Leavenworth, Kan.— The Cottey College Comets pulled away with four unanswered touchdowns after the Spires struck first at Berkel Memorial, handing USM a 26-14 loss Saturday afternoon in Leavenworth in the final game of the USM flag football season. The critical stretch for both sides came across the second and third quarters, when the Comets turned a 7-0 deficit into a 26-7 lead before Saint Mary found the end zone again in the closing seconds.
The Spires would open the scoring late in the first quarter on a five-yard touchdown pass from
Kyendra Thomas to
Eli Miranda, with the extra point putting the Spires ahead 7-0 at the 4:50 mark. That early drive gave USM momentum, but just not enough of it as Cottey answered in the second quarter. Griffin threw a touchdown pass with 7:18 left to tie the game, then finished another scoring drive at 2:55 to give CC a 14-7 halftime lead.
The third quarter proved decisive. Griffin accounted for two more scores as Cottey stretched the margin to 20-7 with 4:37 remaining in the quarter, then to 26-7 at the 7:31 mark after another touchdown drive. Finding their fight, the Spires continued to move the ball, finishing with 237 total yards and 14 first downs, but USM was ultimately unable to match Cottey's scoring efficiency during that middle portion of the game.
Thomas was the standout for the Spires this afternoon, producing nearly all of the offense with 127 passing yards and one touchdown and a rushing score on 14 carries. Miranda was Thomas' top target, catching seven passes for 63 yards and the first-quarter touchdown, while also posting 14 tackles in a heavy two-way workload. The Spires totaled 110 rushing yards and held an edge in time of possession, but two interceptions and three sacks slowed several promising possessions for the home team.
The Comets finished with 259 total yards, led by Griffin's all-around performance. She completed 13 of 25 passes for 197 yards and three touchdowns, added a rushing touchdown, and also recorded two interceptions on defense. Botts gave CC their biggest downfield threat with four catches and a touchdown. Cottey also came up with three sacks and converted three of four fourth-down chances.
USM added one final highlight in the closing moments when Thomas scored on a five-yard run with five seconds left in the fourth quarter, and the extra point cut the margin to the final tally of 26-14. The late score gave the Spires one more solid finish in a game that closed out the 2026 season.
Yaneila Romanlopez would tally three rushing attempts for 12 yards and
Aiva Lavea and
Demi Hylton would each record three receptions to record 27 and 46 yards, respectively.
The Spires season has come to a bittersweet end but the USM community is extremely proud of Coach Campbell and her athletes and we all eagerly awaiting to see what the 2027 season has in store for USM Flag Football!
