever he needed to do within his ability to make sure the team was moving forward.鈥�
Marsh finished his senior season with 1,852 passing yards and 19 TDs to go along with 687 yards on the ground and 16 more TDs, but he provided his team with more than just a lot of yards and touchdowns. Applebee called him 鈥渁 calming factor鈥� for the Jags.
鈥淗e doesn鈥檛 get too high; he doesn鈥檛 get too low,鈥� Applebee said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 just a very even-keel kid and that really fared well for what we wanted to do. 鈥� He just kept his mind where it needed to be and was always a calming effect on what we wanted to do offensively and they really looked to that especially in adverse situations. He rarely got rattled, if at all.鈥�
Marsh was also helped out by fellow senior Quin Wittenauer, who proved to be a dangerous weapon for the Mill Valley offense all season long. The running back rushed for 1,308 yards and 17 touchdowns, including one in the championship game. Wittenauer surpassed 100 yards on the ground eight times for the Jags, who reeled off seven consecutive victories after starting the year 2-2. Applebee said it鈥檚 always a goal for his teams to be playing their best at the end of November and continue to show improvement each week, and this year鈥檚 squad managed to accomplish that.
touchdowns for the Jaguars this season. (Photo: Lori Habiger)
鈥淭he fact that they took that to heart and each day got better and better really allowed us to play our best football in November,鈥� Applebee said, 鈥渁nd I really felt like throughout the playoffs they continued to improve. I felt like in that state championship game we really played very well which was a culmination of all of their hard work.鈥�
More hard work will be required for the next group of Jaguars expected to carry on the program鈥檚 tradition of success. Mill Valley has now won four state titles in six years, and expectations aren鈥檛 going to be lowered anytime soon.聽
鈥淚 really truly believe everybody understands the expectations and that we want to be competing for championships and it鈥檒l be no different next year,鈥� Applebee said. 鈥淲e won鈥檛 necessarily talk about winning a state championship again next year. We never do, but the expectation is there.鈥�
