Ray-Pec Panthers win at Rockhurst in Donohoe’s debut as head football coach of Hawklets

For nearly the past four decades, generations of Rockhurst High School students and fans have been accustomed to seeing Tony Severino pace the sidelines of Vincent P. Dasta Memorial Stadium.

But on Friday night, for the first time in 37 years, there was a different head coach directing play from the Rockhurst home sideline.

Arriving last December from rival school Blue Springs, Kelly Donohoe was the man with the headset for the Hawklets to kick off a new era of Rockhurst football.

But playing on the newly-named Severino Field, Donohoe failed to achieve what had become commonplace under his predecessor: to walk off the field a winner.

Falling to the Raymore-Peculiar Panthers 42-34, Donohoe flashed his playbook in a game that included it all — multiple fourth-down conversions, trick plays and even a two-point conversion.

But three interceptions between Rockhurst quarterbacks Bobby Hummel and Luke Bailey Jr. deep in their own territory put the Hawklets in a snare they couldn’t escape.

“Well, I always told people your honeymoon is great until your first loss. It’s tough, you don’t want that to happen,” Donohoe said. “You’re so excited about being here, which we are, but these things are going to happen.”

The Panthers struck first as Rockhurst started slow, including the first score of the game courtesy of a 73-yard strike down field from senior quarterback Conrad Hawley. The senior found wide receiver Jaidyn Doss in single coverage, and Doss brought the ball down for the 7-0 lead.

The early deficit seemed to kick Rockhurst into gear, which prior to the touchdown had recorded back-to-back three-and-outs. The Hawklets’ third drive of the game featured 12 plays and a fourth-and-6 conversion that eventually led to Bailey finding junior receiver Isaac Koch in the end zone.

The fourth-down conversion was one of four for Rockhurst in an attempt to counteract points conceded via interceptions.

“The kids did pretty well on fourth down, you just can’t turn it over against good teams, and that’s what it always comes down to,” Donohoe said. “We preach it and preach it, but sometimes you have those games, and sometimes you do where the other team does and we hope that happens next week.”

Although many Kansas City-area high schools have canceled fall sports, Rockhurst is not only continuing its athletic programs but families of athletes are allowed to attend.

“We’re temperature screening, asking questions in terms of have they been around or had symptoms,” Rockhurst athletic director Mike Dierks said. “We have several of us in the school. If we hear (athletes) have symptom,s we case-manage them.”

Each team scored another touchdown in the first half to head into the break 14-14, but it was the second half when the game truly exploded.

A total of 48 points were scored in the second half, including a pick-six for the Panthers and five 30-plus yard plays between the two teams.

Rockhurst seemed to have taken the upper hand early in the half when Wilson Selzer received a pitch-out down the right hash marks. The senior running back quickly gathered the ball before floating it into the corner of the end zone for John Michael Gyllenborg.

But that’s where the Hawklets’ luck ran out.

The ensuing missed extra-point attempt was then followed by two Ray-Pec touchdowns. The second came from a 33-yard pick-six out of the hands of quarterback Bobby Hummel.

Hummel through his second interception of the half early in the fourth quarter. The following play resulted in a 77-yard touchdown pass from Ray-Pec’s Hawley to senior tight end Weston Ropp.

“Bob got put in some tough places, in some third-and-longs, and threw some ill-advised balls,” Donohoe said. “But Bobby’s a good quarterback, we’ve just got to avoid those mistakes.”

Rockhurst’s Bailey Jr. responded with a 46-yard touchdown run and a two-point conversion that brought the game back to 42-34.

But the comeback eventually fell short as the Hawklets failed to get over the line on their final drive, allowing Ray-Pec to kneel its way to its second-ever win over Rockhurst.