A Title Game For The Ages

Instead of writing up my usual recap of the Xavier game, for this year's 3A championship I thought I'd do something a little different. And a little less time-consuming. You see, for every Xavier game I take the play sheet I keep during my broadcast and write up quick summary, drive-by-drive, just for myself and for posterity. Ha!

Since I went into a little more detail for this game than usual, I thought it would work to simply copy and paste it here. So here you go - what I call the Gametrax for the 2018 Iowa Class 3A championship game, an epic for the ages.

Western Dubuque one of only two 3A programs to ever defeat Xavier. Xavier defeated WD 35-0 in a storm-interrupted game October 5.

FIRST HALF

Western Dubuque wins the toss and receives. They start at the 24. A drive ensues, the likes of which has never been achieved on Xavier this season. Calvin Harris throws to Drake George for 24; Harris runs for 19 on 3^rd and 9; Harris goes for 8 on 4^th and 8; another pass to George converts on 3^rd and 5; finally, on 4^th and goal at the 4, a reverse ends up with the ball in George’s hands and he sweeps in. A bad snap on the extra point and the try fails. Sixteen (!) plays, 76 yards. 6-0 Western Dubuque, 6:05, 1^st quarter.

Western Dubuque kicks off, and Xavier starts at the 17. On 3^rd and 2 Quinn Schulte finds a crease over the left side and bursts free, finally forced out of bounds after a 36-yard run. Two plays later, Schulte throws deep to a wide-open Derrick Skala inside the 5. He appears to get the ball across the goal line as he comes to the ground, but the officials indicate down at the 1, a 38-yard play. Schulte carries it in from there. The extra point is good. Six plays, 83 yards. 7-6 Xavier, 3:45, 1^st quarter.

Xavier kicks off, touchback. Western Dubuque at the 20. Another drive, but a quicker one – on the third play Harris catches Xavier in a blitz and flips a screen pass to Jake Hosch, who outruns missed tackles and poor angles for 65 yards down to the 13. Two plays later Harris takes it in from the 1. The extra point is good. Five plays, 80 yards. 13-7 Western Dubuque, 1:46, 1^st quarter.

Western Dubuque kicks off, Xavier ball at the 20. The ground game starts pounding, with Braden Stovie carrying END 1^st QUARTER four straight times followed by two Schulte carries. With 4^th and 2 at the 39 and the punt unit in, Coach Duane Schulte calls for the fake. As Mitch Willey pretends the snap goes over his head, the ball goes to an up back, who hands to Carter Hartman coming across from the slot. Hartman gets to the 42 for the 1^st down. Three plays later, Schulte faces a Bobcat blitz and finds Matt Jordebrek down the seam. Jordebrek catches the ball as he eludes one Bobcat, then outruns everyone for a 56-yard TD. The extra point is good (66 extra points on the season for Ben Conrad ties the school record, as well as his 120 career extra points). Ten plays, 80 yards. 14-13 Xavier, 8:36, 2^nd quarter.

Xavier kicks off, touchback. Western Dubuque at the 20. Here we go again: a defensive holding penalty gives the Bobcats one first down; then Harris runs for 11 to get another; another Harris scramble on 3^rd and 5 picks up 20 yards. Harris then fires a perfect pass down the right side to Payton Quagliano, who makes a fingertip catch over Pat McGinn and takes the ball in for a 26-yard score. The extra point is good (just the fourth made extra point against Xavier all year). Eight plays, 80 yards. 20-14 Western Dubuque, 4:33, 2^nd quarter.

Western Dubuque kicks off. Xavier ball at the 31. Schulte connects with Stovie for 13 yards, then runs for 19, then Stovie runs for 18 down to the WD 19. On 3^rd and 6, Schulte throws to Nick Banowetz along the left sideline. He crosses the 10 before he’s pushed back and out of bounds – but the official inexplicably marks it at the 10, a yard short of the 1^st down. Xavier lines up to go for it (and looks like they would have made it), but is whistled for a false start. Conrad kicks the 32-yard field goal (his 13^th field goal of the season, a new Xavier record). Seven plays, 54 yards. 20-17 Western Dubuque, 2:35, 2^nd quarter.

Xavier kicks off, touchback. Western Dubuque at the 20. Xavier holds them to a three and out, using their time outs. Punt.

And Zack Butcher gets a great one, forcing Schulte to let the ball drop and watch it roll for a 55-yard kick all the way to the 17. Stovie runs the ball three times to run out the clock – and on the last carry, apparently turns his ankle. He will not return.

END HALF. 20-17 WESTERN DUBUQUE. It’s the first time Xavier has trailed at the half since the 2016 semifinal against Pella.

SECOND HALF

Western Dubuque kicks off, touchback. Xavier at the 20. No Kyle Moeder (injured in the first-round Pella game), no Josh Volk (hurt on the opening drive against Lewis Central last week), no Braden Stovie. Schulte runs for 15 yards on the first play, then three plays later fakes the option, keeps the ball and connects with Nate Skala for 50 yards, down to the 5. Two consecutive penalties result in 1^st and goal at the 24, and three plays gain only 8 yards. Conrad nails the 33-yard field goal, and we are tied (Conrad now has the exact same career numbers as Ryan Persick – 120 extra points, 23 field goals, 189 kicking points). Eight plays, 64 yards. 20-20, 8:29, 3^rd quarter.

Xavier kicks off, touchback. Western Dubuque at the 20. On the second play, Harris scrambles for 8 yards and a first down, but apparently takes a hit to the head (or bounces his head off the turf, I couldn’t tell). He’s slow to get up, and he will not return. Sam Goodman replaces him, with 4 pass attempts and 4 rushing attempts on the season. The Saints stop two running plays for losses and force a punt.

And it’s another tremendous kick by Butcher, forcing Nate Skala inside the 10 where he’s tackled immediately at the 9. Now, remember the 18-play, 90-yard drive Xavier opened the Lewis Central game with? Wouldn’t that be nice here?  The Saints think so, too. Schulte and Patrick Chambers lead the way, with Chambers twice picking up 1^st downs on pitch sweeps to the left. Chambers runs for 3 on a 3^rd and 2, then Schulte carries END 3^rd QUARTER six consecutive plays, pounding up the middle for 21 total yards and two more 1^st downs. On 2^nd and 10 at the 33, Schulte appears to start up the middle again, then pulls back and throws to an open Chambers sneaking out of the backfield. Chambers makes the catch and takes it in for the score. The extra point is good (putting Conrad in the school record books for career extra points and kicking points). Fifteen plays (!), 91 yards. 27-20 Xavier, 10:12, 4^th quarter.

Xavier kicks off. Western Dubuque starts at the 17. On the first play, Xavier comes after Goodman, and he’s sacked at the 1. George’s carry on the next play barely gets outside the end zone. On 3^rd down Goodman is in trouble again, but gets the pass away for a 9-yard gain. Punt.

Finally a short kick, fair caught by Xavier at the Western Dubuque 42. A Schulte 10-yard run on 3^rd and 5 gets one first down, but on 3^rd and 8 the double-pass trick play fails when McGinn’s throw is just short of an open Nate Skala. Conrad attempts the 45-yard field goal, but is short and to the right.

Western Dubuque takes over at the 20, trailing by 7. Goodman runs for one 1^st down, then connects with George for 21 yards. Two plays later he throws a beautiful pass to Jeff Thiesen for 31 yards, down to the 18. Four times Goodman goes to the air, once off an outstretched hand of George – then on 4^th down, the throw to George in the corner of the end zone falls incomplete, with Jakob Forslund and Bryson Bastian on tight coverage (perhaps Bastian held George early in the pattern, I don’t know).

Xavier takes over on downs at the 18 with just under 2 minutes left. On 2^nd and 9, Schulte runs the option left, keeps the ball, and breaks free into the secondary. His legs are too tired to outrun Will Burds, but Schulte rolls for 74 yards all the way to the 7. Schulte keeps the ball on the next four plays, running down the clock, and finally scoring from the 1. The extra point is good. Six plays, 82 yards. 34-20 Xavier, :30, 4^th quarter.

Xavier kicks off, squib kicking. Western Dubuque starts at the 34. On the second play, Goodman finds George again, who breaks several tackles and evades Saints all the way down to the 17 (a 49-yard play). Goodman throws one incomplete, then with 2 seconds left his pass is intercepted by Schulte at the goal line.

END GAME. 34-20 XAVIER.

 Xavier’s second straight Class 3A championship and 26^th consecutive victory.

The Saints allowed 73 points scored, a new record (previously 88 points, 2006).

The Saints allowed (unofficially) 696 yards rushing; the previous 13-game record was 909 yards (2006).

Quinn Schulte finishes his career with records of 43 rushing TDs, 48 total TDs, and 288 points scored. He also has 5183 total yards (rushing and passing), a new school record. With his receiving yards added in, he has 5765 yards.

Ben Conrad had 68 extra points this season (68 for 68) and 14 field goals, both new school records (the 68 extra points actually ties with Ryan Persick in 2012, but that was over 14 games). He extended his season kicking points record to 110. He also set career records for extra points (122) and kicking points (191), and tied the career record for field goals (23).