Blair Oaks erases 14-point halftime deficit, wins Class 3 State Championship

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

For the fourth time in seven years, Blair Oaks has been crowned a state champion.

The Falcons posted a 38-28 come-from-behind win over Seneca to capture their sixth state title in program history on Saturday afternoon at Faurot Field.

Blair Oaks entered the second half with a 14-point deficit but completely erased it by the fourth quarter. The Falcons pulled within one possession of tying the game with just seconds left in third quarter, following a 64-yard touchdown pass from Tyler Bax to Brenden Rackers. Then, after forcing a pair of interceptions, head coach Ted LePage's team turned those turnovers into two touchdowns, scoring on a 1-yard run from Bax and a 15-yard pass from Bax to Carson Verslues to take the lead.

Bax finished the game with 329 passing yards and four total touchdowns. Blair Oaks' starting quarterback also led the team in rushing, posting 87 yards on the ground. Verslues was not far behind Bax, ending the contest with 53 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground.

Three different players surpassed 50 receiving yards for the Falcons, led by Rackers (125), Jaxon Engelbrecht (78) and Verslues (51). Engelbrecht and Verslues also each posted one receiving touchdown.

Blair Oaks ends the 2024 season on a 12-game winning streak, with a 13-1 overall record and a Class 3 state championship.