After a 13-1 season, varsity football fell to the Lee’s Summit West Titans in the MSHSAA Class 5 State Championship Game on Nov. 30.

“Playing a tough opponent like that, our expectations weren’t high, weren’t low, just kind of in the middle,” senior Zack Lazenby said.

Both the Colts and the Titans had the same record going into the Show-Me Bowl, but despite having matching records, the Titans’ team of almost 120 had nearly 80 more players than the Colts. Team members knew going into the game that it would be hard to beat the Titans.

“We heard that we were the underdog a lot,” Bonner said. “To win we knew we needed to have our best game of the season.”

This year’s team was the third from Central to play at a State Championship game. The Show-Me Bowl was held at the Edward Jones Dome, which provided an opportunity for players to compete on the same field as the pros.

“When we were at the Dome, it took a while for everything to sink in,” Bonner said. “But after that, we all knew that it was time to go to work.”

While the Colts scored 14 points throughout the course of the game, they couldn’t match the Titans’ 51 points scored.

“It was pretty depressing, not just because we lost but more so because we knew it was our last game,” Bonner said.
Not only was it the last game of the season, but it was also the last high school football game for 17 of the players.

“This group of seniors has been playing since sixth grade, and the majority of us knew we weren’t going to put on a football helmet again,” Lazenby said. “It was really emotional for most of us.”

Many of the seniors on the team played together on the Junior Colts football team in middle school, playing together for seven years.

“We’ve been through so much together,” Lazenby said. “We knew that this was like a brotherhood that you can’t really replace.”

Senior Augie Brooks echoed Lazenby’s sentiments about the closeness of the team.

“That was the last time that I was ever going to play with my brothers,” Brooks said.

The team’s close chemistry was reflected throughout the season in their teamwork on the field, and players attribute their success to working hard as a team.

“There were no star players in any of our eyes, there was only the team,” senior Johnny Naughton said.

Even though the team lost its final game, players believe they had a successful season. They had more wins than any other team from Central, and according to Head Coach Mark Goldenberg, it was one of the best seasons in the school’s history.

“This one game doesn’t indicate our entire season,” Lazenby said.