CINCINNATI –
Charles Kellom rushed for 121 yards, but St. Xavier was unable to muster more offense against Lakota West in a 12-2 setback in the Division I, Region 4 semifinal.
"We knew were going to see two really good defenses tonight," said head coach
Steve Specht. "They made plays and we didn't. You can't turn the ball over and expect to win. Goofy things happen in football. A punt hit a blocker who was doing his job in the back and they turned the turnover in to a field goal."
The Bombers' lone points came on a blocked punt that bounced through the Firebirds end zone with 5:39 to play in the game to make it 12-2.
In his final game at quarterback for the Bombers,
Brogan McCaughey was limited to 12-of-25 passing for just 74 yards and three interceptions. The three interceptions are a season-high and the most since McCaughey was picked off four times in the 2020 state semifinal win over Springfield. It was the first time in McCaughey's two seasons as a starter that he failed to throw for at least one touchdown pass.
Lakota West (11-1) kicked a pair of field goals and scored a four-yard touchdown for the lone touchdown of the night with 9:27 to play in the game. For Lakota West, the win is its 11th-straight since losing to St. Xavier in the season opener, 31-14.
"These kids have nothing to hold their heads down, I told them keep their heads up," St. Xavier coach
Steve Specht said. "It was a hell of a run. We had a great year. A fun year in a lot of different ways, we just ran into a really good Lakota West football team. They're going to make some noise here in the next couple of weeks."
An odd bounce on a punt set up Lakota West's first scoring opportunity.
The Firebirds' 32-yard field goal made it 3-0 and marked first time this season the Bombers failed to score first.
Lakota West was winning the field position battle and was able to conver another field goal with 2:08 remaining in the third quarter to make it a 6-0 deficit.
Trailing 12-0, St. Xavier used defense to find its way on to the scoreboard when
Alex Kemper blocked a punt out of the end zone for a safety to make it 12-2. A final drive was thwarted when McCaughey was picked off for a third time in the end zone with less than two minutes to play.
The last time St. Xavier's offense faced such a stifling defense came on Aug. 27, 2016, when it was shutout by St. John Bosco (Calif.), 34-0 at Nippert Stadium.
Josh Anderson led the defense with 11 tackles.
Max Bonner and
Sean Reilly totaled 10 stops apiece.
Eli Kirk added nine tackles.
Max Klare booted a season-high six punts, averaging 32.8 yards per punt.
Kellom finishes his season with 1,443 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns.
Terrell McFarlin totaled a game-high seven catches for 58 yards. Kellom tallied four receptions for 17 yards.
Joey Wassler made one catch.
St. Xavier's season ends at 10-3 a year after winning the 2020 Division I championship.
"I kept reminding our team that games are not won on paper," said Specht. "You can have all of the returning starters in the world, but you have to develop identities on offense and defense. That can be a lot to ask of 16- and 17-year old kids. They had a lot of pressure on them and social media doesn't help. I thought we had a stellar season in a lot of ways. We came up a little short. There's only one meaningful win at the end of the year and that's a state championship. I hope Lakota West gets it."
St. Xavier ended Lakota West's 2020 season with a 10-7 in the regional final. The GCL champions opened 2021 with a 31-14 win over Lakota West.
"We had a fun year in a lot of ways", finished Specht. "We ran into a very good Lakota West team that is going to make some noise in the coming weeks."
