Bishop Dwenger at Homestead
Final Score: 35-34 Homestead (3OT)
The legend of Evan Ormsby has been born. Okay, maybe that’s a little dramatic, but there’s no denying that something special happened at Homestead High School on Friday. The Spartans were able to pull out a hard fought win against the Saints to give Dwenger their first loss of the season.
It’s a little strange that we’re talking about a quarterback to start with though. There was a time in the third quarter when most were wondering if any points would be scored in regulation. Homestead answered that sentiment with an 8-yard touchdown pass from Ormsby to Nate Anderson in the third quarter to give Sparty a 7-0 lead. For Ormsby, this was huge after he struggled in the first half and looked uncomfortable in the pocket, one of the main talking points against him going into this game. However, once he got his feet under him, there was no stopping the senior QB.
“We stepped it up this week during practice,” Ormsby said afterwards. “We all knew that coming into this week, we had to be at another level which gave me some confidence that all the people around me are going to fight hard and they’re going to have my back through it all.”
After the teams traded touchdowns in the fourth quarter, Homestead’s defense came up with a stop to give their offense the ball back, down 7 late in the 4th quarter. Faced with a 4th-and-12, Ormsby would have to deliver. In a moment that he and his teammates will likely remember for the rest of their lives, Ormsby threw a strike to Anderson for a 32 yard game-tying touchdown pass to send it to overtime.
“I’m really proud of Evan,” senior linebacker Luke Palmer said. “He did a phenomenal job tonight. He battled through a bunch of adversity. He got hurt at one point in the game and had to come out. But he battled through it, came back and made plays when we needed it and I’m really proud of him.”
While Ormsby did earn a lot of respect for the way he fought, the defense deserves a lot of credit for keeping the Spartans in the game too. At the end of the first half, with Dwenger inside the 10, Homestead got pressure and forced Saints QB Brenden Lytle to throw his first interception of the year. They then made the stop near the end of the fourth quarter to give their offense the ball. Then came overtime.
Going into this game, much was made about the defenses. Only one team had been able to score more than 20 points against either of these teams going into the game, and that was when Homestead had been wiped out by the coronavirus. Now, with each team getting the ball at the 10 yard line, the defenses would have to step up. Homestead scored fairly easily on each of their three possessions, while Dwenger was barely able to push their running backs across the goal line twice. Then after another touchdown, Dwenger’s Jason Garrett decided he wanted to end it right then. With the score 35-34, the Saints sent the offense out on the field for the two point conversion and the win.
“We just knew we had to sell out and make a play,” Palmer said. “It was up to all 11 of us to make the play.”
Lytle took it himself on a QB draw and, for a moment, got a push from his teammates. However, he was met by Palmer and the entire Homestead defense and was stood up at the 1 yard line, ending Dwenger’s perfect season.
“All of us sold out on that play and we came out on the winning end. We’re just so grateful to win this game.”
Ormsby finished the game completing only 14 of his 34 passes for 157 yards, but he made the most of them, making key plays when his team needed them and throwing for 3 huge touchdowns. On the other end of the field, Palmer led the Spartan defense with 4 TFL, 6 in total. As a unit, they held Dwenger to 154 yards rushing and forced 2 turnovers. It took an incredible effort by the entire team to pull this one out, but it ultimately put the Spartans ahead of the Saints for second place in the SAC standings.
“It gives us a little extra boost,” Ormsby said. “We knew Dwenger was a hard team to beat. We knew they had some men on their team and we knew we’d have to step it up and win this. We just know we need to keep it going for the rest of the year.”
Carroll at Northrop
Final Score: 52-12 Carroll
Sorry if we’re starting to sound like a broken record, but Carroll had another incredible offensive performance on Friday. QB Jeff Becker led his team with a very efficient game, going 19-for-25 and passing for 201 yards and 2 TD, while also rushing for 99 yards. WR Mason Englert had 6 receptions for 86 yards and 1 TD, adding to an impressive season in which he has accounted for 623 yards and 9 TD. While Northrop RB Damarius Cowen was able to run for 149 yards and 1 TD on 25 carries, it wasn’t even close to enough to keep up with the Chargers. Carroll seems to get better with each passing week and is now faced with their biggest challenge yet, with Bishop Dwenger coming to the northwest corner of Allen County to face the Chargers in one of the biggest games of the year, next week.
Wayne at North Side
Final Score: 49-22 North Side
This game was close at halftime, with North Side only leading 21-16. The Legends knew this game wouldn’t be easy against a hungry Wayne team, but they responded well. They went on a run and outscored the Generals 28-6 in the second half to get the win. QB Duce Taylor managed 143 yards and 2 TD on 9 of 14 passing, while Jasuan Lambert continued to assert his game-breaking ability for 173 yards and 2 TD while averaging 9.1 yards. The defense played the run well as they have all year, allowing 162 yards total on 33 rushes by the Generals, including holding Chris Thomas to 3.8 yards a carry. While things were prickly early, Coach Brevard should feel more confident in his team’s ability to overcome adversity and win these types of games.
Bishop Luers at Concordia
Final Score: 38-0 Concordia
The offense came easy to the Cadets this week. With their senior quarterback Brandon Davis back under center, Concordia had no problem putting the ball in the end zone. Davis shook off any rust he may have had and threw for 130 yards and 3 TD, while using his legs to pick up another 39 yards. The return of Davis also helped RB Amir Drew collect 160 yards and 1 TD, as he averaged 10 yards per carry. The defense played another tremendous game, getting the shutout, forcing 2 interceptions, and holding QB Carson Clark and RB Ramon Anderson to under 100 yards combined. This win puts the Cadets at 2-2, but don’t let their record fool you, they’re going to be a hard team to prepare for and beat if they stay healthy.
Snider at South Side
Final Score: 14-7 Snider
Unlike these other games, offense was at a premium in this one, which was fitting with South Side and Kansas City Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard being honored before the game. Both offenses struggled to find their rhythm and it resulted in a defensive slugfest. Sophomore QB Luke Haupert completed half of his 16 passes for 66 yards, while avoiding turnovers, and gave the Panthers the win with a late touchdown run to move Snider back to .500. Haupert has likely secured the starting job now but has a big test ahead with Homestead coming to Spuller Stadium next Friday.
