LIBERTY, MO. ? It had the typical characteristics that high school football all-star games seem to have: out-of-sync offenses thanks to lack of preparation time, and hard-hitting defenses starving to make somebody pay.

A bone-crushing 2004 Metro Classic All-Star football game ended with a 20-0 Missouri victory over Kansas on Thursday at William Jewell College. The best of the Sunflower State included five city players, five area players and two Kansas University signees.

The local players enjoyed the festive night and the chance to take the field and hit guys for the first time in months.

“It’s real fun,” Lawrence High grad Carl Lisher said. “You learn what it’s going to be like playing at the next level. And playing with all these guys, you meet a lot of new friends.”

In a game highlighted by smothering defense, Free State High grad Cole Douglas was one of the standouts. The Drake signee sacked Missouri quarterback Benny Palmer on a crucial fourth-down play in the first quarter, then forced a fumble that Kansas eventually fell on in the second quarter. He finished with a pair of sacks on the night.

Three of his Firebird teammates also participated. Dain Dillingham caught four passes as a popular wide-receiver option, and Mark Case and Jeremy Bustamante saw action on the lines.

Dillingham caught three passes for 35 yards during a third-quarter Kansas drive that eventually stalled. It was Kansas’ most effective drive of the night, and that’s not saying too much. Missouri’s defense was punishing, not allowing the Sunflower State squad much of anything when it had the ball.

Kansas had just four rushing yards on the night. Baldwin’s Micah Mason had five yards on two carries.

“Offense kind of ruined it,” Mason said. “When the defense is out on the field the majority of the time, you know that’s not good.”

Missouri scored on a two-yard run by Blue Springs South’s Caleb Ebel in the second quarter, added a field goal before halftime, and notched its final touchdown when a blocked punt was returned 10 yards by Grandview’s Jeremy Dawson.

Blue Springs’ Marcelo Velaquez kicked a 42-yard field goal in the fourth to wrap up the scoring.

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Baldwin’s Ricky Spotz, Mill Valley’s Brandon Smith, Wellsville’s Ryan Oshel and De Soto’s Ryan Brown also participated. Lawrence High’s Josh Lawrence was selected to play, but couldn’t.

The Kansas side also featured Shawnee Mission Northwest’s Mike Rivera and Olathe East’s Todd Haselhorst, each signed to join the KU football team in August. Rivera spent a majority of the time at middle linebacker, while Haselhorst played on both sides of the ball and recovered a fumble in the second half.

“It’s good to get the pads on,” Rivera said. “It’s fun hitting people.”

Overall, the shutout marred what otherwise was a fun swan song to high school football for local talents.

“It’s been a real good experience just to meet some new guys,” Douglas said. “It’s fun to play with the best around. It sucked we ended up losing, but it was a great time.”

Missouri 20, Kansas 0

Kansas 0 0 0 0 — 0

Missouri 0 10 7 3 — 20

M — Caleb Ebel 2 run (Marcelo Velaquez kick).

M — Velaquez 44 field goal.

M — Jeremy Dawson 10 blocked punt return (Velaquez kick).

M — Velaquez 42 field goal.