MORAN — Never has time of possession meant so little in a high school football game.
Marmaton Valley High’s Wildcats opened the Kansas Eight Man-II playoffs with a devastating display of offensive efficiency.
The Wildcats scored touchdowns on each of their first five offensive plays of the game Thursday, led by an other-worldly performance from senior Jaedon Granere.
Unofficially, Granere scored on five rushes, two receptions and an interception. In all, he touched the ball 10 times on offense or defense, and scored every time but two. He also accounted for 291 total yards in Marmaton Valley’s 76-12 victory.
The Wildcats advance to host Frankfort in the second round. Frankfort defeated Linn, 40-14, in its playoff opener.
Jaedon Granere got things started for Marmaton Valley with a 52-yard touchdown run on the Wildcats’ first play from scrimmage.
Tyler Lord picked off a Jaguar pass and nearly missed a touchdown return, but was ruled down at the Hartford 2.
Marmaton Valley senior quarterback Brayden Lawson took care of those final two yards on the next snap.
The Wildcats held Hartford on downs at midfield before Lawson found Granere for a 39-yard touchdown pass on Marmaton Valley’s next snap.
Hartford tried to get back in the game, scoring on a long pass play on its next possession, but that was answered quickly.
The Wildcats’ Todd Stevenson got into the action, starting and ending the next possession with a 37-yard touchdown run
Another long touchdown pass from Hartford on a screen play made it 32-12.
The Wildcats barely flinched.
On their next play, Granere ripped off a 44-yard scoring run, making it 40-12.
The Wildcats kept up the pressure with an onside kick, and actually took two plays to score next time (a third play didn’t count because of penalty) when Granere ran in a 45-yard touchdown.
