Bishop Dwenger’s football team is one win away from clinching the Summit Athletic Conference title. Standing in the Saints’ way, in familiar fashion, is Snider.
Dwenger vs. Snider, tradition vs. tradition. These programs set the standard for Fort Wayne football year after year after year. You could say this is a bit of a down year for Snider, and the Panthers are still 5-2.
Dwenger (7-0) can secure the SAC title with a win at Zollner Stadium on Friday since it already holds the head-to-head tiebreaker with second-place Wayne (6-1).
Regardless of the stakes, it’s rarely dull when Dwenger plays Snider. Here’s a look back at the last decade of games between the local giants, a stretch where Snider holds a slight 6-4 lead but has won six of the last seven:
2017: Snider 34, Dwenger 31
On senior kicker Jack James’ 23-yard field goal attempt, the ball hit the left upright and went through with seven seconds left to give the Panthers the win. Snider staged a huge comeback after Dwenger touchdowns by Drew Lytle (off a pass from Patrick O’Keefe) and two by T.J. Tippmann put the Saints up 21-0. Snider got back in the game with offensive (Christian Covington run), defensive (Dalston Duff pick-six) and special teams (75-yard punt Ethan Hoover punt return) touchdowns.
2016: Snider 32, Dwenger 25
Dwenger built a 19-point lead before Snider found its bearings and came back. Dwenger led 25-6 in the third quarter and seemed to be in control. Eddie Morris had rushed for two scores, Mitch Effinger another and Bart Tippmann recovered a fumble for Dwenger’s lead. But Snider woke up. Michael Haupert threw a pair of touchdown passes and Money Woods rushed for a pair of scores as Snider won, with Haupert hitting Bryson Haft for the game-winner.
2015: Bishop Dwenger 20, Snider 17
The Dwenger offensive line of Jeremy Herber, Sean McAbee, Landon Myers, Landon Campbell and Nick Maguire paved the way for 389 yards of total offense as Dwenger handed Snider its only loss of the season. In fact, Snider (5A) and Dwenger (4A) both ended the season with state championships. Dwenger’s defense held Snider scoreless in the second half, and this was a Snider team that scored 64 points in the state title game. The game-winning play was a diving catch by Zack Norton on a pass from Blake Podschlne. The Saints intercepted three of the last four Snider passes.
2014: Snider 40, Dwenger 8
A rare blowout in the series. Jessie Bates III, now with the Cincinnati Bengals, returned a punt 95 yards for a touchdown and intercepted a Dwenger pass in the end zone. The Panthers also blocked a field goal and Jaylin Fowler returned it 92 yards for a touchdown. Those special teams plays set a tone for a night of opportunistic plays by Snider since Dwenger dominated the game in yardage (326-111), first downs (19-5) and time of possession (32 minutes to 16 minutes).
2013: Snider 38, Dwenger 35
Snider’s Shane Leonard ended a back-and-forth game with a 31-yard field goal with 16 seconds left. After Bates returned an interception 95 yards for a score and a 35-21 lead, Dwenger responded with 14 straight points to tie the game. Saints quarterback Mike Fiacable threw for 270 yards and two touchdowns despite being sacked five times by the Panthers. Snider back Jibri Bramley rushed for 110 yards and three scores.
2012: Snider 43, Dwenger 0
Snider pounded Dwenger with more than 300 yards rushing, including 92 apiece from Je’norie Smith and Tyrell Swain to win its first SAC title since 2005. The Panthers defense had three sacks, forced a safety and held Dwenger to 200 total yards.
2011: Snider 42, Dwenger 41 (OT)
Brandon Phelps’ quarterback sneak and Josh Spitnale’s extra point gave Snider the win in overtime. That final kick proved the difference after Snider’s Kamen Dowdell-White tipped Dwenger’s extra-point kick on the Saints’ previous score. Snider’s John Nelson, who forced overtime with a score and had two runs to set up the winning touchdown, rushed 41 times for 343 yards and five touchdowns. Dwenger’s Mike Fiacable completed 17 of 26 passes for 208 yards and four touchdowns. The win was Snider’s first over Dwenger since 2006.
2010: Dwenger 46, Snider 45 (2OT)
In the second overtime, after Dwenger’s Jalen West had scored to pull Snider within one, Saints coach Chris Svarczkopf huddled with his seniors and asked them if they wanted to go for a tie or a win. They chose the win. Remound Wright took the handoff, followed tremendous blocking and powered his way in for the game-winning two-point conversion. Dwenger had trailed by 14 points with seven minutes left before coming back. Wright, who went on to play at Stanford University, rushed for 189 yards.
2009: Dwenger 10, Snider 0
The game was played in a steady rain and featured nine fumbles and 14 punts. But at the end, Dwenger had won its fourth-straight SAC title. Saints kicker Emerson Ueber kicked a 24-yard field goal in the first quarter to make it 3-0, and Dwenger’s other score came on 15-yard draw play by Wade Markley with just over four minutes to play. Snider had not been shut out over the previous 121 games.
2008: Dwenger 27, Snider 24
Dwenger overcame an 18-point deficit in the final 15 minutes to take the win. The game-winning play: A 23-yard pass from Trevor Yarrick to Tyler Eifert, who went on to success at Notre Dame and is now with the Cincinnati Bengals. Eifert, who played safety on defense at Dwenger, also intercepted a pass on Snider’s final possession.
