St. Louis U High advanced to the Class 6 District 1 semifinals with a dominant 28-0 win over the No. 3 seed Lindbergh Flyers, the first playoff win for the Jr. Billikens during head coach Mike Jones’ five-year tenure.

The majority of the Flyers’ regular season success was due to their slow paced, run-heavy offense. Their ideal game plan was to manufacture their points through a consistent running attack, passing the ball less than ten times a game and controlling the tempo by milking the clock on every play they ran. 

Yet, the SLUH defense stepped up and limited the Flyer offense to a measly 2.75 yard per carry on 32 carries. This forced Lindbergh to divert from their game plan, as their quarterback was forced to throw 19 times, a season high.

The Jr. Bills received the opening kickoff, and immediately made a statement, driving into Lindbergh territory, but the Flyer defense stepped up and forced a fourth down decision for the Jr. Bills on the 20-yard line. 

SLUH opted to keep the field goal unit on the sideline, and senior quarterback Luke Johnston completed a dime to sophomore Ryan Wingo for a touchdown with 7:45 remaining in the first quarter. 

The Jr. Billiken defense came out and made an immediate statement, as they stymied the Flyer run game and forced punt after punt. 

SLUH got the ball back for their second drive of the game, and didn’t even bother entering the red zone, as Johnston once again silenced the Lindbergh fan base with a 49-yard touchdown pass to senior Chris Brooks to make it 14-0 with 4:07 left in the first quarter.

The defense remained stout and held Lindbergh to six yards from scrimmage in the first quarter, and 44 in the first half. 

Brooks punched the Jr. Bills’ ticket to the end zone on their third drive of the game, taking a direct snap three yards for a touchdown run, widening SLUH’s lead to 21-0 with 9:35 to go in the first half. 

The defense continued to apply pressure to Lindbergh’s quarterback, racking up a season high 13 sacks on the night, continually forcing the Flyers out of their rhythm on the offensive side of the ball.  

SLUH recorded the most sacks in a single game since defensive stats started being kept in 1978, according to SLUH sports statistical expert Frank Pawloski.

Brooks put the final nail in the coffin with a 50-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter. 

Yet, the defensive prowess the Jr. Billikens displayed was best showcased on the final play of the contest. 

At this point of the game, a SLUH win was inevitable, but Lindbergh was driving down the field, playing for pride. As time was expiring, Lindbergh’s running back broke free on a short pass and darted down the sideline, determined to score. 

Senior safety Tommy Etling raced down the field and tripped up the Flyers’ back on the 1-yard line, preserving the shutout, and officially burying Lindbergh six feet under. 

“We prepared well during practice, so when game time came around, we weren’t nervous since we knew what had to be done,” Etling said. “The defense spoke for itself.”

On top of the steady offensive production and the remarkable defensive effort, the special teams unit dazzled as well. 

The punt unit downed two of Wingo’s punts on the Flyers’ 1-yard line, and senior placekicker Thomas Ziegler nailed all four of his extra point attempts despite the cold and rainy conditions. 

SLUH stole the Flyers’ mantra, as they racked up 246 yards on the ground at a clip of 8.48 yards per carry. They presented a balanced attack with 23 yards from Johnston, 28 from Wingo, 69 from senior Andre Tucker, 76 from Brooks, and 50 yards from senior Derrick Baker, which increased his season total to 955 yards. 

Johnston contributed another stellar game through the air, completing 12 of 25 passes for 193 yards and two touchdowns, bringing his season touchdown total to 21. 

The receiving end of Johnston’s passes was headlined by Brooks’ four catches for 95 yards. Senior Craig Ortwerth, junior Zach Ortwerth, Tucker, and Wingo complemented the passing attack with two catches apiece. 

“So many different guys have made plays this year,” Jones said. “When you have playmakers and you put the ball in playmakers’ hands, then you’re gonna have great opportunities.”

Senior Cayden Owens once again headlined the defense, contributing a game-high three sacks which increased his season total to 12.5, a SLUH single season record.

Jones attributed Owens’ success this season to his “great leverage … center of gravity … and his ability to change direction well. … Cayden made plays.”

Junior Louis Kertz led the team in tackles with 13, followed by senior Philip Bone, Etling, and Owens all adding ten of their own. 

Sophomore Jacobi Oliphant recovered his first fumble of the year, and Archie Carruthers picked up his second and third sacks of the season. 

These efforts were instrumental in the defense recording its first shutout of the season, and just the fifth playoff shutout in the history of SLUH football and the first since 2014.

“Everyone played to their best abilities and we tackled the ball extremely well,” Jones added. 

The Jr. Bills will now shift their focus to the No. 2 seed Marquette Mustangs, the 7th ranked large school in the area according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

“Execute, execute, execute,” Etling said. “If we execute there should be no reason for us to lose on Friday.”

The 9-1 Mustangs are coming off a commanding 45-0 win over No. 7 seed Northwest Cedar Hill. 

While the Junior Bills are preparing harder than ever, they’re not worried.

“Every playoff game you have to do the same things: practice well, respect your opponent and make plays,” Jones said. “When we’re able to do our fundamentals well, we have a great chance of winning.”