(Article)Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger 36, Roncalli 29
The 4A state title game had the Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger Saints (12-2) against the Roncalli Royals (11-3). This would be my first time seeing the Royals play, knocking another team off of my list of teams I have watched play in person.
The Royals got a 78-yard run from Zach Dozier to get things started. From there, two plays later, Collin Ash found the end zone from a yard out to make this a 6-0 game. Gavin Louthain nailed the PAT to make this a 7-0 game, with 11:11 left on the clock.
The Saints would get back-to-back 9-yard gains to get the ball rolling. Henry Jordan ran first, and then it was AJ Shefferly who followed. Jordan picked up 25 yards on two runs to help set up a 24-yard field goal from Lucas Nguyen to make this a 7-3 game, with 5:35 left in the quarter. The drive totaled 11 plays, totaling 65 yards.
On the Royals' second drive, a holding penalty and a 6-yard loss killed the drive. Colin Ash would be dropped for that loss when Cooper Campbell and Jordan Fabini, with 4:50 left on the clock.
The Saints offense would not fare well on their second drive. Houston Ellinnger would be dropped for a loss of six when Luke Baker and Ryder Douglass teamed up to drop him. Two plays later Gavin Louthain came on to punt.
After an 18-yard punt, the Saints offense was back on the field looking to take their first lead. Henry Jordan would do just that when he connected with Max Jordan for a 22-yard touchdown to make this a 10-7 game with 11:03 left in the half.
The Royals responded to retake the lead with Colin Ash finding Luke Roeder down the middle of the field for a 79-yard touchdown, making this a 14-10 game with 10:17 left in the half.
The Saints got the 2nd big break of the game when Luke Roeder coughed the ball up, and pouncing on it like an alley cat on a field mouse was Jordan Fabini. Forcing the fumble was Houston Ellinger.
Gus Tippman would pick up 11 yards and then have 15 yards added to the total after a facemask was called on the defense. Jordan hit Tippman for a 16-yard gain, setting up a first and goal from the one. From there Jordan put the cherry on top of the drive with his 1-yard touchdown run to make this a 16-14 game with 7:12 showing on the clock.
A 15-yard pass interference call on the Saints got things headed in the right direction for the Royals. A second pass interference call on the defense again gave the Royals another 15 yards and seemed to get the juices flowing for the offense. Alex Jarvis kept things going, picking up 16 yards on three runs. Collin picked up 8 yards on three runs to slowly keep the drive going. A third penalty was called on the Saints during the drive; this one was an encroachment call moving the ball from the 3-yard line to just inside of the one. Cooper Campbell forced Ash to fumble the ball, but luck was on the side of the Royals when Mikey Dillon recovered the ball, keeping the drive alive right at the 1-yard line. From there Ash lined up in the shotgun and used the work of his line to make this a 21-16 game. The drive totaled 14 plays and 67 yards with :59 seconds left in the entertaining half.
The Saints would get an 11-yard run from Henry Jordan to help set up a 52-yard field goal attempt from Nguyen that came up short, leaving this a 21-16 game at the half.
The Saints got things started in the third with a 7-yard run from Tippman. Later on the drive, Jordan hit Beckham Russell for 18 yards to set up a first and ten on the Royals' 35. After the defense was called for pass interference, Tippman went 15 yards for the score, making it a 22-21 game. The two-point conversion pass was incomplete.
The Royals offense would get an Ash rush left for 14 yards, then it was an Alex Jarvis rush left for 18 yards. Ash would pick up 7 yards, followed by a 4-yard Jarvis run, as the drive was chugging along with little trouble. Ash would get sacked for a loss of eight by Gunnar McCarthy with 6:27 left in the quarter. Ash broke left and picked up 16 yards, then he hit Dozier for a gain of nine. Dozier would go to his left and pick up 14 yards. The drive would end with Ash going three yards for the score. Luke Roeder completes a two-point pass on the conversion try to make this a 29-22 game. The drive went for 12 plays, 80 yards, taking up 4:55.
Jordan got the Saints' next drive going with a 7-yard completion to Carter Zent. The same combo struck again, this time for a gain of 33 yards, giving the offense a first and ten at the Royals' 49-yard line. Henry Jordan would find Max Jordan for a 20-yard gain. Henry Jordan used his legs to pick up 9 yards, and then he would hit Zion Boungou for a gain of 14 yards with seven seconds left in the quarter. Tippmann ended the drive with a 3-yard touchdown just three seconds into the final frame, locking things up at 29.
The Saints would force a three-and-out on the ensuing drive to get their offense right back on the field. The offense sputtered and quickly lined up to punt the ball away, but Lucas Nguyen took off running, and then stopping on a dime, he lofted a pass in the direction of AJ A. Shefferly, who not only hauled the pass in but also raced 37 yards for the score. Nguyen calmly nailed the PAT to make the score 36-29, with 9:28 left in the game.
The Royals would total just 17 yards on their next two drives as they looked like a beaten team. However, on their final drive, they were able to work the ball down to the Saints' five-yard line, where Collin Ash had his pass picked off in the end zone by George. Hackman with one second left in the game.
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