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One Shot: STAB falls in lone game of season to St. Chris

Photo by Bart Isley

Every football team is playing a condensed season this spring, but nobody is playing one quite as condensed as what St. Anne’s-Belfield just played. 

 

“These past three weeks everybody came out and gave everything they had,” said STAB senior Gabe Decker. “In the fall we were thinking one more game against FUMA and that didn’t work out and then St. Chris was willing to come play.”

 

The Saints started practice essentially on zero notice a couple of weeks ago after setting up a single game with St. Christopher’s and then managed to pass through two rounds of COVID-19 testing in order to get a chance to play one final game with a senior class that has had an interesting ride at STAB. The Saints were then immediately turning in all their equipment right after the game in what has been a whirlwind three weeks.

 

“This group has been through so much,” said STAB coach John Blake. “They started in that hybrid year and then went through the 8-man stuff and we were finally able to play 11-man again. That group has stuck together and carried the program. It’s such a wonderful group of boys.”

 

The final score tilted heavily toward St. Christopher’s in a 39-0 loss to a team that advanced to the VISAA D1 state final a year ago, but STAB was thrilled just to get a chance to suit up and celebrate a group of seniors that has helped hold the program together over the last four years.

 

St. Chris jumped out to a 19-0 lead in the first half with Andre Green, a 6-foot-3 wideout with offers from Clemson, Ohio State and Notre Dame among others scoring twice on throws from Joshua Powell en route to a 134-yard night through the air. STAB stuck Nick Musi with the unenviable task of marking Green, and the effort that entailed meant Musi, who had a pair of pass breakups, gave up the chance to be featured much on offense where he picked up a first down and 11 yards on his lone carry. That was emblematic of just how challenging it was for STAB to pull this off on short notice, with a number of players playing completely out of position so that STAB could field a squad.

 

“To see the way some of them made sacrifices — we had to move some kids around to play that game last night, just so that they could make sure that they as a whole could play the game,” Blake said. “To see them grow and become good teammates and for some of them to offer — I’ve had kids saying I’ll do it, just tell me where — these days that’s not always the norm.”

 

Jackson Harry, a Sewanne lacrosse recruit who has played linebacker and tight end for the Saints during his career, put on an ineligible number and played offensive line at 6-foot-2, 190 pounds. Elijah Johnson switched to offensive tackle. If anyone got hurt on the line, undersized tight end Bobby Anderson was next up, there was a jersey waiting for him on the sideline. 

 

“They’ve been the most unselfish group this year,” Blake said. “A lot of coaches will tell you they get that, but that’s something that seems like it’s being lost these days.”

 

Turnovers plagued the Saints throughout the game as they fumbled the ball five times and lost three of those while also throwing two interceptions. Amani Woods finished the day with 105 yards for the Saints on 21 carries, bouncing back from an early second half injury to return to the game. Decker carried the ball nine times for 51 yards, averaging a clip of 5.7 per carry. Jago Gould also hauled in a 29-yard pass on a slick throw from Nolan Bruton in the second half while Bobby Anderson had a pair of catches for 37 yards.

 

“I’m glad we had the opportunity to do this,” Woods said. “I didn’t know if we were actually going to play.”

 

Decker had a huge 68-yard kick return that included a devastating stiff arm and finished with 12 tackles (nearly matching St. Chris’ leading tackler Harrison Wood stop-for-stop after Wood registered 15 tackles). Max Taylor had a tackle for a loss and David Blanton chipped in five stops.

 

In the end, just getting the game in was a victory for STAB, a school that didn’t end up playing any boys or girls basketball games this winter due to COVID-19 related concerns. 

 

“Honestly in the fall I didn’t think we were going to be able to have this opportunity so I’m thankful, I’m just glad we were able to do this,” said STAB senior Luke Antesberger.

 

St. Christopher’s had two 100-yard rushers as Nikkos Kovanes and Trent Hendrick both crossed the century mark and combined for three touchdowns. Powell went 16-for-26 for 245 yards and three touchdown tosses. Ryan Dugan caught a touchdown and picked off two passes on the night.

 

The game ended for STAB with Decker addressing the team, clearly thankful for the sacrifices that his teammates made to get him and his fellow seniors one more night in the maroon and white uniforms they’ve played in so often over the last four years.

 

“I just told them I was proud of them — the past four years I’ve been very proud of this program,” Decker said. “Coach Blake has been such a great influence on my football career and I just told them I was not expecting this many people to come out (on short notice for a single game season). We’re a smaller school, it was out-of-the-blue notice and I was just really proud of them and the way they played tonight.”

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