Nothing should surprise me in this Summit Athletic Conference football season, but I didn’t expect Snider’s offense to be the one to put Bishop Dwenger’s defense on its heels.
With all the high-flying offenses in the SAC, leave it to Snider’s work-in-progress to crack the code.
The Panthers beat Dwenger 21-13 on Friday at Zollner Stadium, handing the Class 4A No. 1 ranked Saints their first loss. Snider won with a dominant offensive line, a 1-2 punch of running backs and a vastly improved, crafty quarterback.
“They ran the ball extremely well. Hats off,” Dwenger coach Jason Garrett said. “Two great teams going at it, they found something, and it started working. Somehow, we just couldn’t get a stop there.”
As a result, the SAC title remains undecided. Dwenger is 7-1, Snider and Wayne are both 6-2. Dwenger can win the title outright by beating Northrop next Friday. Snider can win the title if it beats Luers, Dwenger loses to Northrop and Wayne loses to Carroll. Snider, Dwenger and Wayne would share the title if Snider and Wayne win and Dwenger loses.
“This was just a game to show we’re still Snider and we’re not going to back down to anyone,” Snider senior safety Ethan Hoover said.
Dwenger’s defense has set the tone all season, but on this night Snider knocked it out of tune. The Panthers rushed for 254 yards, had a pair of 100-yard rushers (A’Nyis Lockett with 122 yards and Lenny Bennett with 114), and kept the Saints off balance with quick passes from quarterback Jon Barnes and great play calling.
The final two Snider scoring drives, both in the fourth quarter, were especially telling:
1. They drove 76 yards on seven plays, with Lockett powering in from eight yards out to put the Panthers up 14-13 with 10:30 left.
2. They drove 73 yards on 12 plays with Barnes hitting Simon Dellinger on a tight-end screen pass for a 37-yard score and a 21-13 lead.
“We just ate them up with the short stuff, quick throws, quick hitches, a lot of running, and they just couldn’t stop us,” Barnes said. “Our O-line was pushing and getting five yards a play, so that’s all we had to do every play.”
Credit should be spread around, starting with an offense line that included Jermaine Wells, Will Swartz, Garrett Seibert, Randy Holtz and Evan Stafford. It should include the backs Lockett and Bennett and tight ends Dellinger and Braxton Mantel. Tying it all together was Barnes.
Barnes started the season sharing quarterback duties, but has emerged as a legitimate starting quarterback in the SAC.
He completed 12 of 15 passes for 131 yards against Dwenger, and ran for a 28-yard touchdown. Snider coach Kurt Tippmann said one of the keys was Barnes’ ability to be efficient throwing the ball.
“We knew he had it in him,” Tippmann said. “He’s a quality kid. He studies the game. He’s worked extremely hard at it, and he cares about it. Our quarterback doesn’t need to be the center of attention. He needs to run the offense, read the defense, take what the defense gives you, put people in the right place and orchestrate the offense. He did that.”
Barnes’ touchdown run put Snider ahead 7-0. Dwenger tied the game late in the first half on a pass from Patrick O’Keefe to Vinnie Tippmann. Tippmann slid across the field and reached back to catch the ball. There was discussion about whether he caught the ball in the air, but officials stuck with the touchdown call.
Dwenger took the lead 13-7 late in the third quarter on a nine-play, 89-yard drive capped by a one-yard T.J. Tippmann run. A huge play in the drive came when O’Keefe hit Griffin Eifert with a 32-yard completion. Michael Garrett’s extra point went wide right. O’Keefe finished 9-of-13 for 105 yards. Devon Tippmann rushed 19 times for 117 yards.
The fourth quarter is when Snider’s offense took final control.
“We wanted to just run the ball up the middle and beat them down every play. That was the focus,” Snider guard Swartz said. “Our passing game was sharp, too.”
Snider scored more points in each of its previous five wins, but putting up 21 points in beating Dwenger was by far its biggest and most surprising accomplishment this season.
HOMESTEAD 21, WAYNE 13
The Spartans ended Wayne’s six-game winning streak and won their third-straight to improve to 5-3.
Luke Goode completed 11 of 17 passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns (to Mitchell Wesner and Griffin Little) and also rushed for a touchdown.
Goode’s nine-yard strike to Little with 4:46 left to play put the Spartans in control in the final minutes of the game. Homestead’s Braeden Hardwick rushed 20 times for 75 yards.
Wayne (6-2) received another strong running performance from KeShaun Fields, who carried 11 times for 113 yards and a 59-yard touchdown. The Generals’ other score came on a 20-yard touchdown pass from Brandan Young to Craig Young.
CONCORDIA 47, CARROLL 21
Concordia compiled 477 yards in total offense to dominate the Chargers.
Concordia’s two quarterbacks thrived. Brandon Davis completed 10 of 14 passes for 219 yards and a touchdown to Kamari Anderson-Drew. Jake Byrd completed 9 of 19 passes for 168 yards and a touchdown to Anderson-Drew. Anderson-Drew caught eight passes for 123 yards and the two scores.
Amir Drew rushed for a modest 52 yards but turned three of those runs into touchdowns. Tyler Grossman caught five passes for 157 yards and Jalen Vanderbosch caught three passes for 91 yards. Michael Fairfield had 10 tackles, Vanderbosch seven and Zachary Byrd-Leach six. Christian Lucas returned an interception 18 yards for a score.
Carroll quarterback Gaven Vogt completed 16 of 27 passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns, hitting Nathan Harrah and Terell Griffin for scores. Vogt rushed 12 times for 78 yards and a touchdown. Rhett Saylor carried 18 times for 115 yards. Camdyn Childers caught five passes for 66 yards.
Concordia and Carroll are both 3-5.
BISHOP LUERS 48, SOUTH SIDE 16
Justin Gaston scored three different ways to headline the highlights for Bishop Luers. Gaston returned a punt 51 yards for a score, ran 11 yards for a rushing touchdown and caught a 12-yard pass from Norman Knapke for his third score. Gaston finished with 44 yards rushing and 46 yards receiving.
Knapke was 9 of 19 passing for 107 yards and two touchdowns. His other TD pass was a nine-yarder to Nate Moore. Brayden Cowherd rushed 10 times for 87 yards and two touchdowns. Jordan Pressley adding 79 yards and a score.
South Side’s quarterbacks both threw scoring passes – Omar Jackson threw a 43-yarder to Caleb Aquino and Demere Clark threw a 29-yarder to Rhonnie Moore. Jackson was 5 of 13 for 133 yards and Clark 4 of 8 for 67 yards. Aquino caught four passes for 110 yards. South Side had only 43 yards rushing.
Bishop Luers improved to 5-3 and South dropped to 0-8.
NORTHROP 43, NORTH SIDE 37
The Northrop Bruins scored 18 points in the fourth quarter to win a shootout with the Legends
Jeremiah Green rushed 24 times for 125 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Northrop ground attack. Meanwhile, Bailey Meerzo returned from the injured list at quarterback and completed 9 of 16 passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns. He hit Davieun Berry for an 18-yard score and Qualen Pettus for an eight-yard score. Berry caught five passes for 75 yards and Pettus four for 53. Antoine Scott led the team with eight tackles and Nigel Robertson had seven. Amarion Green and Jaden Smith both had pick-sixes.
North Side’s Ronald Collins III completed 14 of 20 passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns. He threw scoring passes to Auntrail Franklin and Jordan Turner. Collins also rushed for 108 yards and a touchdown. Alex Holliday-Robinson carried 23 times for 111 yards and a touchdown and RJ Armstrong also scored a touchdown. Franklin was the leading recdeiver with five catches for 67 yards. Turner had four for 49 yards and Holliday-Robinson two for 45 yards. Lah-Shon Miller led North with nine tackles and Theo Redmond had seven.
Northrop improved to 3-5 and North dropped to 2-6.
