After losing to Snider a week ago, ending an undefeated run, Bishop Dwenger’s football team had two choices: Put up or pout.
The Saints put up.
Dwenger’s players and coaches conducted a little introspection and made some adjustments in attitude and scheme. The result was a team that looked much like the powerful one we’d been watching most of the season.
Dwenger beat Northrop 40-13 on Friday at Zollner “Mud Pit” Stadium to claim the outright Summit Athletic Conference title. Dwenger finishes the regular season 8-1. Wayne and Snider finished 7-2. The last time Dwenger won the SAC in 2015, it went on to win the Class 4A state title.
“This whole week of preparation was about getting better, doing what we do, no matter who we play,” senior running back/linebacker T.J. McGarry said. “(The loss to Snider) allowed us to be more humble. We used it to push us forward.”
The Saints finished off the regular season returning to the strengths that carried them throughout: defensive opportunism and offensive efficiency.
Dwenger had three takeaways in the first half: an interception by Howie Steele that stopped a Northrop drive with Dwenger up 14-7; an interception by Sam Obergfell that put Dwenger deep in Northrop territory and turned into a 30-yard McGarry touchdown run and a 20-7 lead; and a fumble recovery, again in Northrop territory, that led to a T.J. Tippmann touchdown and a 26-7 halftime lead.
“They set the tone,” Dwenger coach Jason Garrett said of his defense. “That’s always been a focus. If we can get turnovers, we have a great shot to win the game. And the offense did an outstanding job, we ran the ball and threw the ball.”
One change in the offense was a major switch, with sophomore Brenden Lytle taking over at quarterback and junior Patrick O’Keefe moving to wide receiver.
Lytle completed 5 of 7 passes for 83 yards – an indication that Dwenger, as usual, was ground-oriented – but two of those passes went for touchdowns to Griffin Eifert. Lytle hit Eifert on scores of 20 and 32 yards. The second of those came when Lytle was under heavy pursuit by Northrop, rolled right and used excellent vision to spot Eifert down field. The pass was right on target.
For Garrett to switch quarterbacks in Week 9 is a bold move. But it worked.
“It’s probably the more natural position for both of them, Patrick at receiver and Brenden at quarterback,” Garrett said. “This week, with everyone healthy, it enabled us to do that.”
Another twist in the offense was the presence of big Joe Tippmann in the backfield as a blocker. The 6-foot-6, 310-pound Tippmann paved the way on some of the Saints’ biggest runs.
“He’s a force to be reckoned with,” McGarry said. “I wouldn’t want to stand in front of him on defense.”
McGarry scored on runs of 29 and 30 yards, T.J. Tippmann (9 carries, 63 yards) scored on a one-yard run and a two-point conversion run and Peyton Davis scored on a 10-yard run.
Northrop (3-6) took a 7-6 lead on Bailey Meerzo’s 49-yard touchdown pass to Davieun Berry, but had little else go well. Another great play by Berry put the Bruins into scoring position before the Steele interception on a pass intended for Berry.
Meerzo was 6-of-13 for 111 yards and Berry caught three passes for 106 yards. Damarius Cowen rushed 15 times for 88 yards, but most of those yards came later in the game with Dwenger firmly in control. The Saints held Northrop’s dynamic running back Jeremiah Green in check. Green carried nine times and finished with no yards rushing.
“At the end of the day, the turnovers were the difference in the second quarter,” Northrop coach Jason Doerffler said. “Credit to Dwenger. When they got the lead in the mud – this field is a straight mud pit – they were able to run the ball and that’s the strength of their team.”
Dwenger will open Class 4A sectional play at Logansport next Friday. Northrop will host Homestead when Class 6A sectional play opens on Oct. 26.
The Saints hope their SAC title is the first of more championships to come.
“It means so much to all our seniors, who have been putting in great work these last four years,” McGarry said. “To bring the (Victory) Bell back to Dwenger is just amazing.”
WAYNE 14, CARROLL 13
Two big plays proved to be the difference as the Generals finished 7-2 and in second place in the SAC.
Brandan Young hit Craig Young on a 71-yard pass play in the first quarter and KeShaun Fields broke loose with a 55-yard touchdown run in the second quarter to give Wayne its necessary 14 points. The defense took care of the rest.
Carroll (3-6) tied the game on a Rhett Saylor touchdown run in the first quarter, but the Chargers were limited to two field goals the rest of the way, with Trevor Horton hitting from 34 yards in the second quarter and 35 yards in the third quarter.
Fields carried 24 times for 165 yards to pave the way for Wayne. Brandan Young completed 4 of 8 passes for 102 yards. Craig Young caught three passes for 92 yards. He also had a fumble recovery on defense. Sean Wiedeman and Cameron Johnson led the defense with seven tackles apiece.
Carroll’s Rhett Saylor rushed 26 times for 91 yards, but quarterback Gaven Vogt was held to 3 of 8 passing for 22 yards.
SNIDER 33, BISHOP LUERS 14
The Panthers finished the regular season 7-2 with three straight wins. After trailing 14-6 in the first quarter and entering halftime tied at 14-14, Snider controlled the second half to beat Luers.
A’Nyis Lockett carried 27 times for 104 yards and a touchdown and Lenny Bennett rushed 12 times for 69 yards and a score. Jon Barnes was 9-of-19 for 79 yards and a touchdown pass to Simon Dellinger. Tavareon Scott recovered a fumble for a touchdown and led the Panthers with seven tackles, including a sack and a tackle for loss.
Snider’s Alonzo Derrick returned a punt 62 yards for a touchdown and then ran for the two-point conversion to tie the score before halftime.
Bishop Luers running back Jordan Presley carried 10 times for 80 yards, including a 55-yard touchdown and also scored on a 38-yard pass from Norman Knapke. Presley had two receptions for 50 yards. Knapke completed 7 of 16 passes for 77 yards, pushing his season total yardage to 2,016. Ramon Anderson had 13 tackles.
CONCORDIA 21, NORTH SIDE 10
The Cadets came from behind to close out the regular season with back-to-back wins and a 4-5 record.
Jake Byrd hit Jeren Kindig on a 17-yard touchdown to put the Cadets up 6-0 in the second quarter, but North Side (2-7) took the lead after an incredible catch by Auntrail Franklin with two defenders on him. Franklin took the deep pass from Ronald Collins III for a 72-yard score and a 7-6 lead. Braden West hit a 42-yard field goal to make it 10-6 midway through the third.
But the Cadets’ Joseph Chandler recovered a fumble to set up good field position, and Byrd scored on a three-yard run, followed by a Kamari Anderson-Drew conversion run out of the wildcat formation to put Concordia up 14-10 late in the third. A 22-yard reverse run by Tyler Grossman pushed the lead to 21-10 early in the fourth.
Concordia’s Amir Drew rushed 24 times for 110 yards. Byrd was 10 of 21 for 170 yards and Grossman caught three passes for 59 yards. Michael Fairfield led the Cadets with 10 tackles, including two for losses. Anderson-Drew intercepted a pass near the end to seal the game.
Collins rushed 18 times for 69 yards and Alex Holliday-Robinson 17 times for 56 yards. Franklin caught three passes for 92 yards.
HOMESTEAD 29, SOUTH SIDE 0
Homestead’s Spartans (6-3) seized control on offense and defense to finish the regular season on a four-game winning streak.
The defense forced a safety for the first score, and the running game took over from there.
Homestead’s Jake Archbold carried 12 times for 150 yards and two touchdowns and Braeden Hardwick carried 15 times for 91 yards and two scores. Luke Goode was 5-of-6 passing for 65 yards. Conrad Keszei led the receiving corps with three receptions for 50 yards.
Homestead’s defense held South Side (0-9) to 101 total yards and five first downs. South’s Dashard Dunbar rushed 12 times for 36 yards. Demere Clark was 3-of-4 passing for 58 yards.
Photos by Reggie Hayes
