Bonny Eagle 34
Lawrence 14
The Bonny Eagle football team won their third Class A state championship in four years with a convincing 34-14 win over defending state champion Lawrence at Fitzpatrick Stadium Saturday. The Scots rolled to a 27-0 halftime lead and never looked back.
The Bulldogs and the Scots both entered the game with identical 11-0 records. Both teams had steamrolled their way through their regular season and playoff schedules. This matchup had all the makings of a classic struggle. But Bonny Eagle made sure the only struggle belonged to the eastern champs.
After forcing a Lawrence punt, the Scots began their first drive at their own 31-yard line. From there, it was all Nate Doehler. The Scots’ junior quarterback gained 22 yards on the ground and passed for another eight to bring his team to the Lawrence 38. On the next play, Doehler faked a handoff to Josh Ruby and took off for the end zone. Thirty-eight yards later, the Scots were up 6-0. Doehler then converted on his first of four extra points to make it a 7-0 game.
“He’s learned the game pretty fast,” said Bonny Eagle head coach Kevin Cooper of Doehler, who began playing football as a freshman. “He’s got instincts and a great feel for all things athletic. And he plays his best in big games.”
The Bulldogs had trouble moving the ball throughout the first half. On their second possession of the game, they moved into Bonny Eagle territory before stalling out again. In two chances, Lawrence got across midfield but was forced to punt both times.
After the punt, Bonny Eagle began near midfield at their own 42. With such a short field, the Scots wasted little time scoring their second touchdown of the afternoon. Doehler again proved why he is one of the top quarterbacks in the state when he found Travis Dunn for a couple of big pass plays-including a completion for 34 yards on third down.
On first and goal, Ruby took the ball and broke one tackle at the line of scrimmage before cutting back inside and reaching the end zone. A bad snap on the extra point held the score at 13-0.
“The first half we were just rolling like we couldn’t be stopped,” Ruby said.
On Lawrence’s next possession, they faced a third-and-long from their own 22. Lawrence quarterback Jack Hersom forced a throw and Doehler picked it off, giving the Scots the ball inside the Lawrence 40. Three plays later it was Doehler again with a 29-yard touchdown run. After adding the extra point, the Scots had a 20-0 lead-and it was still early in the second quarter.
Cooper said building an early lead was the key to the Scots’ success.
“We knew we had to come out early and play well because Lawrence does have a great team,” Cooper said. “They were averaging 21 points in the first quarter this season so we knew we had to come out strong. I give a lot of credit to our guys for coming out so strong and playing so well.”
The Scots scored another touchdown in the first half on a very quick drive. They began deep in their own territory at the 21. After two lackluster running plays, it was third-and-long. On the third down play, Doehler connected with Ricky Hoyt, who sprinted down the sideline 81 yards for the touchdown and a 27-0 lead.
“We had a lot of offensive playmakers; Josh Ruby, John Onesti and Ricky Hoyt and the line really helped us this game,” Doehler said. “We just tried to trick them with a lot of play action and misdirection.”
In the second half, the Bulldogs looked like a different team. The Scots had won the opening coin toss and deferred to the second half where they chose to receive. Leading 27-0 and getting the ball again, Bonny Eagle had a great opportunity to put the game and the title away. But the Lawrence defense came to life and stuffed the Scots on the first series of the third quarter. Matt Perkins intercepted Doehler on third-and-long to give Lawrence a shot at a comeback.
But the Scots had something to say about that.
On the ensuing Lawrence possession, Hoyt intercepted Hersom to give the Scots the ball again.
However, the turnover parade wasn’t over yet.
The Bulldogs’ Nick Lee picked off Doehler and Lawrence took over again, this time with good field position on the Bonny Eagle 15.
It took just five plays after the pick for Devon Costigan to finally put the Bulldogs on the board with a touchdown from a yard out. Jeshua Dearborn’s kick was good and Bonny Eagle’s lead was down to 27-7.
“I give Lawrence a lot of credit, they came out in the second half and they were ready to go,” Ruby said.
Following the Lawrence score, the Scots had a sustained six-minute drive to end the third quarter and looked to score again but Doehler was picked off again. This time it was John Flynn who snagged Doehler’s pass.
“We were trying to find plays that worked and they were putting a lot of guys at the line of scrimmage so we felt we had to pass,” Cooper said. “Unfortunately we didn’t get the right pass plays called and hung Nate out and he had to force some throws in there. It resulted in turnovers which hurt us in the second half.”
Lawrence didn’t have the ball long before Onesti tipped a pass into the hands of Otis Oakes and the Scots took over again. But a Bonny Eagle fumble gave Lawrence another shot. This time they took advantage and scored on a pass from Hersom to Flynn and suddenly it was 27-14.
“They made it a close game and we had to put our hands team out for an onside kick but you have to credit Lawrence for coming out in the second half and playing great football,” said Cooper.
The Scots handled the onside kick and drove down the field to score an insurance touchdown with just over three minutes to play. Ruby rumbled in from nine yard out for his second touchdown of the game.
“That last touchdown was pretty important,” Ruby said. “I think it really sealed the deal. After that, they couldn’t score enough points with the time they had left.”
Try as they might, the Bulldogs could do no more and the Scots took home the gold ball. Ruby, who was there when the Scots won it all in 2004 and 2005, will go out as a champion.
“This is just amazing,” he said. “It’s what we’ve worked for so hard since August. To come to this day and we came out with the championship, which we wanted. I don’t have words to explain this; it’s amazing.”
In just 10 years, Cooper has taken a program that had never tasted any success to the pinnacle and kept it there. Cooper is quick to share the credit for that success.
“I’m very proud of being able to win three state championships in four years because it says a lot for our entire Bonny Eagle football program from our Little Scots in second grade, to the twelfth graders, the parents and boosters that helped build this program. Being able to win championships four years apart shows the strength of this program and I’m really very proud of where we are at Bonny Eagle.”
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