EXCELSIOR SPRINGS – The Tigers get to continue playing football. At least for one more game.

Jumping out to a 22-0 lead, Excelsior Springs coasted to a 30-15 win Oct. 29 at Tiger Stadium over Van Horn of Independence to open Class 4 District 8 Tournament play. The victory put the Tigers in the district semifinals against St. Joseph Lafayette, with kickoff set for 7 p.m. Friday at Alumni Stadium.

The Tigers took control 39 seconds into the first quarter, when senior running back Amani Robinson ripped off a 58- yard TD run. Junior quarterback Chance Moreland’s 1-yard TD run and senior Dacey Hall’s two-point conversion run with 9:29 left in the second quarter made it 14-0 Tigers. Robinson broke through the line for a 34-yard TD run and senior Ayden Dolt ran in the two-point conversion late in the quarter to cap Excelsior Springs’ 22-point run.

The Falcons, 4-6, booted a 37-yard field goal to cut Excelsior Springs’ lead to 22-3.

Van Horn struck first in the second half with a 3-yard TD run. Dolt blocked the extra-point kick.

The Tigers got their final points on Dolt’s 24-yard TD run and Robinson’s two-point conversion run late in the fourth quarter. David Lewis’ 3-yard TD run with 1:59 remaining finished Van Horn’s scoring. The Falcons’ two-point conversion attempt was no good.

“The key factor to tonight’s game was playing great defense,” coach Mark Faubion said. “We popped some long runs and were able to put 30 points on the board, but we felt like we should have been able to do more on offense.”

Excelsior Springs held Van Horn’s spread attack to 227 yards of total offense. Robinson and junior Tyson Solberg led the defense with six tackles each. Sophomore Kolt Willis made five tackles.

Offensively, the Tigers, 6-2, accumulated 263 yards. Robinson led the rushing attack with 143 yards on 18 carries. Dolt gained 65 yards on eight carries. Moreland gained 55 yards on 16 carries.

“We are going to have to run the ball better in order to advance next week,” Faubion said. “We will be facing a great quarterback who is one of the stat leaders in the Kansas City area and we are going to have to play great defense again.”

Led by senior quarterback Jaron Saunders, the Irish are 6-3, including one win by forfeit, Missouri State High School Activities Association states. Lafayette, however, carries a two-game losing streak into Friday’s meeting. In Week 8, the Irish got thumped 40-7 at home by St. Pius X of Kansas City. Lafayette closed the regular season with 36-6 road loss to Maryville.