With less than 10 minutes left in the Class 6A quarterfinals, and the ball at the Shawnee Mission West five-yard-line, Lawrence’s High’s football season still had a pulse.

“It could’ve been a seven-point game,” LHS running back Tony Williams said.

Instead, Justin Scott intercepted quarterback Chance Riley’s pass, and West scored five plays later to effectively secure its 22-6 victory Friday at Haskell Stadium.

While the Vikings (11-0) will play Free State High next week in a heavily anticipated state semifinal, the loss ended the season for the Lions (6-5).

“It’s hard to believe that it’s over,” senior Nathan Padia said as tears streamed down his face. “I love all my players. I just didn’t want it to end right now. We had a dream of winning a state championship.”

Early in the contest, the game seemed like a repeat of West’s 51-7 victory against LHS on Oct. 6, which was fueled by four Lions turnovers. Less than three minutes into Friday’s game, the Lions fumbled an end-around handoff to Padia, and the Vikings recovered at the Lions’ 31-yard-line. West running back J.D. Steffen scored on the next play, giving the Vikings an early 6-0 lead.

“It was just a blown call on my part. I didn’t do what I was supposed to,” Padia said. “That was a boneheaded play. I’m a senior. I’ve got to step up.”

Having emphasized protecting the ball all week, LHS coach Dirk Wedd lamented that play and Riley’s interception as backbreakers.

“That hurt a great deal,” Wedd said.

Padia, who finished with 158 receiving yards, would redeem himself. He intercepted quarterback Blake Lawrence’s pass in the second quarter to halt a drive at the seven-yard line. With 3:32 left in the game, he hauled in an 80-yard pass from Riley for the Lions’ only score.

“I knew we didn’t have much time and I knew I had to make a play,” Padia said. “I just grabbed it and saw open space.”

Although Padia made some big plays in the passing game, LHS struggled to contain Steffen. He rushed for 151 yards and two touchdowns, and the Vikings’ drive-blocking offensive line paved the way for 262 rushing yards on 42 carries.

“You can’t have (the defense) play that many snaps,” Wedd said. “They just wore out.”

Steffen’s second touchdown – a one-yard plunge – gave the Vikings a comfortable 12-0 lead with 6:47 left in the first quarter. They would take the same score into the half.

At times the Lions stifled West’s other star, Lawrence. He finished 3-of-8 for 99 yards, and LHS forced him into two interceptions. In addition to Padia’s drive-halter, Clint Pinnick intercepted a first-quarter pass after the Lions hurried Lawrence into an awkward throw.

The Nebraska University-bound senior, however, did inflict some damage through the air. After Riley’s interception, Lawrence threw a laser to David Leonard that turned into a 66-yard touchdown, giving the Vikings a 22-0 lead.

He also showed why the Cornhuskers likely will convert the 6-foot-3, 215-pound safety into a linebacker. Cheating up to the line of scrimmage for much of the game, Lawrence delivered repeated blows to the LHS running backs. He helped limit Williams to 69 yards on 16 carries and the Lions to 131 total rushing yards.

“He’s a great player,” Williams said. “He led to his team to victory.”

After the game Wedd gathered his players and expressed his pride in their performance this season. Despite losing 21 seniors from last year’s team, the Lions reached the state quarterfinals and gave a strong West team, the top-seeded team in the 6A playoffs, all it could handle.

“Where we got to and where we started from is a tip of the hat to these kids,” Wedd said. “I loved the way the played tonight. They played like Lions.”