Fighting Bees Hand No. 4 MidAmerica Nazarene First
Loss of Season in Double OT
By Ryan Holtmann
OLATHE, Kan. – In a
season where the St. Ambrose Fighting Bees seniors thought they would not
be able to continue the streak of four consecutive MSFA Midwest
championships and a trip to the NAIA playoffs, head coach Todd Sturdy did
about the only thing that he could do on Saturday.
Ask the seniors.
“I went to my seniors and asked
them what they wanted to do,” Sturdy said.
What Sturdy was asking his seniors
about was whether to go for two or kick the game tying extra point in the
second overtime of their NAIA first round match-up against the MidAmerica
Nazarene Pioneers.
The Fighting Bees had just scored
on quarterback Jeff Kietzman’s 1-yard touchdown run to bring the Bees to
within a point at 31-30. That
is when Sturdy went to his seniors.
“They wanted to go for the win,
so that is what we did,” Sturdy said.
Kietzman took the snap and found
wide receiver Chris Burhans in the back of the end zone.
Burhans managed to get a hand on it, however the ball fell
incomplete.
As Pioneer players started to storm
the field, many noticed a yellow flag on the ground, close to where
Burhans had just missed the reception.
The Pioneers were flagged for pass
interference and the Fighting Bees got another shot.
With the ball moved a yard and a
half closer to the goal line, Sturdy called running back Joe Schimmel’s
number. Schimmel rushed off
tackle to the right side and scooted in untouched for the game winning
conversion.
Schimmel finished the day with 143 yards on 34
carries, two going for touchdowns. Add
that to the game winning conversion and you have the Offensive Player of
the Game, which was awarded to Schimmel by the working media at
Saturday’s game.
The Fighting Bees jumped out to an
early 17-0 lead in the first quarter with Schimmel’s first score, a
15-yard run, followed by Matt Webster’s 36-yard field goal.
The Bees third score had some
excitement in itself. Kietzman
attempted a pass to Burhans, but two Pioneers tipped the ball up into the
air. The ball sailed down
perfectly into Burhnas hands.
Kietzman finished the day with 222
yards passing on 18-of-35 throwing. He
also added a touchdown run and ten yards rushing on the afternoon.
The Fighting Bees would not score
another point in regulation.
The Pioneers got on the board with
quarterback John Booth’s 7-yard touchdown run, cutting the Bees lead to
17-7.
Booth had a stellar afternoon,
rushing for 205 yards on 31 carries. The Fighting Bees defense did hold
Booth to only 83 yards passing, however.
“He is the best player that we
have played against all season,” Sturdy said of Booth.
Leading the attack on the defensive
side of the ball was defensive back Adam Panther.
Panther had two key interceptions,
one in the end zone and the other stopping the Pioneers drive late in the
second quarter. He finished
with seven tackles. He was
voted the Defensive Player of the Game.
Greg Simpson added a 4-yard
touchdown run and Ford Hall booted a 52-yard field goal to tie things up
with just over 11 minutes to go in the fourth quarter.
The Pioneers had a chance to win
the game as time expired. Hall
was sent out to attempt a 40-yard field goal, but the kick drilled the top
of the right upright and flailed to the ground no good, sending the game
into the extra frames.
The Bees scored first with the
Pioneers answering in the first overtime.
The Pioneers only needed three plays to score in the second
overtime, setting up the final series for the Bees.
The Fighting Bees will now travel
to Ft. Wayne, Ind. for a re-match against the St. Francis (IN) Cougars in
what some are considering the MSFA Championship game. The game is set to kickoff noon (EDT) and 11 a.m. (CDT).
Tickets will be on sale the day of
the game at Bishop John M. D’Arcy Stadium starting at 10 a.m.
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