Blair Oaks defeats Seneca for sixth Show-Me Bowl State Championship: Live updates recap

Blair Oaks defense pitches second half shutout, overcomes 28-14 halftime deficit to earn its sixth state championship since 2004. Falcons defense limits Seneca to 88 yards in the second half.

David Smith

Seneca vs. Blair Oaks Live Updates

FIRST QUARTER UPDATES

Seneca wins the toss and defers .. Blair Oaks takes the ball to start the game. Sunshine and 42 degrees at kickoff.

Blair Oaks takes the opening drive and in 9 plays gets down to the Seneca 11, back to back tackles for loss including a Jace Renfro sack on third down leads to a Nolan Laughlin 36 yard field goal attempt that is short ... no score 9:26 first quarter.

Seneca answers by going 80 yards in five plays, all on the ground, in :57 seconds ... Kaden Clouse scores on a 26 yard run , Drew Sherwood's extra point is blocked ... Seneca 6, Blair Oaks 0, 8:29 1st Quarter

Blair Oaks strikes back quickly ... three plays, 56 yards with Tyler Bax connecting with Jaxon Engkebrecht on a 44-yard touchdown pass, Nolan Laughlin's extra point is good ... Blair Oaks 7, Seneca 6, 7:31 1st quarter

Blair Oaks and Seneca trading big plays for touchdowns early on ... another three play drive, 60 yards in :39 seconds, tight end Hagen Ginger hauls in a 50 yard pass for a touchdown, Kaden Clouse runs in the two-point conversion ... Seneca 14, Blair Oaks 7, 6:44 1st quarter

Blair Oaks converts on 4th down and 1 with a Carson Verslues on a fullback dive lowers his head into the end zone to cap a 12 play, 63 yard drive, Nolan Laughlin kick is good ... Blair Oaks 14, Seneca 14, 3:16 1st quarter

Jagger Wilson comes on to punt -- for only the seventh time all season -- as Seneca has its first three and out and the Blair Oaks defense finally breaks serve and gets a stop.

Blair Oaks will have fourth and 6 to go from its own 45 to start the second quarter ... Blair Oaks 14, Seneca 14, end of the 1st quarter

SECOND QUARTER UPDATES

Big play call for Seneca, fourth and 1 at the Seneca 49, Kaden Clouse converts on a keeper to get two yards to the Blair Oaks 49.

Clouse to Brodie Probert for 32 yards sets up the Indians at the Blair Oaks 17, Cluse then breaks a 17 yard option keeper for a touchdown, Drew Sherwood kick is good ... Seneca 21, Blair Oaks 14, 7:55 2nd quarter. 9 plays, 92 yards in 3:51

Seneca defense gets a three and out pressuting Bax to scramble twice and anm incomplete pass to get the ball back at the Indians 33. Big possession coming up as Seneca takes over with 6:36 remaining in the first half and Seneca gets the ball to start the second half.

Clouse's 23 yard run highlights a 7 play, 67 yard drive that he capped with a two-yard run quarterback counter play, Drew Sherwood's kick is good ... Seneca 28, Blair Oaks 14, 3:40 2nd Quarter, third rushing touchdown for Clouse.

Tyler Bax scrambles for a 13 yard gain on third down and four but takes a big hit from Blaze Graham, a timeout at 2:05 follows as the Falcons are driving into Seneca territory.

Carson Verslues gets five yards on third and 2 to set up the Falcons first and goal at the Seneca 4, timeout Blair Oaks :29 seconds left first half.

Tyron Harris with a one-handed pass breakup, a near sack on second down Kye Adams resulted in an incomplete pass, Brodie Probert breaks up as pass on third down and then after a Seneca timeout Clouse and Hagen Ginger tackle Bax on a draw play for a loss and Seneca ends the first half with a goal line stand, Indians will start the second half with the ball ... Seneca 28, Blair Oaks 14, halftime

HALFTIME, SENECA 28, BLAIR OAKS 14

Seneca halftime notables ... Kaden Clouse 16 carries, 130 yards and three touchdowns, Roman Miller five carries and 48 yards and Brodie Porbert two carries for 21 yards. Probert needed nine yards to surpass 1,000 yards rushing for the season joining Miller (1,649) and Clouse (1,515). Close was 3 of 4 passing for 91 yards and a touchdown of 50 yards to Hagen Ginger. Defensively, Blake Graham has seven solo tackles, 10 total, Seneca has three tackles for loss, a sack by Jace Renfro and 1/2 tackle for loss by Ryan Owen, Kye Adams, Clouse and Ginger.

Blair Oaks halftime notables ... Tyler Bax 15 carries for 45 yards rushing, 9 of 17 passing for 157 yards and a touchdown. Carson Verslues 9 carries, 37 yards and a touchdown, Jaxon Engelbrecht with three receptions for 62 yards and a touchdown. Defensively for the Falcons, Warren Davis has four solo tackles, Dylan Kliegel has three.

Seneca 28 plays, 286 yards, 91 yards passing, 195 rushing, 14 first downs, 1 of 3 on third down, 1 for 1 on fourth down, 10:28 time of possession.

Blair Oaks 46 plays, 261 yards, 157 yards passing, 104 rushing, 15 first downs, 4 of 9 on third down, 1 of 2 on fourth down, 13:32 time of possession.

THIRD QUARTER

Blair Oaks with the big stop on fourth down stop Shay Linhardt bats down the pass and the Falcons get the turnover on downs with 7:37 left in the third quarter.

Seneca returns the favor getting a three and out without giving up a single yard, Seneca takes over at its own 24 with 6:45 left third quarter, Seneca 28, Blair Oaks 14.

Seneca gambles and goes for it on 4th and 3 on the Indians 31 Clouse gets two, stretches it out but its ruled short of the 34 pushed put by Wyatt Libbert and turnover on downs with 4:40 remaining third quarter.

Brodie Probert jumps the stop route by Blair Oaks, intercepts Bax and returns it 44 yards to the Falcons 38.

Flanker pass attempted by Seneca and Brodie Probert is sacked for a five yard loss forcing Seneca to punt, Jagger Wilson pins it inside the 10 as it is caught at the Falcons 9, 1:51 third quarter.

Blair Oaks strikes with the big play Brenden Rackers breaks free on a post route, Bax hits him in stride for a 64-yard touchdown pass, Nolan McLaughlin kick is good, 6 plays, 91 yards, in 1:33 ... Seneca 28, Blair Oaks 21, :18 3rd Quarter

END OF THE THIRD QUARTER, SENECA 28, BLAIR OAKS 21

Quarterbacks through three quarters ... Seneca's Kaden Clouse 26 carries, 183 yards rushing; 5 of 7 passing for 97 yards.

Blair Oaks Tyler Bax 13 of 24 for 250 yards, 16 carries for 45 yards rushing.

Interception ... Falcons defense gets a take away, Clouse's fourth interception of the season, sets up Blair Oaks at the Seneca 42 with 11:10 remaining in the game.

Falcons convert a 4th down with a 16 yard completion, Verslues five yard run and a 15-yard personal foul penalty set up Blair Oaks first and goal at the 7 ... Bax carries three straight times for 4, 2 and 1 yards for the touchdown, Nolan Laughlin ties it with the extra point, Blair Oaks 28, Seneca 28, 8:46 fourth quarter

Sam Closser comes up with a fingertip interception at the Falcons 40 yard line returns it 22 yards to the Seneca 38 with 7:53 remaining in the game.

Blair Oaks takes the lead ... Bax connects with Carson Verslues on a 15 yard touchdown pass to cap a 4 play, 38 yard drive in :58 seconds, Nolan Laughlin kick is good ... Blair Oaks 35, Seneca 28, 6:55 fourth quarter

Tyler Bax now 16 of 27 passing for 311 yards, three touchdowns and Brenden Rackers has caught three for 125 and a touchdown.

Blair Oaks forces a three and out ... takes possession at the Falcons 27 with 4:39 remaining.

Verslues falls forward for a big first down, 3:15 remaining in the game ...

Bax bobbles the snap, runs for 16 yards and picks up a first down at the Seneca 10 ... first and goal under three left.

After a holding penalty negated a touchdown, Blair Oaks facing 1st and goal from the 20, Seneca uses its first timeout after Bax is stopped for no gain on first down.

Bax sacked on second down, gains three on third down ... Seneca burns its final two timeouts, 1:48 remaining.

Nolan Laughlin 36 yard field goal splits the uprights with 1:44 remaining ... Blair Oaks 38, Seneca 28

Seneca gets the ball to the Falcons 43, four straight incomplete passes results in a turnover on downs ... Blair Oaks putting a knee on it with 1:05 remaining.

FINAL SCORE BLAIR OAKS 38, SENECA 28, FALCONS CLASS 3 SHOW-ME BOWL STATE CHAMPION

Falcons secure sixth state championship since 2004 (2004, 2006, 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2024) to finish the season with a 13-1 record.

Seneca, last year's Class 3 runner-up, finishes the season with a 13-1 record, its seventh state runner-up finish.

Blair Oaks defense in the second half had three turnovers on downs, two punts and two interceptions while limiting Seneca to 88 yards of total offense in the second half.

Blair Oaks notables ... Junior quarterback Tyler Bax, 6-2, 180, finished with 329 yards passing on 17 of 28 attempts with three touchdowns and added another 87 yards rushing on 26 carries and a touchdown. Carson Verslues added 53 yards on 16 carries with a touchdown rushing and receiving. Brenden Rackers caught three passes for 125 yards and a touchdown, Jaxon Engelbrecht caught four for 78 yards and a touchdown. The Falcons defense was led by Bryson Varner's 7 solo tackles, a tackle for loss and an interception. Warren Davis and Dylan Kliegel had five solo tackles each with Kliegel and Wyatt Libbert combining for a sack.

Seneca notables ... Senior quarterback Kaden Clouse finished with 187 yards rushing on 28 carries with three touchdowns, was 7 of 15 passing for 119 yards and a touchdown. Roman Miller added 61 yards rushing on 10 carries. Defensively, the Indians were paced by Blaze Graham's nine solo tackles, Clouse, Drew Sherwood and Brodie Probert added five each.