High school football: Saint Joseph defense sparks upset of No. 13 Logansport
LOGANSPORT — Football can be a game of inches.
The two game-deciding plays in the Logansport-South Bend St. Joseph sectional game were just that.
Izak Mock was stopped just short of the goal line in what would have been a go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter. Later in the quarter, on the Berries’ final possession of the game, it looked as if they had a screen pass set up for a big gain, but 6-foot-4 defensive end Julian Kamanda tipped the pass and came down with the game-sealing interception Saint Joseph
The Indians pulled off a 15-14 upset victory over defending sectional champion and No. 13-ranked Logansport in a Class 4A sectional game.
It was an even matchup between Logansport (5-3) and St. Joe (3-7) and the third straight year the teams met in sectional play.
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The Indians started strong as sophomore quarterback Alex Ortiz scored from 15 yards out to cap an 87-yard scoring drive in the first quarter. Tommy Eck threw a 2-point pass to an uncovered Tyrick Kamau to make it an 8-0 game.
The Berries answered when John Scott ran the ball around left end and 55 yards to paydirt. But the 2-point run was stopped and Logan trailed 8-6.
On its next possession, Logansport's Jeremiah Miller’s 6-yard TD run capped a 78-yard drive. Miller’s 2-point run made it 14-8 and the Berries took the lead into halftime.
Saint Joseph took at 15-14 lead with 3:08 left in the third quarter as Jack Tobolski scored from 24 yards out on a run up the middle.
The Berries put together a good drive, which included a an 11-yard run on a fake punt on a fourth-and-3 play near midfield on a run by Mock. Last year the fake punt was a weapon in sectional play for the Berries and it was again this year.
They continued their drive and faced fourth-and-goal from the 3. Mock kept the ball on an option run to the right and dove for the end zone. Mock lost control of the ball but the official said he was down just short of the goal line, giving the ball back to the Indians with 6:15 remaining.
The Indians drove the ball from the 1-foot line out to the 40, but punted on fourth-and-3 setting up the Berries' final possession at their own 30 with 2:17 remaining and no timeouts left.
Grayson Long drew a pass interference penalty on the first play to move the ball to the 45. The Berries had a screen pass set up down the right sideline to Miller, but Mock’s pass was tipped and intercepted by Kamanda, who returned the ball to the 10-yard line before he was tackled by Mock.
With 1:54 left and the Berries out of timeouts, the Indians were able to run out the clock.
“A relief when Julian intercepted that pass,” Saint' Joseph coach Bryon Whitten said. “He made an outstanding play on that screen. ...
“Our defensive coaches had an outstanding game plan. (Logansport is) tough with what they do with their flexbone stuff and they run hard downhill, low to the ground. We did literally just enough to win tonight.”
Tobolski had 99 yards on 15 carries and a score. Ortiz had 67 yards on 18 carries and a TD and was 6 of 13 passing for 79 yards.
SAINT JOSEPH 15, LOGANSPORT 14
Saint Joseph 8 | 0 | 7 | 0 — 15
Logansport 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 — 14
Scoring
SJ — Ortiz 15 run (Kamau pass from Eck)
L — Scott 55 run (run failed)
L — Miller 6 run (Miller run)
SJ — Tobolski 29 run (Deahl kick)
Saint Josph | Logansport
First downs 14 | 15
Rushing (att/yards) 34-177 | 45-273
Passing (comp/att/int) 6-13-0 | 2-4-1
Passing yardage 79 | 15
Fumbles/lost 0 | 0
Punts (No./ave.) 3-38 | 2-27
Penalties (No./yards) 5-39 | 3-15
Individual statistics
RUSHING — St. Joe — Tobolsky 15-99, Ortiz 18-67, McCormick 1-11; Logan — Scott 11-126, Miller 14-57, Ortiz 9-43, Barron 8-28, Mock 3-19.
PASSING — St. Joe — Ortiz 6-13-0-0 for 74 yards; Logan — Mock 2-4-0-1 for 15 yards.
RECEIVING: St. Joe — Fortener 3-27, O’Shaughnessy 1-23, Sparke 1-20, Deahl 1-9; Logan — Russell 1-10, Long 1-5.