Indians Lose to Spearville in Regional
The St. Francis Indians lost their second game of the season in the Regional Championship game in Spearville on Friday, November 3. The loss ended the 2017 season for the Indians. St. Francis had difficulty both on offense and defense against a very strong Spearville team. Though the Indians moved the ball at times and scored 20 points, the Indians also suffered through four turnovers and had possessions where advancing the football was difficult. The Royal Lancers powerful running attack, featuring misdirection and three outstanding running backs, kept the Indians off-balance defensively. Spearville scored 42 points and controlled the tempo throughout the contest.
Spearville (10-0) now advances to play Claflin-Central Plains (9-1) in Spearville on Friday, November 10. Click here to view the 8-man Division 1 playoff bracket and results.
St. Francis won the coin toss and elected to defer. Tayton Weeter's opening kick-off entered the end-zone for a touchback. The Indian defense held strong throughout the first Spearville possession and forced a punt on the 4th snap of the contest. The series opened with a run to the right by Bailey Sites (5' 11" 180 lb. Sr.) that the Indians stopped for no gain. A second-down pass to Waylon Strecker (5' 10' 170 lb. Sr.) in the left flat picked up three yards; but on 3rd-down, Luin Norris sacked the Royal Lancer's quarterback, Kolby Stein (6' 2' 180 lb. Sr.), for 12-yard loss. Facing 4th-&-19, the Lancers punted the ball away.
Tate Busse fielded the punt at the St. Francis 39 yard line and returned it to the Spearville 25 giving the Indians great field position. On the first snap, a sweep to the left by Jordan Raby gained good yards, but was nullified due to a procedure penalty. On the next play, an option to the right by quarterback Brady Dinkel, lost two yards after a tackle by Sites and Carson Rich (5' 10" 180 lb. So.). After a Dinkel pass to Busse was dropped, the Indians faced 3rd-&-17 at the Spearville 34. Wyatt Hackler caught a deep pass from Dinkel in the left corner of the end-zone on the following play. On the conversion try, St. Francis was called for a false start. After the penalty was accessed, the Indians needed 8 yards to be successful. Dinkel's pressured pass to Raby was complete, but a tackle by Stein stopped the play short of the goal line. With 9:37 on the first quarter clock, St. Francis led 6-0.
It did not take Spearville long to answer. Waylon Strecker returned the St. Francis kick-off to the Lancers' 34 yard line. On the first play from scrimmage, Alex Fisher (5' 11" 160 lb. Sr.) sprinted 46 yards for a Spearville touchdown. Bailey Sites ran to the right side for the conversion points. With 9:19 left in the first period, St. Francis trailed 6-8.
Tate Busse's short return of 5 yards advanced the football to the St. Francis 10 yard line where the Indians set up offense. After two incomplete passes, a pass from Brady Dinkel to Jordan Raby advanced the football to the 30 yard line and gave the Indians a new set of downs. On the next snap, a run to the left side by Raby was stuffed by Stein for a 3-yard loss. On 2nd down, Dinkel's pass was intercepted by Sites and returned to the Spearville 20.
Stein gained two yards into the middle of the Indian defense on first down. After a false start penalty on the Lancers was accessed, Stein tried the left side and was stopped by Wyatt Hackler after a 6-yard gain. On 3rd-&-7, Stein passed to Fisher for a 1st down at the St. Francis 35. Sites gained 9 on a run to the right side on the next play, and Stein earned a new set of downs at the 24 on a dive. Luin Norris's tackle stopped Sites after a 3-yard gain to the right on the resulting first down. On the next play, Fisher sprinted around the left side into the end-zone for an apparent touchdown, but a holding penalty on Spearville erased the score and backed the Lancers up to the 23. Jordan Raby and Hackler combined to sack Strecker for a 9-yard loss on the next snap. Facing 3rd-&-18, the Lancer's completed a screen pass to Sites, but Shadryon Blanka's tackle stopped Sites 6 yards short of the line to gain. On 4th-&-6 at the 20, Stein completed a pass to Carson Rich for a touchdown. Stein's dive into the middle on the conversion try was stopped short by a Norris tackle. With 3:19 left in the first quarter, the Lacers led 6-14.
Busse was tackled by Strecker at the 25 yard line on the kick-off return. Jordan Raby was sacked by Wyatt Stimpert (6' 2" 180 lb. Sr.) for a 5-yard loss on first play of the possession. A pass from Dinkel to Raby in the right flat picked up 3 yards on 2nd down. On 3rd down, the Indians went deep, but Dinkel's pass intended for Busse was overthrown. Dalton Straub punted for the Indians on 4th down.
The punt was bobbled by Strecker and returned to the Spearville 15. With 2:06 on the clock, Bailey Sites made a spinning run to the right side and earned just enough for a 1st down. Sites then tried the left side and was stopped for a 1-yard loss by a tackle by Jordan Raby. The next Sites run ended when Busse forced Sites out-of-bounds, but the Lancers now had a 1st down at the 38 yard line. On the next play, Dalton Straub sacked Sites for a 15-yard loss. The play ended the first quarter. A tackle by Tayton Weeter and Trayton Doyle stopped Strecker for a 3-yard gain on the following play. On 3rd-&-22, Stein's pass intended for Rich fell incomplete. Facing 4th-&-22, the Lancers punted the ball away.
Tate Busse returned the punt to the Spearville 32 yard line. Dinkel overthrew Jordan Raby on a first-down pass attempt. Dinkel then dove into the middle gaining two yards on the next snap. After a procedure penalty on the Indians, Dinkel's pass intended for Dalton Straub was too long. On 4th-&-13, the Indians punted. The punt just rolled into the end-zone for a touchback.
Spearville set up offense at the 15 yard line. A run by Fisher was stopped by a tackle by Trayton Doyle and Dalton Straub for no gain. On 2nd down, Strecker dove into the middle gaining 5 before being stopped by Doyle. Stein plowed into the middle of the St. Francis defense on the next play and ran all the way to the 37 before being tackled by Tate Busse. The tackle likely saved a score on the play. Runs by Strecker, Sites, and Stein earned a new series at the SF 28. Stein gained 3 over the right side before a stop by Luin Norris and Jordan Raby halted progress. Strecker then picked up 5 more going left with the play ending on a Norris tackle. On 3rd-&-2, Stein dove into the middle for a 1st-down at the 15. A tackle of Stein by Raby set by Lancers back 5 yards. Two strong runs by Stein set up 4-&-2. With 3:29 left in the first half, Sites rounded the right side earning a new set of downs at the SF 5 yard line. On the next play, Sites scored over the left side. Fisher rounded the left end and cruised in for an easy conversion run. With 2:57 left in the half, St. Francis trailed 6-22.
Tate Busse returned the Lancer's kick to the SF 30 where we was tackled by Strecker. A pass from Brady Dinkel to Dalton Straub earned a first down at the Spearville 36. Jordan Raby then gained 3 yards around the left end before a Stein tackle stopped the play. Stein left the game with what appeared to be leg cramps and did not return until the second half. A 2nd down scramble by Dinkel earned a first down at the Spearville 17. Dinkel then over-threw Shadryon Blanka on first down, and the Lancer's called time-out. On the next play, Dinkel was intercepted by Sites in the end zone.
Spearville began at their own 15 with 1:20 left in the half. With Stein on the sideline, the first snap was mishandled resulting in a loss of 5 yards. St. Francis called time-out. A dive by Strecker earned only 1, and St. Francis used their second time-out. On the next play, a Sites' run to the left side earned three yards, and St. Francis spent their last time-out with 1:01 remaining. On 4th-&-11, the Lancers punted out-of-bounds at the St. Francis 30.
Jordan Raby's run to the left side resulted in a gain--and a fumble. Dalton Straub recovered for the Indians at the Spearville 39. An incomplete pass stopped the clock with 33 seconds left. Another incomplete pass again stopped the clock with 25 ticks remaining. The 3rd-&-10 snap was mishandled, but Dinkel recovered and dove forward preventing a loss. The half ended before the 4th down snap. The Indians headed to the locker room trailing 6-22.
Tate Busse returned the second-half kick-off to the SF 20. On 1st down, pressure by the Lancers caused Dinkel to scramble. He was tackled by Nathan Keeke (6' 5" 195 lb. Sr.) and Levi Stein (5' 10" 165 lb. Sr.) for a 1-yard loss. Jordan Raby then tried the left side and was tackled by Rich for a 5-yard loss. Dinkel's 3rd-down scramble picked up 4 yards, but on 4th-&-12 the Indians punted.
Spearville set up offense at the 28 after the return. A strong run by Sites earned 5 yards on first down, and a Stein keeper picked up 3 on the next play. On 3rd-&-2, Stein ran into the middle of the Indians' defense where he fumbled. The ball was recovered by Tayton Weeter for St. Francis and returned to the Indians' 35 yard line.
With 9:10 left in the third period, Dinkel ran an option to the right side gaining 2 yards. On the next play, a pass from Dinkel to Busse earned good yardage, but not as much as it might have as Busse slipped while trying to make a cut. With the ball at the Spearville 33, Raby made a strong run gaining 7 yards in the middle of the Lancer defense. The next Raby run resulted in a 1st-down at the 21. Rich's tackle caused Wyatt Hackler to lose 3 yards on the next play. A Sites tackle stopped Raby after a 5-yard gain on the next snap. Facing 3rd-&-8, the Indians went to the air, but the pass from Dinkel was mishandled by Hackler and fell incomplete. On 4th down, Dinkel was sacked by a host of Lancers.
Spearville took over on downs at their own 25. Sites earned 7 yards on first down before a Raby tackle stopped his progress. On the next play, Stein pitched to Strecker who threw a pass to Carson Rich sprinting over the middle for a 58-yard touchdown with 5:44 left in the 3rd period. Sites' conversion run attempt was stopped short of the goal line by the Indian defense. St. Francis now trailed 6-28.
Strecker's hit on Busse on the kick return knocked the ball loose, but the ball rolled out-of-bounds before the Lancer's could secure it. Setting up at the 18 yard line, the Indians needed a big play--and they got it. Wyatt Hackler sprinted around the left side to the Spearville 12 yard line. On the next snap, the Indians were called for a false start. On 1st-&-15 at the 17, Dinkel's pass to Straub was a bit high, tipped by Straub, and then intercepted by the Waylon Strecker in the end-zone with 5:17 left in the third period.
Spearville took possession at the 15 after the touchback. A dive by Fisher was met by Trayton Doyle for no gain. On the next snap, Bailey Sites sprinted up the middle for a 65-yard touchdown run. Sites was forced out-of-bounds by Hackler on the conversion try. With 4:35 left in the third quarter, St. Francis trailed 6-34.
Following good blocking, Tate Busse returned the kick-off to the Spearville 15 yard line where he was tackled by Strecker. A 1st-down run by Wyatt Hackler was stopped for a yard loss, and a 2nd-down pass from Dinkel to Raby was dropped over the middle. On 3rd down, Tate Busse earned a new first down at the 2 yard line. Dinkel then ran right and was tackled by Sites for a 3-yard loss. On the next snap, Busse scored on a 5-yard run to the left with 3:14 remaining in the third period. Dinkel's pass to Busse in the left flat accounted for the conversion points. St. Francis had trimmed the deficit to 14-34.
Sites returned the football to the Spearville 23 where the Lancers set up offense. On the first snap, a Sites run was nullified by a holding penalty on Spearville. The new first down play (1st-&-14) found Strecker running to the left and picking up two yards before a stop by Brady Dinkel. On the next play, a good gain by Stein was erased by an illegal block by the Lancers. On 2nd-&-17, Stein tried the middle gaining three. After a Spearville time-out, a screen pass to Sites earned a 1st down. After a 15-yard mark-off against the Indians, the Lancers were at the St. Francis 28. On the next play, Strecker was tackled by Luke Lampe for a 10-yard loss. After a delay penalty on Spearville was accessed, the Lancers faced 2nd-&-25. The Lancers tried a bit of trickery--a double-pass--but the play was well-defended by Tate Busse and fell incomplete. The Lancers scored on the following play; a quick pass to Strecker in the left flat who then cut back and rambled 25 yards for a touchdown. The play ended the 3rd period. The conversion points were scored on a pass from Sites to Alex Fisher. St. Francis trailed 14-42.
Busse returned the kick-off to the SF 30 yard line. A pass from Dinkel to Raby fell incomplete on the right sideline, but the next pass to Dalton Straub earned the Indians a first down at the Spearville 27. On the next snap, Dinkel was sacked by Nathan Heeke and Albert Evins (5' 11" 185 lb. Jr.) losing 10 yards. Dinkel avoided a sack on the following play by scrambling and throwing the ball out-of-bounds. On 4th-&-20, Dinkel connected with Tate Busse running down the left sideline. The play earned a first down at the Spearville 13. After a loss of two on a run by Raby, a quarterback keeper to the right earned 4 yards. A keeper going left picked up two more on 3rd down. On 4th-&-6, the Indians' pass into the end-zone fell incomplete.
Spearville took over at their own 10 yard line with 8:55 left in the contest. Stein earned 4 yards on a run to the left before being tackled by Straub. Sites then gained 3 more on a shifty run to the right. Facing 3rd-&-3, the Lancers called time-out. The next play, a run by Stein, resulted in a first down at the 22 yard line. Another strong run by Stein up the middle earned a first down at the 35. The Lancers were gaining yardage efficiently with their power running game. After a Fisher run to the left earned two, Stein plowed to the left for three once more. Spearville used another time-out at 6:02 and returned to action with Fisher earning a new set of downs at the SF 35. The next series was interrupted by a false start penalty on the Lancers. Facing 2nd-&-14, Sites tried the left side gaining 4. On the next play, Stein was tackled by Luke Lampe and the ball came loose. Shadryon Blanka recovered for the Indians.
St. Francis took possession at their own 27 with 3:42 on the clock. A pass intended for Busse fell incomplete on first down. On second down, a pass to Raby went through his hands and was intercepted by Sites. It was Sites 3rd interception of the contest.
Spearville took over at the SF 30 with 3:28 remaining. Many substitute Lancers entered the contest to begin the possession. Two carries by freshman Freddie Alcala (5' 10" 150 lb) netted 7 yards up the middle. The Lancers lost a yard going right on 3rd down. On 4-&-4, Alcala dove into the middle again and was just short of the first down marker.
St. Francis took over on downs at the own 22. A Dinkel to Busse pass netted 9 yards on the first play of the possession. With just over a minute remaining, a pitch to Raby resulted in a new series at the 32. On the next play, Dinkel's pass to Busse was caught, and after several shifty moves by Busse, the Indians had their third touchdown of the contest. The scoreboard clicked to 20-42 with 15 seconds remaining. Dinkel was sacked on the conversion try by Rich and Stein.
A squib kick by the Indians was not returned by the Lancers. Spearville fielded the ball and knelt to end the play. The Lancers knelt in victory formation on the first snap to end the contest. The Indians lost to a powerful Spearville team 20-42.
