HUTCHINSON — The weather was a far cry from the wintry, tundra-like conditions Rossville endured to pull out its Class 3A football championship repeat a year ago.
But on Saturday at Gowans Stadium, the Bulldawgs showed they still had ice in their veins.
Down 15 points to Hesston early in the second half and trailing by a touchdown with four-plus minutes to play in the 3A title game, Rossville showed its championship composure once again. The Bulldawgs calmly drove for the game-tying touchdown with 1:22 left, nearly won it on a field goal as time expired and then delivered the knockout punch in overtime, securing the 3A three-peat with a 48-42 victory over the Swathers.
“I’m just extremely pumped right now,” said Rossville senior quarterback Jacob Bradshaw, whose 10-yard run on the Bulldawgs’ first offensive play of overtime was the game-winner. “We didn’t panic at all and we knew we could get it done.”
Rossville capped a 13-1 season with its third straight state title and avenged the program’s 3-0 1992 state championship game loss to Hesston. The Swathers (10-4) saw their late-season surge which saw them upset two straight unbeatens to get to the title game end in heart-breaking fashion after fumbling the ball at the 1 on their overtime possession.
“This is our third year here and we never give up no matter what happens,” Rossville senior linebacker Dawson Hammes said. “Coach always talks about poise and you just can never forget that.”
As much confidence and poise as Rossville has shown late in tight games — particularly in Hutchinson where both previous state titles were come-from-behind wins in the fourth quarter — the Bulldawgs’ mettle was being pushed to the limit by a Hesston team which had little trouble moving the ball against the Bulldawg defense. The Swathers racked up 509 yards of total offense and every time Rossville seemed to grab a bit of momentum, the Swathers snatched it right back.
Whether it was sophomore Parker Roth in the run game (135 yards, 2 TDs) or senior quarterback Zach Esau with the run (112 yards, 2 TDs) or pass (238 yards, 2 TDs), the Swathers had an answer for everything Rossville came up with, making one wonder just what it would take for the Bulldawgs to get title No. 3.
“This one was tougher because we were down early in the football game and throughout and weren’t doing much right,” Rossville coach Derick Hammes said. “We dug ourselves a hole and credit to them, they made plays and have some great players. We had to fight and scratch to get back in this thing and every little thing mattered. We just made the play at the end when we needed to.”
What Rossville needed was a stop from its defense after Dawson Hammes’ 7-yard touchdown run with 1:22 left in the game forced overtime. Rossville actually got the ball back with 15 seconds left and attempted a 43-yard field goal as time expired, but Frederik Andresen’s kick was just wide right.
Hesston got the ball first in overtime and 4-yard runs from Esau and Roth put the Swathers in prime position to do what it had done all game, convert red zone opportunities into touchdowns. But on third down, Esau lost the ball as he was driving toward the end zone and Rossville senior Jordan Johnston fell on the loose ball.
“I just saw the ball come out and I sprinted to it,” Johnston said. “Our defense was struggling, but we stepped it up when we had to.”
Esau was brilliant otherwise in the game, and Hesston coach Clint Rider wasted no time defending his senior quarterback’s effort.
“He’s going to feel really bad, but we wouldn’t be in this game without Zach Esau,” Rider said. “We wouldn’t have been in the position we were today if it wasn’t for Zach Esau. My heart hurts for that kid.”
Given its shot at victory, Rossville wasted no time capitalizing. Bradshaw, who finished with a monster performance in his final game, sprinted around the left side untouched for a touchdown to the northwest corner of the end zone on the Bulldawgs’ first play, sealing the victory. It was the same corner where he clinched last year’s championship win over Wichita Collegiate, pulling down an interception in the final seconds to preserve the Bulldawgs’ 20-19 win. “We had four plays and we knew we’d get it on one of them,” Bradshaw said of the winning touchdown. “I must really like that end zone.”
Bradshaw finished with 423 yards of total offense, rushing for 275 yards and two touchdowns and throwing for 148 yards and three touchdowns — all three to Cole Schumacher, who had 148 yards receiving. Rossville racked up 561 yards of total offense and 33 first downs with Hammes adding a 106 yards and two scores rushing.
Despite all that offense, Rossville spent much of the game playing catch-up as Hesston struck for 20 first-quarter points behind a punishing ground game for a 20-7 lead. After Rossville closed to 20-13 at halftime on a 44-yard touchdown pass from Bradshaw to Schumacher, Hesston smacked the Bulldawgs right after halftime as Esau hit Zach Vogt for a 61-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the second half for a 28-13 lead.
“There was some urgency on our part to start making some plays,” Coach Hammes said. “I have all the faith in the kids and certainly wouldn’t turn my back and panic on them. We knew it was going to be a tough one.”
Rossville methodically climbed back. Bradshaw had a touchdown pass (15 yards to Schumacher) and run (50 yards) in the third quarter and the Bulldawgs finally tied the game 35-35 when Bradshaw hit Schumacher for a 14-yard touchdown with 6:50 left in the fourth quarter and then Trevor Balch for the two-point conversion.
But Hesston came right back and needed just 2:12 to reclaim the lead on Esau’s 2-yard run with 4:38 left. That put the burden back on Rossville’s offense and the Bulldawgs quickly drove from their own 30 and got the score on Hammes’ run with 1:22 left.
With as much trouble as Rossville had had stopping Hesston, Hammes said he considered going for the two-point conversion after the touchdown. Instead, he opted to kick for the tie and take his chances with his team holding Hesston in the final minute-plus and in overtime.
“I did (think about it), honestly,” Hammes said. “But when you think you have the better team, the longer you play, the better chance you have. And I trusted my kids and that the longer this thing went, something would break for us. And it certainly did.”
Rossville (13-1) 7 6 14 15 6 — 48
Hesston (10-4) 14 6 15 7 0 — 42
Hess — Esau 2 run (kick failed)
Ross — Hammes 1 run (Andresen kick)
Hess — Roth 7 run (Vogt pass from Cox)
Hess — Roth 27 run (kick failed)
Ross — Schumacher 44 pass from Bradshaw (kick failed)
Hess — Vogt 61 pass from Esau (Roth pass from Esau)
Ross — Schumacher 15 pass from Bradshaw (pass failed)
Ross — Bradshaw 50 run (Bradshaw run)
Hess — Cox 31 pass from Esau (Whitsitt kick)
Ross — Schumacher 14 pass from Bradshaw (Balch pass from Bradshaw)
Hess — Esau 2 run (Whitsitt kick)
Ross — Hammes 7 run (Andresen kick)
Ross — Bradshaw 10 run
GAME IN FIGURES
Ross Hess
First downs 33 20
Rushes-yards 66-413 41-271
Passing 148 238
Comp-Att-Int 11-16-0 15-26-1
Punts 1-32.0 2-32.5
Fumbles-Lost 0-0 2-1
Penalties-Yards 0-0 4-42
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — Rossville: Bradshaw 40-275, Hammes 16-106, Foster 5-19, Balch 4-10, Dyche 1-3. Hesston: Roth 19-135, Esau 19-112, Vogt 2-25, Hostetler 1-(minus 1).
PASSING — Rossville: Bradshaw 11-16-0, 148. Hesston: Esau 15-26-1, 238.
RECEIVING — Rossville: Schumacher 9-135, Balch 1-9, Dyche 1-4. Hesston: Cox 9-124, Vogt 4-107, Bachman 2-7.
