MU TAKES FRANCISCAN BOWL VICTORY TO HIGHLIGHT MSFA WEEK 8

No. 10 Marian claimed their fifth straight Franciscan Bowl, while Roosevelt’s Tyler Tenner matched an MSFA single-game record in an eventful Week 8 around the Association.

Saint Francis held an early lead over No. 10 Marian, but a 94-yard touchdown drive to end the first half gave the Knights the momentum the rest of the way, resulting in a 37-10 Franciscan Bowl victory.

Cameron Peterson capped the Cougars’ (3-3, 1-2 Mideast) opening drive with a three-yard TD run to put the home team ahead early on. Midway through the first quarter, Marian (3-1, 5-1 Mideast) evened the score with the first of two Jake Reichard TD runs, but a 23-yard field goal from Jack James gave Saint Francis a 10-7 lead to start the second quarter.

After getting pinned on their own six yard line from a 50-yard punt by James, Marian marched down the field, taking nearly seven minutes off the clock and scoring a two-yard TD run from Baron Huebler for their first lead of the day, 17-10.

The Knights would go on to score 23 unanswered points in the second half, pulling away to secure the win.

Zach Bundalo threw for 208 yards, completing 17 of 26 passes for the Knights, while Ben Stevens recorded 109 yards on seven catches. Huebler rushed 27 times for 91 yards with a TD.

Heath Simmons led the Saint Francis attack, going 23-for-38 through the air for 158 yards.

Deon Pettiford anchored the Marian defense, with seven tackles and a sack, along with a fumble recovery. Jalen Lockett’s 32-yard pick-six in the fourth quarter put the game away for the Knights. On the other side of the ball, Dekahri Jones made a game-high nine tackles with a fumble recovery for the Cougars.

A defensive stop late in the game proved to be the difference, as Taylor secured their third home victory of the year with a 24-21 decision over Concordia.

The Trojans (4-3, 2-1 Mideast) jumped out to a 14-0 lead late in the first half, with a TD run from Jacob Cleaver, and a 35-yard TD pass from Elijah McCloskey to Dakohta Sonnichsen. The Cardinals (2-4, 1-2 Mideast) responded quickly however, scoring 14 points in just over four minutes to tie the game before the halftime break. An 89-yard kick return TD from Seeger DeGayner, followed by a quick stop by the Concordia defense set up the game-tying 56-yard TD pass from Jalen Smith to Donovan Johnson with just over two minutes left in the second quarter.

Taylor bounced back, taking the opening drive of the second half 75 yards, capped by the second TD catch for Sonnichsen for a 21-14 advantage. Zane Shilts later added a 29-yard field goal to push the lead to ten, before another TD connection between Smith and Johnson cut the Concordia deficit back down to 24-21.

Concordia had an opportunity to tie or take the lead midway through the fourth quarter, after Colby Kohmescher’s interception put the Cardinal offense in Trojan territory. The Cardinals would reach inside the Taylor 15-yardline, but the drive would end on an incompletion on 4th-and-6. The Trojans would run out the clock the rest of the way to secure the win.

McCloskey finished with 239 passing yards and a pair of TDs, with Sonnichsen and Hutson Hohlbein each registering 97 receiving yards apiece. Brandon Stewart led the Concordia offense, rushing 18 times for 116 yards.

Jacob Hockett made 20 tackles for the Taylor defense, including a sack and forced fumble, and a pass breakup on the pivotal fourth-down play late in the game. Chase Maynard collected 14 stops for Concordia, along with a fumble recovery.

Over 300 yards passing from the No. 5 Wildcats’ offense, combined with five takeaways from the defense resulted in a 35-14 road win over Lawrence Tech.

Xander Stokes gave Indiana Wesleyan (5-1, 3-0 Mideast) a 14-0 lead at the half behind two of his three TD passes, finding Charlie Hill and Jacquez Carter for early scores. Tyler Kulka would add in a pair of TD passes for Lawrence Tech (2-4, 1-2 Mideast) in the third quarter, but Stokes would find Carter in the end zone again, then rush for a TD himself to secure the win midway through the fourth quarter.

Stokes finished with 308 passing yards and three TDs, completing 21 of 34 pass attempts to go with a rushing touchdown. Carter was the top target for the Wildcats, making 13 catches for 181 yards and two TDs.

Kulka completed 20 of 33 passes for the Blue Devils (), recording 306 yards and a pair of scores.

Defensively, Clayton Mosher led the Wildcats with 10 tackles and a forced fumble. Both Mosher and Donovan Shelton had two interceptions in the win. For Lawrence Tech, Tommy Lappin made a game-high 11 tackles, with two sacks on the day.

Scoring 35 first-half points, Siena Heights never trailed as the Saints took a road victory at Madonna, 46-26.

Kaleb Jefferson rushed for 161 yards and three TDs on 22 carries in the win, while quarterback Hayden Lehmann connected on three TD passes on the day. Madonna (0-8, 0-4 Mideast) tied the game midway through the first quarter after Jefferson’s first score, when Carl Ware secured a 28-yard pick-six to even the score at 7-7.

Two TD passes from Lehmann pushed the Saints’ (3-3, 2-1 Mideast) lead to 21-7 by the end of the opening period, but a pair of TDs from Crusader quarterback Josh DePaulis, including an 80-yard completion to D’vonta Garrett, cut the lead to 21-19 midway through the second quarter.

The Saints would find paydirt two more times before the halftime break, with a third TD pass from Lehmann and another Jefferson rushing TD. Madonna went on an 83-yard TD drive in the third quarter, but the Saints defense kept the Crusaders from a comeback run down the stretch, as the team combined for nine sacks in the win.

Garrett collected 120 yards on five catches for Madonna, with two TDs on the day. Jakel Davis led the Madonna defense with 13 tackles, while Kole Murlin finished with nine stops and a sack and a half for Siena Heights.

No. 16 Saint Xavier retained their perfect Midwest League record, as the defense held Missouri Baptist to just three second-half points in a 31-13 victory over the Spartans.

Midway through the second quarter the Cougars (5-2, 3-0 Midwest) posted the first TD of the day, when Stuart Ross found Mario Price to give Saint Xavier a 10-3 lead. Just over a minute later, Joey Markasovic would double his team’s advantage with a 46-yard pick-six for a 17-3 score.

The Spartans (2-5, 0-3 Midwest) would close the gap with a 26-yard TD pass from Cooper Brown to Shane Becker, cutting the deficit to 17-10 at the half. Saint Xavier would add another TD in the third and fourth quarters, while holding Missouri Baptist to an Odaine Reid field goal late in the third.

Brown finished with 270 passing yards, going 29-for-39 with one TD. Blake Kight collected 16 tackles for the Spartans, while Ron Carroll led the Cougar defense with 12 stops as well as one and a half sacks.

Tyler Tenner tied an MSFA record with five rushing touchdowns, as the running attack for No. 18 Roosevelt was too much to handle in a 42-14 road win at Trinity International.

Tyler Tenner led the way for the Lakers (5-1, 2-1 Midwest), collecting five TDs and 220 yards on 25 carries. As a team, Roosevelt posted 317 rushing yards, averaging seven yards per rush. Jarrell Calhoun added a rushing TD as well in the third quarter, and finished with 34 yards on four carries for the Lakers.

Liam Mickle completed 17 of 24 passes to lead the Trojans (0-7, 0-3 Midwest), throwing for 224 yards and two TDs. Cameron Jones caught a game-high six passes for 130 yards and a TD.

Lorente Blakeney led Trinity International with nine tackles on defense.

Judson took an early lead with a pick-six in the first quarter, but St. Francis ran off 45 unanswered points to stay perfect in the Midwest League with a 45-16 road win over the Eagles.

Mitrez Rawls took the Saints’ opening drive 68 yards the other way for the early 8-0 lead with a two-point conversion. St. Francis (4-2, 3-0 Midwest) responded with 24 second-quarter points, including a pair of TD passes and a TD run from Sam Tumilty.

Tumilty added two more scores after the halftime break, finishing with 176 passing yards, 128 rushing yards, and five combined TDs in the win.

Christian Miller threw for 140 yards to lead Judson (1-5, 0-3 Midwest), while Brandon Mackey rushed for 62 yards and the team’s lone offensive TD on 18 carries.

Nick Mabutas led the Saints with five tackles in the win, while Bryce Heerey, Clifton Jimerson, and Chance Cregeen all collected seven tackles for the Eagles.

Kaden King led St. Ambrose with over 200 rushing yards, but the Bees were unable to stop Olivet Nazarene’s deep-threat attack, as the Tigers took a road win, 34-28.

Leading 13-7 early in the second quarter, the Tigers (3-3, 2-1 Midwest) struck for the first of three TD passes 65 yards or longer, as Cameron Crouch found Brian Jenkins for a 69-yard score. Tom Casey finished off a 73-yard drive with a one-yard TD pass to Ben Gilbert to close the gap, as the Bees (2-4, 2-1 Midwest) trailed 20-14 at the half.

Despite a pair of scores for St. Ambrose, Crouch kept the Tigers in front with an 82-yard TD pass to Jenkins midway through the third quarter, and a 74-yard scoring completion to Dantrez Smith late in the fourth.

Crouch finished with four passing TDs and one rushing score, recording 356 yards through the air in the win. Jenkins made a game-high six catches for 170 yards and a pair of scores.

King finished with 205 yards on 34 carries, with one TD to lead the Bees.

Damien Thornton and Josh Miser each finished with 11 tackles for the Olivet defense, while Major Haas anchored St. Ambrose with nine stops and a forced fumble.