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Saint Mary's Springs recovers from Darlington blitz to pull out D6 championship

11/20/2014, 5:30pm CST
By Travis Wilson

What started out as the makings of a Saint Mary's Springs rout quickly turned in a span of 1:06, but the Ledgers showed their championship mettle by rallying for a 37-28 victory and the Division 6 state title.

Springs scored on an 11-yard pass from Blake Bauer to Mark Austin with 4:55 left in the first half to go up 21-0, but the next time their offense took the field, it was all square at 21. In between, Darlington scored on a 42-yard Myles Leahy run with 2:43 left in the half, Springs fumbled the ensuing kickoff, Darlington scored again, Springs again fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and Darlington scored again with 57 seconds left. 21 Redbirds points in a span of 1:06 of game action.

It wouldn't be the end of the scoring however, as Springs All-State kicker Zach Hintze booted a 49-yard field goal into the wind and the Ledgers led 24-21 at the break.

Hintze was good again from 27 yards late in the 3rd quarter as the teams went back and forth. Darlington took it's first lead of the game midway through the 4th, as Hunter Johnson went in from 14 yards and the extra point put them up 28-27. 

It was time for Hintze again however, as he nailed a 39-yard field goal with 4:19 left in the game to put the Ledgers back on top.

Darlington turned the ball over on downs on its ensuing possession, and Springs made them pay. On 4th and 9 from the 26 yard line, Blake Bauer found Luke Gellings for a touchdown, and the Hintze extra point provided the final margin of victory. 

Sam Spranger and Mark Austin combined for 149 yards on the ground for Springs, while Bauer completed 6 of 9 passes for 136 yards and 2 scores. Darlington racked up 247 yards running the football behind the balanced attack of Leahy, Johnson, Jason Singer, and Cole McDonald.

Tag(s): News Archive  News  Travis Wilson  Football Playoffs