Wrapup

Three days after their devastating 45-41 loss against St. James Academy in the Kansas Class 5A playoffs, the Mill Valley Jaguar players were back in the weight room as usual. But things were different. There were more than 20 players missing — the seniors.

“It’s definitely tough but you can’t do anything about it so you have to be the new leader for the team,” said junior defensive end Josh Garcia.

There’s really no offseason for football at Mill Valley. Weights continue and the underclassmen continue to work to improve. It’s an endless cycle.

The harsh reality of football is that only one team in each Kansas Class is going to end the season happy. Mill Valley has been lucky enough to have been that team seven times in the last 11 years.

But that doesn’t take away the pain of this year’s Jaguars. They expected to be playing after Thanksgiving and when the end came it was sudden and painful.

“Everybody has a plan — the way they see things working out,” said Mill Valley head coach Joel Applebee. “That's why I love the game of football. It's a mirror of life. But the plan doesn't always go the way you want it to, and not because of something you did or because of their efforts, it's just sometimes don't think things don't work out the way you want them to. Just remind yourself of all the good things that took place this season.” 

Best laid plans

The first crisis for the 2025 Jaguars came early this summer when quarterback Holden Applebee was injured. The junior was expected to start at quarterback for the Jaguars this season but the injury was such that he wouldn’t be available until after the season started. Thankfully Mill Valley had an ace up their sleeve. 

Senior Blake Jay has been a quarterback all his life until last season. When Connor Bohon won the starting quarterback job last season the coaching staff — recognizing Blake’s unique athletic ability — turned him into a defensive back/wide receiver. The move paid immediate dividends as Jay was an all-state defensive back and a dynamic weapon at wide receiver. 

To help Jay’s transition back to quarterback, the Jaguars could always get the opposition a heavy dose of all-state running back Reggie Reece. Except that didn’t happen either. 

Reggie was never really healthy. He battled knee problems all season long and eventually was lost for the season.

It was junior running back Max Piva who filled Reggie’s rather large shoes. All he did was rush for more than 1,800 yards and score 21 touchdowns. 

“It just shows you the type of kids we have in this program that are able to adapt to anything,” Applebee said. “Those kids that we lost were huge losses and I don’t want this to seem like it’s diminishing them, but at the same time we have to go out there and play football at a high level. I think this says a lot about our kids’ character.”

Playing the game

Mill Valley finished the regular season at 6-2. Included were quality wins against the likes of a resurgent Shawnee Mission East, Shawnee Mission Northwest and Olathe Northwest, who made the Class 6A title game.

“A play that changed my year was probably my sack against Shawnee Mission East and having my helmet come off and showing all my emotion to such a great crowd,” said Garcia.

Garcia battled his own injury, missing several games with a knee issue that required surgery. 

“Having to watch my team compete and not being able to help on the field was tough,” he said. “I battled through it with the motivation from family and friends and was eager to get back on the field.”

At season's end, the Jaguars were considered a strong contender for the Kansas Class 5A state championship but the road to Emporia was brutal. Instead of starting with an easy first round matchup, which has mostly been the case for the Jaguars, Mill Valley was paired up with Blue Valley — always a contender for a state championship. 

The Jaguars won a hard fought game 35-26. Their reward, a matchup against rival St. Thomas Aquinas. The Jaguars earned an emotional 28-27 victory over the Saints, thanks clutch performance by the defense that shut down a two-point attempt by the Saints with less than a minute left in the game. 

I don’t think I have a specific favorite moment this season but one of the many moments I enjoyed was after taking the final kneel against Aquinas,” said Jay. “I ran over and gave coach Applebee and hug and in the moment that made me happier than anything else.

Then came St. James. This was a wild back and forth game that saw 11 lead changes. The Thunder eventually prevailed 45-41 scoring the winning touchdown with 17 seconds left in the game.

 And just like that the season was over. 

Sudden endings

At Mill Valley, the expectation is to be playing after Thanksgiving and leaving the field with tears of joy. When that doesn’t happen, the ending seems sudden and harsh.

Suddenly coaches aren’t coaching and players aren’t playing anymore.

“I feel for the players more than anything,” said Applebee. “I know how much they invest into this game. I know how much our parents invest into it as well. You always want a positive outcome and it didn’t come out the way they wanted it to.”

“Something fans don’t really realize about what it takes to be a part of Mill Valley football is that it’s a year round sport — not just a summer/fall sport. We are always working to get better,” said Garcia.

Despite the loss this year’s Jaguars gave their fans several thrills and made memories. 

“What I'm going to remember most about the season was just all the time I got to spend with my coaches and teammates,” said Blake “Those guys mean the world to me and I really enjoyed getting to practice everyday and see them.”

Coach Applebee realizes that every season is unique. Never again will this group of players take the field together as one. Never again will this coaching staff be the same as life and career opportunities change. 

“That’s why I think it’s important to enjoy the moment,” said Applebee. “You know when it’s going to end. In today’s world, when everything is just so fast, you need to try to enjoy those moments and think back about those moments.”

For underclassmen like Garcia, he will get another chance to compete, but he will never forget how incredible 2025 was.

“The bond in this locker room was special like no other team,” said Garcia. “Everyone loved each other.” 

For Blake Jay, he’s committed to play baseball in college but he will always look back fondly on his football career.

“Kids dream of playing for Mill Valley one day and I was lucky enough to be a part of that,” said Jay. “I can’t thank these coaches and players enough for making my time here something I will always cherish.”