IHSAA regional: 'Special season' ends in heartbreak for Lafayette Jeff football
LAFAYETTE - Instead of explaining the heartbreaking end of what players called a "special season," Lafayette Jeff chose to focus on all the positives that came before a gut-wrenching wave of emotions Friday night.
To be honest, it would be unfair to categorize an emotion with the final 5:11 of a 21-20 loss to Class 6A No. 5 Fort Wayne Carroll at Scheumann Stadium in the regional championship.
It was a game the underdog Bronchos dominated everywhere but on the scoreboard.
"I am very proud of what we've done," Lafayette Jeff senior receiver Brandon Jackson said. "We came a long way. We worked hard every day. Everything we've done this season, I will remember. Everything.
"Hopefully next year, they do more than us. They get the regional."
The first regional championship in Lafayette Jeff history seemed within grasp numerous times Friday night.
When it was 20-7 at halftime in a game where the Bronchos were manhandling the unbeaten Chargers.
When Lafayette Jeff had first-and-goal from the 5 with six minutes remaining.
Again when the Broncho defense forced a turnover and Jaymeson Connell scooped it up and put Lafayette Jeff in a golden situation with 3:06 remaining.
"It felt like we had control of the game from start to finish," Jeff coach Pat Shanley said. "We were right there knocking on the door. I am proud of our kids, proud of our seniors. Our program is heading in the right direction. It doesn't hurt any less, but I hope it fuels the fire for future Bronchos."
Here's how those three situations played out:
A poor punt by Carroll took a bad bounce off a Lafayette Jeff player and was recovered by the Chargers at the Broncho 43-yard line. Two plays later, defensive back Braden Steely, taking shotgun snaps out of a wildcat formation, scored a 34-yard rushing touchdown with 6:10 to go in the third quarter to cut Jeff's lead to six.
After Lafayette Jeff went three-and-out, the Broncho defense responded with a three-and-out of its own but JoJo Houston was flagged for a facemask on a third-down sack, keeping the drive alive, a drive that ended with Jimmy Sullivan's 26-yard touchdown to Jayden Hill on fourth-and-5. It was the second of two Sullivan touchdown passes, the other coming two plays after a blocked punt early in the first quarter.
Carroll led 21-20, taking advantage of Broncho mistakes.
Jackson caught a 12-yard pass on a fourth-and-5 from the 32 in the middle of the fourth quarter, the drive that ultimately saw Jeff get down to third-and-goal from the 2. The Bronchos attempted to run up the middle twice and got stuffed for gains of one and zero yards.
At that point, the Bronchos' best bet looked to be trying to get a safety. Instead, Sullivan connected on a 23-yard pass on the first play of the drive. Three plays later, Connell scooped up the fumble at the 30.
The Bronchos were in the red zone three plays later. A third down pass was intercepted at the 6 by Carroll safety Jorge Valdes.
Shanley defended the decision to go for a touchdown at the 1 on the previous drive, as well as try to connect on a pass rather than attempt a go-ahead field goal in the final minute.
"It is third-and-7. The safety was playing back at 15 yards. The slant window was open," Shanley said. "Their safeties are really good and he broke on the ball and made a hell of a play. I will live and die with the call.
"Our best player is No. 2 (Glenn Patterson). We had to get No. 2 the ball. No. 8 (Siah Powers) ran hard. Our O-line blocked well. They did everything they could to take it away and we still had some success. It was a few untimely mistakes and, truth be told, probably some bad calls. But this group had opportunities to lay down. The amount this group has had to overcome this season and what they've accomplished is something to be very proud of. When the pain resides a little bit, I think that is something we'll be able to put our head on a pillow at night and be proud of it."
Indeed, Patterson and Powers did the heavy lifting.
Patterson finished with 194 rushing yards and a touchdown on 45 carries. Powers scored two touchdowns and added 67 yards on the ground.
It was crushing.
Long after the game ended, Lafayette Jeff players remained on the field, not wanting to come to grips with the fact football season was over.
This was the first regional game the Bronchos have played in 20 years. Nobody on the current team was even alive the last time it happened. And, honestly, this wasn't projected to be the team that ended that long drought.
But it was.
And now they don't want it to be another two decades before the next sectional championship.
"Everybody doubted us. We pushed that aside and did what we could do," senior defensive tackle Jordan Scowden said. "We always try to fight through whatever situation it was. It didn't matter.
"The expectation stays the same for the next group and the group after that and now everyone knows."
Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @samueltking.
FORT WAYNE CARROLL 21, LAFAYETTE JEFF 20
FW 7 0 14 0
LJ 6 14 0 0
First quarter
FWC - Camden Herschberger 11 pass from Jimmy Sullivan (Sebastian Lopez kick)
LJ - Glenn Patterson 2 run (Joel Garrido kick)
Second quarter
LJ - Siah Powers 14 run (kick blocked)
LJ - Powers 3 run (Garrido kick)
Third quarter
FWC - Braden Steely 34 run (Lopez kick)
FWC - Jayden Hill 26 pass from Sullivan (Lopez kick)
Individual statistics
Rushing - Carroll, Nate Starks 15-36, Jimmy Sullivan 9-14, Braden Steely 9-85; Lafayette Jeff, Glenn Patterson 45-194, Siah Powers 22-67, Ethan Smith 1-6.
Passing - Carroll, Sullivan 8-16-0 124, Starks 0-1-0 0; Lafayette Jeff, Smith 12-22-1 91.
Receiving - Carroll, Jayden Hill 4-78, Camden Herschberger 2-34, Hansen Haffner 1-9, Gabe Starks 1-3; Lafayette Jeff, Abram Ritchie 4-14, Asa Koeppen 3-22, Brandon Jackson 3-37, Glenn Patterson 2-14.
Carroll is 12-0; Lafayette Jeff finishes 9-3.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: 'Special season' ends in heartbreak for Lafayette Jeff football
