For the second time in the past three seasons, the #1 ranked Bishop Garrigan football team is headed to the Iowa High School Athletic Association 8-Player state championship, taking advantage of five turnovers to defeat the #5 ranked Audubon Wheelers 60-36.
The first offensive play from scrimmage for the Wheelers would be an omen of later things to come. After Bishop Garrigan punted on their opening drive, following an apparent Tate Foertsch completion that was called back due to an illegal forward pass, a 52 yard punt by Michael Joyce pinned Audubon at their own three yard line. Audubon sophomore quarterback Aiden Kjergaard was stripped of the football on his very first carry by Golden Bear linebacker Ethan Marso, as fellow senior Carter Schwab recovered the ball at the three yard line to set up an eventual Marso touchdown rush to make the score 6-0. Schwab described the key early play.
Foertsch called the play a huge momentum swing.
Audubon quickly regrouped after their opening play fumble, marching down the field in 10 plays that covered 60 yards, as Kjergaard scored on a five yard rush, with the two point conversion making the score 8-6 Wheelers, just the second time all season Bishop Garrigan had trailed.
Not to be outdone, the Golden Bears responded with a 12 play, 65 yard drive, ending in Marso’s second rushing touchdown of the game, putting Bishop Garrigan back on top 14-8.
On Audubon’s next drive, Bishop Garrigan had a chance to get off the field, but jumped offsides on a 4th and 1 to extend the drive. On the very next play, Kjergaard took the ball off the right end, running 44 yards to the house to tie the game at 14.
After Bishop Garrigan failed on a 4th down on their ensuing possession, with Foertsch overshooting an open Weston Rosenmeyer for what would be his only incomplete pass of the game, Audubon appeared poised to take the lead. After moving into the Bishop Garrigan redzone at the 19 yard line, the Wheelers attempted a screen pass to the left on 4th down and 6. Golden Bear linebacker Madden Miller read the play, intercepting the ball and returning it 36 yards to the Audubon 25, as seven plays later, Foertsch ran for a 9 yard touchdown on 4th and six, with the two point conversion bringing Bishop Garrigan to a 22-14 lead with 40 seconds left in the half.
Bishop Garrigan Head Coach Marty Wadle praised Miller’s ability to play multiple roles on defense.
After the Golden Bear touchdown, disaster ensued for Audubon, as an errant snap sailed over Kjergaard’s head, where it was recovered by Bishop Garrigan’s Matt Besch inside the 10 yard line, setting up a Foertsch six yard touchdown strike to Madden Miller on the very next play, putting the Golden Bears ahead 30-14.
The Wheelers had time for one hail mary pass before halftime, but Foertsch picked it off, his 10th interception of the season, setting a new single season Bishop Garrigan record for interceptions.
Foertsch finished his day on defense with 5.5 tackles to go along with the pick, and credited the defensive line play up front for opening up opportunities.
Audubon received the football to begin the second half, but it would be the same story as the first 24 minutes. On the fifth play of the drive, Rosenmeyer chased Kjergaard down to rip the ball away and force the fifth turnover of the game, the fourth straight Wheeler drive ending in a giveaway. On the very next play, Bishop Garrigan dialed up a deep shot, as Foertsch linked up with Joyce for a 38 yard score to bring the tally to 38-14.
Audubon Head Coach Sean Birks says the Wheelers made too many mistakes against a good football team.
Following the Joyce touchdown for Bishop Garrigan, Audubon received a brief jolt from their special teams, as Jorgen Nowatzke was untouched for 72 yards on the kickoff return, with the score now 38-20 after the failed two point try.
Bishop Garrigan made no secret of their intentions after getting the ball back, running ten straight times, with Foertsch scoring his second rushing touchdown of the game with 3:35 left in the third to restore a 24 point led for the Golden Bears.
Wadle says the Golden Bear offensive line blocked hard against a physical Wheeler front.
After an Audubon rushing touchdown by Carson Wessel to start the fourth quarter and make the score 44-28, Bishop Garrigan hammered the final nails into the coffin. A 9 play drive covering 65 yards ended in a Foertsch quarterback sneak into the end zone to make it 52-28. On the kickoff that followed, Bishop Garrigan kicker Gage Meyer deflected the kick off one of the Audubon upbacks, and Titan Troyer recovered the loose ball at the Audubon 33. On the very next play, Foertsch took another deep shot, this time putting the ball right on a wide open Rosenmeyer for a 33 yard touchdown and a 60-28 lead with 6:34 left in the game.
Foertsch knew Bishop Garrigan had a chance to remove all doubt after the recovered kickoff.
The final stats of the game saw Bishop Garrigan gain 297 yards to Audubon’s 246, with the Golden Bears gaining 21 first downs to Audubon’s 18. Bishop Garrigan possessed the football for 26:02 to Audubon’s 21:58, while both teams committed five penalties. Birks felt Audubon moved the ball well on offense, but too many drives ended in giveaways.
Marso recorded the most carries of his career, toting the rock 29 times for 112 yards and 2 scores, his eighth 100 yard rushing game of the season. Schwab says it was another trademark game of physical Golden Bear football.
Foertsch finished his night 4/5 through the air for 80 yards and 3 touchdowns, while carrying the ball 15 times for 73 yards and 3 more scores, becoming the first quarterback in program history to both rush and pass for 1000 yards in the same season.
Aiden Kjergaard completed 5 of 9 passes for 42 yards with no touchdowns and one pick. Kjergaard led the way for the Wheelers run game with 27 carries for 151 yards and 3 touchdowns, while Mason Kasperbauer recorded 9 carries for 59 yards.
Although 36 points was the most allowed so far this season by Bishop Garrigan, the Golden Bears held the team with the number ranked scoring offense in the state well below their season average of 67 points. Wadle felt the defense played a disciplined game, using a patient approach to limit big plays.
Wadle credits defensive coordinator Brian Patterson for crafting a winning game plan.
Marso led Bishop Garrigan with nine total tackles, CJ McGregor tallied 6.5, while Foertsch and Miller had 5.5 apiece. Schwab was able to absorb blocks from the Wheeler line while the linebackers and defensive backs rallied to the football.
Birks called the matchup between the opposing lines “strength on strength.”
Austin Christensen led Audubon with 11 stops on defense.
Audubon ends their season at 11-1, as Birks says after current players watched Audubon make UNI-Dome trips in 2021 and 2019, this group set the stage for the future the same way.
Birks feels a great sense of excitement around the program.
Bishop Garrigan moves to 12-0 and will take on the #2 ranked, 11-0 Woodbine Tigers on Thursday, November 20th in the state championship game at 9:30 A.M., as Woodbine knocked off #3 Gladbrook-Reinbeck 38-30 in the other 8-player semifinal matchup on Wednesday. Coverage of the November 20th state title game can be heard live on KLGA 92.7 FM and KLGZ 98.5 FM/AM 1600.
