Indians Lose To Osborne
End Season at 11-1
The St. Francis Indians fell just a bit short of their state championship goal on Saturday, November 19. In the state championship game, the Indians were defeated by the Osborne Bulldogs 24-38. The game was exciting throughout with many outstanding plays turned in by athletes from both teams. St. Francis and Osborne had comparable yardage (SF-359; O-375) and turnovers (2 each), but the Bulldogs found the end zone more frequently and earned the state championship trophy. The Indians completed the season with eleven wins and one loss and made school history as the first Indian team to play in the state championship game. Osborne completed the year undefeated at 13-0.
The highly-anticipated contest between two unbeaten teams was played on the newly-refurbished astro-turf at Fischer Field in Newton, Kansas. The Indians kicked-off from the west end of the field. The Bulldogs returned the football to their own 29 yard line. The Bulldogs tried a bit of trickery on the first play, running a hook-and-ladder play in the left flat. The Indians were not fooled even though the Bulldogs gained 7 yards on the play. Luin Norris made a tackle for no gain on the next play, a run around the right end. Denton Schurr (6' 2" 175 lb. Jr.) ran over the left side on third down and was stopped by Taylor Rogers after a two yard gain. On 4th-&-1, the Bulldogs dove into the middle of the defense earning a new set of downs at mid-field. Cullen Grabast (6' 1" 165 lb. Sr.), Osborne's shifty but powerful quarterback, scrambled for a four-yard gain before being tackled by Norris. Trayton Doyle met the next Bulldog dive for a two-yard loss. On 3rd-&-8, Grabast scrambled for four yards and was tackled by Raby. Facing 4th-&-4 near midfield, Osborne called time-out at 9:14 to discuss their offensive strategy. A swing pass in the left flat was well defended by Taylor Rogers and the Indians took possession on their own 37 yard line.
Before the Indians snapped the ball on their first offensive play, they were penalized for delay of game. The Indians went to the air immediately, throwing a deep pass intended for Tate Busse. The Quinton Cravens' pass was intercepted by Cullen Grabast for the Bulldogs.
Osborne set up on their own 21 yard line, and soon converted the turnover into a score. Schurr ran to the left and was tackled by Dalton Straub after a three-yard gain. On 2nd down, Schurr sprinted 56 yards for the first touchdown of the contest. A Schurr carried the football to the right side on a counter play for the successful conversion. With 8:43 left in the first period, Osborne had struck first, leading 0-8.
Taylor Rogers returned the Osborne kick-off to the 26 yard line. Jordan Raby was stopped for no gain trying the right side on first down. On 2nd down, the Indians were called for illegal helmet contact creating 2nd-&-16. Quinton Cravens' pass intended for Taylor Rogers fell incomplete on the next play. Cravens then found Rogers open in the right flat, good for 7 yards before a strong tackle by Kade Miller (145 lb. So.). Facing 4th-&-9, Dalton Straub punted for the Indians.
The punt was bobbled and the Bulldogs recovered the football on the 21 yard line. Trayton Doyle made the first down stop for no gain. Freshman quarterback Darrien Holloway's pass to Darnell Holloway (6' 2" 175 lb. So.) fell incomplete. On 3rd down, Holloway (140 lb. Fr.) passed to Kade Miller in the right flat, losing 1 yard. On 4th-&-11, the Bulldogs punted. The kick was blocked by Brock Waters, but the punter retrieved the ball and kicked it again. On a misinterpretation of the rule book, the Bulldogs were granted a re-kick. This punt sailed deep into Indian territory, stopping at the 14 yard line.
Taylor Rogers tried the right side but was stopped for a 6-yard loss. On the next play, Rogers gathered in Quinton Cravens' pass in the right flat, but was smacked immediately losing 4 more. The Indians were now at their own 4 yard line, facing 3rd-&-20. Cravens' pass to Brock Waters in the middle of the field was good for 9 yards. Straub punted the ball out-of-bounds on the left side on the next snap.
Osborne took possession in Indian territory at the 38 yard line. Grabast tried the left side and was stopped by Traylon Doyle after a gain of 11 yards. The Bulldogs were threatening again, having advanced to the 27 yard line. Schurr banged for two hard yards, but Holloway lost two on a Jordan Raby tackle on the following play. Facing 3rd-&-10, Grabast sprinted around the right side gaining 8 yards. On 4th-&-2, the Indians made a big defensive play; Taylor Rogers tackled Schurr short of the line-to-gain.
The Indians took possession on their own 20. Taylor Rogers bolted to the SF 39 around the left side. With a new set of downs, Quinton Cravens attempted a pass to Tate Busse down the right sideline. The ball fell incomplete. Rogers' run to the right was met by Derek Naegele (225 lb. Sr.) for no gain. On 3rd-&-10, Cravens found Brock Waters; the pass resulting in a first down at the Osborne 29. Cravens targeted Waters on the next snap also, but the pass was well defended by Grabast. Jordan Raby earned two hard yards going left just before the first quarter horn sounded. After switching directions, Rogers earned two going left. The Indians faced 4th-&-6. Cravens passed to Raby, the completed pass earned distance, but was just short of a first down.
The Bulldogs took possession at their own 21 yard line. Grabast dove right earning 6 yards before being tackled by Jordan Raby. Grabast picked up 3 more on the next play. On 3rd-&-1, Trayton Doyle met the Osborne dive solidly for a yard loss. On 4th-&-2, the Bulldogs punted. The low line-drive kick was downed at the SF 9 yard line.
Taylor Rogers ran to the 16 on 1st down, and gained 17 more on a pass reception from Quinton Cravens on the next play. With the ball at the SF 33, the Indians were whistled for illegal procedure. Cravens then passed to Brock Waters gaining 4 yards before a tackle by Quentin Morris (Sr.). After an incomplete pass intended for Rogers, Cravens completed a middle screen to Jordan Raby. The play was good for nearly 10 yards, leaving 4th-&-1 1/2 to go. Rogers ran left where he was stopped by Miller short of the line-to-gain.
Osborne began at their own 36. Grabast tried the middle of the Indian defense, but was met soundly by Trayton Doyle and Dalton Straub. Holloway then ran left gaining two before another Straub tackle. Grabast's pass fell incomplete on third down. On 4-&-8, the Bulldogs competed a pass from Grabast to Darrien Holloway across the middle of the Indian defense. Tiernan Poling made the stop, but the Bulldogs had converted a big play and now had a first down at the SF 18. Schurr ran over the left side and was stopped for no gain by Doyle. On the next play, Grabast bolted around the right end sprinting to the 3 yard line before being tackled by Tate Busse. On 1st-&-goal, Grabast completed a roll-out pass to Schurr in the right side of the end zone. Grabast rolled the opposite direction, completing a pass to Miller for the conversion. With 4:42 left in the first half, the Bulldogs led 0-16.
Tate Busse returned the kick-off to the 31 yard line where he was met by Quentin Morris (Sr.). Cravens ran for two yards on the first play from scrimmage, and earned 6 more going left on the next play before being tacked by Miller. On 3rd-&-2, Cravens dove right but only gained 1/2 yard. Cravens' 4th-down pass to Rogers moved the football all the way to the 4 yard line. Rogers tried the left side earning all but a foot of the needed distance. On 2nd down, Cravens powered into the end zone for the first St. Francis score. Craven's conversion pass attempt to Brock Waters was knocked down by Schurr. With 2 minutes left in the first half, the Indians were finally on the scoreboard, trailing 6-16.
Grabast's return advanced the football to the 28 yard line where he was stopped by Nick Paulsen for the Indians. A running play to the left by Grabast netted zero yards due to a good defensive stop by Trayton Doyle. On 2nd down, Grabast was forced to scramble; Brock Waters tacked him for a 10 yard loss. St. Francis called time-out with 1:08 remaining. On 3rd-&-20, Grabast ran for big yardage up the middle, but fumbled. Tiernan Poling recovered the football for the Indians.
The Indians had stopped the Bulldogs at the SF 21 yard line. Quinton Cravens attempted a deep pass to Tate Busse on the right side. After the incomplete pass, Cravens connected with Brock Waters over the middle. Miller made the stop after a 5 yard gain. St. Francis used another time-out with 41 ticks left. Cravens' pass to Rogers on the right sideline gained zero yards and was well-defended by Morris. Cravens next throw to Rogers fell incomplete. With 33 seconds left, Cravens targeted Waters, but the pass fell to the ground. The Bulldogs' defense had held strong.
Osborne took over on their own 27 yard line. Grabast ran over the right side and was tackled by Luin Norris for the Indians. The clock showed 24 seconds remaining. On 2nd-&-7, Grabast passed to Kade Miller gaining good yardage to the St. Francis 29 before Miller was forced out-of-bounds by Tate Busse. On the next play, Grabast targeted Schurr. The Indians were called for pass interference on the play. The ball was advanced to the 14 yard line. Grabast was forced to scramble under pressure on the next play, but he found Quentin Morris in the end zone for a touchdown with 2 seconds remaining on the clock. The Bulldogs ran left attempting a two-point conversion, but were stopped short by Luin Norris and Tiernan Poling. Jordan Raby's kick-off return gained good yardage to mid-field, but the halftime horn sounded. St. Francis trailed 6-22.
The Indians needed some offensive production, and thankfully received the second half kick-off. Taylor Rogers' return advanced the football to the SF 19. Two running plays, both by Rogers, netted 3 yards. On third down, Cravens passed to Rogers who was eventually forced out-of-bounds at the Osborne 20. Dalton Straub received the next carry for the Indians, gaining 2 hard-earned yards. Cravens' pass to Tate Busse on the next play earned 6 yards. On 3rd-&-2, the Indians committed an illegal procedure infraction before the snap. On 3rd-&-7 Cravens' pass to Rogers resulted in a touchdown in the right corner of the end zone at 9:28. The conversion pass attempt was well-defended by Grabast. The Indians now trailed 12-22.
The Bulldogs fumbled the kick-off return, and Dalton Straub recovered for the Indians. Momentum was building quickly! St. Francis had possession on the Osborne 21. Taylor Rogers earned 6 yards over the left side on the next play. On 2nd down, Quinton Cravens hobbled into the end zone from 15 yards out hampered by a hamstring injury received during the Spearville game a week earlier. Freshman quarterback Brady Dinkel replaced Cravens on the conversion attempt. Dinkel ran left for no gain on the play. With 8:36 left in the third period, the Indians had reduced the deficit to 18-22.
The Indians now needed a defensive stop.....and they got it. Grabast returned the kick-off to the 26 where he was tackled by Kouper McQuigg. A host of Indians stopped Grabast after a four-yard gain on first down. Grabast's run around the right side was stopped for no gain by Jordan Raby on the next play. Grabast's pass attempt was defended by Taylor Rogers on third down. On 4th-&-3, the Bulldogs punted the ball away.
Taylor Rogers returned the punt up the left sideline to the Indians' 28. On the next play, Quinton Cravens connected with Brock Waters deep down the left sideline for a 52 yard touchdown. Taylor Rogers earned the conversion points running to the left, and cutting back to the right corner of the end zone. A block-in-the-back penalty nullified the outstanding play by Rogers, and moved the ball back to the 14 yard line. Cravens conversion pass attempt to Waters was questionably well-defended, but there was no flag. The Indians had forged a 24-22 lead with 5:49 remaining in the third period.
Holloway returned the Indians' kick-off to the 26 yard line, where Kouper McQuigg made the tackle. Schurr ran to the right side and was tackled by Dalton Straub after gaining 4 yards. On 2nd down, Schurr tried the middle earning 2 before a Trayton Doyle stop. Grabast passed to Holloway in the left flat on third down. Straub again made the stop. On 4th-&-2, Grabast broke free to the St. Francis 29. Freshman quarterback Darrien Holloway ran around the left side gaining 9 more. Holloway then ran an option play to the right side where he was met by a host of Indians. Holloway fumbled on the play, but recovered. On 3rd-&-4, Taylor Rogers stopped the Bulldog's rollout for a short gain. On 4th-&-2, Jordan Raby's crushing tackle unfortunately sent the Osborne quarterback to the sideline with a concussion.
St. Francis took over on their own 31 yard line. On first down, Quinton Cravens' deep pass fell incomplete with no receivers in the area. After a penalty on the Indians, Cravens was sacked and the ball came loose. Jordan Raby recovered for the Indians at the 5 yard line. A procedure penalty backed the Indians up to the 2 1/2 before the next snap. On 2nd-&-38, Taylor Rogers sprinted to the St. Francis 21. Before the 3rd-&-20 play, St. Francis called time-out with 36 seconds remaining in the third period. The next pass, intended for Tate Busse, fell incomplete. The Indians punted the ball back to the Bulldogs.
Grabast returned the football to midfield. With Darrien Holloway injured, Cullen Grabast moved from quarterback to running back. Justin Burch (165 lb. Sr.) moved to the quarterback position, one he had played for the first 8 games of the season before injury. The move was a good one for the Bulldogs as Grabest was about to rack up 105 rushing yards and score 2 touchdowns in the final quarter of play. It seemed that the additional few yards of momentum helped Grabast. Two running plays netted 4 yards for the Bulldogs before the third quarter horn sounded. On 3rd-&-6, Burch's pass to Grabast earned a first down at the SF 26. Grabast ran for 4 yards on the next play, and then bolted into the end zone on second down from 22 yards out. A Burch to Grabast pass was successful for the conversion points. With 10:06 left, Osborne had retaken the lead, 24-30.
The kick-off sailed out of the end zone preventing a St. Francis return. The Indians desperately needed to answer. Quinton Cravens passed to Brock Waters in the left flat earning a first down at the 26 on the first play of the possession. The next pass was intercepted by the Bulldogs, but pass interference erased the Indian turnover and advanced the ball to the SF 39. After Taylor Rogers gained two yards, Osborne was called for encroachment. Cravens then targeted Busse on a slant that fell incomplete. On 3rd-&-3, Cravens' pass was batted down by lineman Derek Naegele. Needing to make 3 yards, the Indians earned 7. A pass from Cravens to Rogers gave the Indians a much-needed 1st down at the Osborne 27. An incomplete pass on first down was followed by a Rogers run around the left side gaining 8 yards. On 3rd-&-2, Cravens completed a pass to Jordan Raby, but the play lost one yard. On 4th and 3, Cravens' pass to Waters fell incomplete.Osborne took possession on their own 20 yard line. Grabast was gaining momentum. A gain of 11 on 1st down was followed by a run to the SF 35 where a tackle by Dalton Straub prevented further penetration. After a dive into the middle netted two more yards, Grabast ran around the left side and then cutback against the defensive flow bolting 33 yards to paydirt. Schurr dove up the middle for the conversion points. With 5:15 left in the game. the Osborne Bulldogs were looking like champions, leading 24-38.
The Indians needed two quick scores, but would not get them. Osborne's kick-off again sailed high and into the end zone preventing a return. After a run by Taylor Rogers to the left gained nothing, two passes from Quinton Cravens to Brock Waters gave the Indians a first down at the SF 26. On the next play, Cravens targeted Tate Busse on a deep ball. The pass fell incomplete. After another incomplete pass on second down, Cravens attempted a pass to Rogers on 3rd down. The ball was high, tipped, and nearly intercepted, but fell to the grass. With 4 minutes remaining, Cravens threw to Rogers deep. The pass was complete, but penalties on both teams nullified the play and the down was replayed. Osborne took a time-out with 3:52 remaining to discuss defensive strategy. On 4th-&-10, Cravens completed a pass to Waters good for a 1st down at the Osborne 39. Cravens' next pass, intended for Rogers, was intercepted by Osborne's Kade Miller and returned to the SF 36.
Grabast carried for six yards on first down. On the next play, the Indians drew a face mask penalty on the tackle of Grabast. The ball was moved to the SF 26. Schurr banged up the middle for 4 yards before being stopped by Dalton Straub. With 2 minutes remaining Grabast powered for new set of downs at the 11 where a tackle by Tate Busse stopped further progress. Trayton Doyle's tackle stopped Schurr for a 1-yard gain on the next play. Grabast carried again on the next play, but an unsportsmanlike penalty on the Bulldogs erased the gain and moved the football back to the 22. The Bulldogs knelt in victory formation before celebrating their state championship win.
Osborne's Cullen Grabast ran for 196 yards in 25 carries. Denton Schurr carried for 96 yards in 16 carries. The Bulldogs earned 301 yards on the ground on 45 total running plays. Osborne gained 74 yards passing. St. Francis rushed for 70 yards on 22 carries. Taylor Rogers carried 12 times for 59 yards. The Indians threw for 289 yards completing 24 of 36. Rogers caught 10 passes for 125 yards, and Brock Waters caught 9 for 116 yards.
The victory gave the Bulldogs their second state championship in four seasons. The Indians completed a great season, going 11-1, and advancing as far as any Indian team in school history.
Congratulations to the Indians and their coaches, Rodney Yates, Devin DInkel, Nick O"Loughlin, and Steve Kirkham for an excellent season.
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