Eagles show off explosive offense in preseason jamboree

by Michael Smith


The Grain Valley football team could be in for an offensive uptick in 2023.

Well, that is if Friday’s preseason jamboree against Liberty North and Lee’s Summit is any indication of what might happen during the regular season.

In 2022, the Eagles had mixed success against the same two teams as they scored just one touchdown and surrendered three.

This time, Grain Valley fared much better. It scored five touchdowns and gave up three as the offense looked explosive at Lee’s Summit High School.

“We started off a little slow and had a couple of penalties,” Grain Valley head coach David Allie said. “I am very, very happy with the offensive output, though.”

Each team got to have four series total on offense and defense – two against each team. Two of the drives started at their own 30-yard line, where each team ran eight plays. The others started at the opponents’ 20, in which each team ran five plays per possession.

New starting quarterback, Sal Caldarella, a transfer from Blue Springs, showed the Eagles could be in line to run more than 25 percent passing plays as it did in 2022. He connected on 7 of 14 passes for 148 yards and three touchdowns.

He especially seemed to have a good connection with senior wide receiver Noah Olah. The duo played with each other at Blue Springs for two seasons. Caldarella hit Olah on a crossing route for 33 yards against a Liberty North defense that only gave up 71 yards on 30 plays to both teams.

Olah caught the second TD pass when Caldarella floated a perfect pass over the middle against the Lee’s Summit defense. Olah beat his defender by two steps and went on a 70-yard catch-and-run.

“That dude is one of the best quarterbacks I have seen,” Grain Valley senior running back Ty Williams said. “He’s a dog. He’s knows how to sling the ball. He has a high football IQ.”

Olah finished his day with two catches for 103 yards and a score. He nearly had another TD on a laser from Caldarella during a red zone drive against Liberty North, but the pass bounced off his hands and fell incomplete.

Overall, Olah said he was pleased with the way he played and said he has a special connection with Caldarella.

“We knew we have a good connection and chemistry,” Olah said. “We know what we need to do each play.”

Olah also has a friendly competition going on with Williams.

“Me and Ty are wrestling for the fastest guy on the field.” Olah said. “He thinks he got me, he’s got to keep chasing me.”

Caldarella also had two touchdowns on red zone drives against the Tigers. He hit wide receiver Aaron Barr for a 12-yard TD pass and connected on a 10-yard scoring pass to tight end Peyton Woodrome.

Both TD passes were caught just inside the right boundary line.

Williams also had himself a day as he ran the ball six times for 97 yards and two scores. Both of his TDs came against Lee’s Summit – one on a red zone possession and one on a drive from Grain Valley’s 30.

Williams ripped off a 70-yard scoring run when he found some running room to the right, then cut back to his left and found a ton of room to outrun Lee’s Summit’s defenders.

The other score was 20 yards in which he found a lot of room up the middle and barely got touched on his way to the end zone.

“Last year, I got my first varsity reps in the jamboree,” Williams said. “This time, I felt comfortable today and went out there and did my thing. I ran the ball and ran hard.”

Added Allie: “Ty is big and when he gets into the open field, he can truck.”

On the defensive side, Grain Valley was shorthanded. Starting linebacker Brody Baker is out for the season with an ACL injury. Starting safeties Gabe Storment and Anthony Greco also were out with injuries.

The Eagles just gave up one first down against Lee’s Summit on the drives from the 30, but Liberty North made it to Grain Valley’s 16-yard line in eight plays and had a 28-yard TD run called back on an illegal procedure penalty.

On the red zone possessions, Grain Valley gave up two scores to Lee’s Summit and one to Liberty North – all on passing plays.

“We got to get some new guys some reps and that will pay off later in the season,” Allie said. “We have some things we have to do better on both sides. But we put together a good effort."

“DJ Harris even filled in at linebacker for us. He showed out. He’s playing both sides.”
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Grain Valley will host Fort Osage at 7 p.m. next Friday in their season opener.

​Grain Valley quarterback Sal Caldarella rifles a pass to Aaron Barr during Friday's preseason jamboree at Lee's Summit High School. 
Photo credit: Michael Smith

Grain Valley tight end Eli Monrian, right, tries to get around a Liberty North defender.
Photo credit: Michael Smith