Rockhurst downs Francis Howell in Missouri Class 6 football state semifinal
What had been an 18-point Rockhurst High School football lead suddenly was in jeopardy.
Francis Howell, down by only five points late in the fourth quarter on Friday night, was in full rally mode. The Vikings advanced to the Rockhurst 16-yard line. Facing fourth-and-5, Francis Howell quarterback Sam Hefner rolled right. He found running back Desmond Niboh on a swing pass.
Niboh’s issue was that Rockhurst cornerback Will Bazzle found him.
The 2-yard gain with 2 minutes, 15 seconds remaining was not nearly enough. Rockhurst followed with the first down it needed, ran out the clock, and claimed the prize.
A trip to the Missouri Class 6 state championship game.
Rockhurst’s thriller of a 25-20 triumph over previously undefeated Francis Howell at Dasta Memorial Stadium sends the Hawklets to St. Louis for a shot at their 10th state title.
Bazzle cannot wait.
“This means everything,” Bazzle said. “We’ve won state here, but nobody on this team has. It’s a big step for us.”
Rockhurst, 12-1 and winner of 11 straight, looked like it had a comfortable 18-zip advantage after T.J. Green threw one of his three touchdown passes to Nick Bosma early in the second quarter.
Looks, however, can be deceiving.
Francis Howell rallied in the second half and pulled within five when Niboh (who had 139 yards in 29 carries) scored on a 15-yard run with 4:27 left in the third quarter. Rockhurst made some nice defensive stands throughout, including when the Vikings reached the Hawklets’ 14 and had fourth-and-3. That’s when Hefner’s pass was deflected for an incompletion by defensive end Charlie Heck.
Francis Howell, whose only trip to the finals ended in a loss two years ago to Blue Springs, got a reprieve. Rockhurst’s fake punt on fourth-and-3 from its own 38 was denied. Punter Tyler Benninghoff was halted after picking up two yards.
“It (fake) was supposed to be an option,” Rockhurst Coach Tony Severino said. “He could run if nobody was there. But somebody was there. Thank goodness our defense bailed us out.”
The setback was tough to swallow for Francis Howell, who had never trailed in a game all season until its comeback 14-10 quarterfinal win over Jefferson City.
“We made a lot of mistakes in the first half that were uncharacteristic of us,” Francis Howell Coach Bryan Koch said. “Later guys were believing in themselves and realized we could win this game. We had our chances. Rockhurst was just very good. They’re very physical.”
For Severino, in his 32nd season, earning a crack at the school’s first state title since 2010 is something to relish.
“These kids just seem to get it done,” he said. “This is the first time for these kids. Some of us coaches have been there. But I’ll tell you what — it never gets old.”
This story was originally published November 14, 2014 at 11:20 PM with the headline "Rockhurst downs Francis Howell in Missouri Class 6 football state semifinal."