The last two games for SLUH football have been two very different experiences. After dealing a blowout two weeks ago against Vianney and suffering a tough loss against De Smet, the Jr. Bills sit at 4-3 and are preparing for the postseason.

SLUH easily handled the Griffins in their first road game of the season, trouncing them 55-6. The game was a first half fireworks show, highlighted by standout plays and stat lines on both sides of the ball. 

SLUH demolished Vianney in the first half, leading 48-6 at the break, able to rest their starters in the running clock second half. 

Sophomore Ryan Wingo logged a career game, needing only one half to do so. Wingo finished with 3 catches for 101 yards and 3 touchdowns, 1 rushing attempt for 55 yards and a touchdown, and a 60 yard passing touchdown to Senior Chris Brooks on a fake punt. Wingo touched the ball a measly five times on offense, but still managed to contribute towards 55% of the team’s total offensive yards. 

Senior quarterback Luke Johnston added 181 yards and 4 touchdowns, and senior running back Derrick Baker carried the ball 8 times for 66 yards, averaging a healthy 8.25 yards per carry. Brooks led the receiving core with 3 catches for 139 yards. 

The Junior Bills were just as efficient on defense as they were on offense, continually shutting down any sort of traction or momentum Vianney gained. 

SLUH linebacker Louis Kertz tallied the Jr. Billikens’ lone sack of the contest, and junior Zach Ortwerth recovered a fumble. 

The Griffins’ passing attack was largely stymied, in large part due to interceptions from senior safety Tommy Etling, senior cornerback Andre Tucker, senior linebacker Tavion Sullivan, as well as sophomore linebacker Kyle Wright. 

The special teams unit dazzled just as much as the rest of the team. Senior kicker Connor Greninger went a season best 9-9 on recording touchbacks on kickoffs. 

Yet, the following week posed a much tougher challenge for the Junior Bills: a road date with De Smet. 

The first drive was an immediate implication for the Jr. Bills that this game might’ve required just a little bit more effort to escape victorious. The Jr. Bills went three-and-out after trying but failing to establish the running game. 

To add insult to injury, the Spartans blocked Wingo’s punt and started their possession on the SLUH 24. On their first play from scrimmage, De Smet threw a fade ball and scored a touchdown, breaking the tie and making the score 7-0 with 9:33 remaining in the first quarter. 

SLUH was able to manufacture a drive that pushed them into De Smet territory, but they were unable to convert a short fourth down and gave the ball right back to the Spartans. 

The very next play, though, Kertz forced a fumble, setting up the Jr. Bills in prime field position. 

After overcoming some costly penalties, SLUH was able to finally capitalize. Brooks put the Jr. Bills on the board, tying the game with a rushing touchdown out of the wildcat formation with 4:19 remaining in the first quarter. 

SLUH looked like they were really starting to gain some momentum on the next drive as the defense stood up and forced a turnover on downs. 

The offense stalled, though and SLUH had to boot the ball right back to De Smet, who was able to convert this time. 

Spartans’ quarterback Chris Cotton scored his first rushing touchdown of the night on a quarterback counter to the right edge which made the score 14-7 with 8:45 to go in the second quarter. 

SLUH compounded their defensive letdown and fumbled on a pitch attempt to Wingo inside their own 5 yard line. This set up another rushing touchdown for Cotton which widened the score to 21-7 with 7:30 remaining in the first half.

The Jr. Billikens and the Spartans exchanged a couple empty drives apiece, but De Smet was able to cash in with 0:47 remaining in the half with an 8 yard passing touchdown to make the halftime deficit a daunting 21 points for the Jr. Bills. 

De Smet received the opening kickoff of the second half and picked up right where they left off, adding to their total and making it a 34-7 game with 9:33 left in the third quarter after a 15 yard touchdown pass from Cotton. 

This was the lone score of the third quarter, as both defenses began exchanging blows, continually forcing turnovers on downs or punts. 

Entering the fourth quarter, it may have seemed as though the game was over, but the Bills weren’t done fighting. 

Brooks ran in his second touchdown of the game from the wildcat formation with 10:22 remaining in the game to cut the deficit to 34-14.

The Jr. Bills continued to resiliently fight and forced another turnover on downs for the Spartans which set SLUH up in prime position for another score. 

Johnston connected with senior wide receiver Craig Ortwerth for the first touchdown of his varsity career which cut the deficit to two scores for the Bills. 

The defense finally bent for SLUH, though, and De Smet put the final nail in the coffin with Cotton’s third rushing touchdown of the day. 

This made the score 41-21 with 5:18 remaining, and De Smet would go on to win 48-21 in the contest, dropping the Jr. Bills record to 4-3. 

“I think we played an extremely good second half but we didn’t start off well and allowed De Smet to step on our toes a little bit… We didn't finish drives like we knew we could,” Craig Ortwerth reflected.

Johnston was limited to 130 yards on a 15/22 clip, and Baker was held to a still respectable 14 carries for 78 yards. 

Brooks led the receiving corps with 6 receptions for 59 yards, followed by Wingo who tallied 3 for 40 yards and Craig Ortwerth who hauled in 3 passes for 17 yards. 

On the defensive side of the ball, senior Cayden Owens impressed with 2 sacks and 7 tackles, as seniors Sullivan and Pierston Sanders added a sack. Senior Philip Bone recorded a game high 14 tackles, but it wasn’t enough to beat the Spartans. 

St. Louis U. High will travel to Florissant tomorrow for their final game of the regular season, a 2:30 start against the McCluer Comets (7-1). 

“We’re working extra hard to bounce back and even though some would say McCluer isn’t a very talented team, we’re not taking them lightly at all and we’re preparing like it’s the playoffs,” Owens remarked. 

Ortwerth added that, “This week we’re preparing harder than ever. For us seniors we only have two guaranteed games left and can’t waste any practices. “

The Junior Bills currently sit in sixth place of District 1 in Class 6, but, pending the results of this week, could improve their position as high as fifth place. 

CBC (7-1)  has clinched the top spot in the district, followed by Marquette (7-1), Lindbergh (7-1), De Smet (6-2), Kirkwood (5-2), SLUH (4-3), Northwest Cedar (4-4), and Vianney (1-7). 

The District Quarterfinals will kick off a week from today, on October 29.