Going into the game, the Huskies knew that their opponent, Lee’s Summit North, had seven D1 commits and an extremely strong defensive unit. But, despite the challenges the LSN Broncos presented, the Huskies went into the game confident, according to head coach, Clint Rider.

“[The media] didn’t really give us much of a chance to win… but we fought. Getting down two [touchdowns] but coming back and having a chance to win says a lot about our guys,” Rider said.

BVNW maintained a strong defensive line throughout the first quarter, not allowing a single touchdown from the Broncos. The Huskies started the second quarter with a score of 0-0. Senior running back Grant Stubblefield said the team’s confidence allowed them to have a strong start to the game.

“We battled against one of the best teams in the midwest…[and] I’m really proud of them for the way we fought,” Stubblefield said.

With 11:58 left in the second quarter, the Broncos scored the first touchdown of the night, picking up the intensity on the field. Soon after, Stubblefield responded with a touchdown for the Huskies with 8:34 left in the same quarter.

By the end of the second quarter, the Broncos and the Huskies both had scored another touchdown. With two missed field goals from the Broncos, the Huskies were leading them 14-12.

Similar to Stubblefield, senior quarterback Connor White said he is proud of the Huskies for coming out strong.

“Just coming out and competing as hard as we can is awesome,” White said. “Defense stepped up and the o-line did a great job.”

The Huskies were the first to score in the third quarter, furthering their lead. With 11:12 left, BVNW scored, making the score 21-12. The Broncos rebutted with their own touchdown not long after though, making the score 21-18, still in the Huskies’ favor.

Stubblefield scored his third touchdown of the night in the third quarter. He said his team helped make this possible.

“I feel like what we’ve done in the run game these past few weeks has opened up the field a lot for our wide receivers,” Stubblefield said.

With Stubblefield’s touchdowns, he surpassed the BVNW career rushing touchdown mark of 38, previously set by Mikey Pauley. This is just a week after he broke the school record for rushing yards.

“It’s really cool. It’s something I’ll look back on in a couple of years,” Stubblefield said. “But, right now I’m just focused on getting back to the state championship.”

The Huskies maintained a strong work ethic throughout the rest of the third quarter, ending it with the Huskies in the lead 27-26.
However, the Broncos took the lead in the fourth quarter by scoring two consecutive touchdowns along with a successfully completed two point conversion, putting them in the lead with a score of 40-27.

The Huskies did not let this setback discourage them from fighting till the end of the game. With 1:50 left in the game, BVNW scored their final touchdown of the night. This led to the final score of the game being 40-34.

Although the Huskies were defeated by the Broncos, BVNW left the game with an encouraging mindset. White said he is ready to continue the season with his team.

“I know we lost, but at the same time I know what team we can be,” White said. “I know just how good we really are.”

The Huskies will take on Blue Valley West for their homecoming game on September 30, 7 p.m., at the BV DAC.