INDIANAPOLIS
Four games into the season, Roncalli’s football team was winless and hadn’t come closer than 12 points to the opposition in any of its losses.
In Friday’s regular-season finale against visiting Guerin Catholic, the host Rebels dominated a state-ranked team, forced a running clock throughout the second half and rewrote the school’s record book in the process.
Sophomore wide receiver Kyle Lockard broke one school record and tied another, while fellow sophomore and quarterback Aidan Leffler tied another mark. Roncalli built a 35-0 halftime lead, which precipitated the running clock, and cruised from there to a 42-14 Circle City Conference victory.
The win improved the Rebels’ record to 4-5 overall, 1-2 in conference play. It was Roncalli’s third straight win and fourth in its last five games. The Golden Eagles, who entered play ranked 10th in Class 3A, fell to 5-4 and 0-3.
Lockard’s 208 receiving yards set a single-game school record, and his three touchdown catches tied a Roncalli mark. He had touchdown catches of 63, 57 and 42 yards, respectively. All came in the first quarter, as the Rebels built a 28-0 lead.
Leffler, meanwhile, tied the school record of 123 completions in a season. He was 8 for 12 on Friday with 231 yards and three touchdowns. He likely would have broken the record, but he, along with most of Roncalli’s other starters, sat out the fourth quarter.
The dynamic sophomore duo credited their ongoing development and familiarity with each other for Friday’s effort, along with the team’s late-season surge.
“We’re just best friends and we have good days and bad days, but when we’re connecting, we’re one of a kind,” Lockard said of he and Leffler. “He was varsity last year and I wasn’t, so it took us a little while to get used to each other.”
On all three touchdown passes, Lockard simply outran Guerin Catholic’s defensive backs. All three were also quick strikes. The first score came on Roncalli’s fourth play from scrimmage. The second and third scores each came on the third play of their respective drives.
“We’re like brothers,” Leffler said of he and Lockard. “We’ve been really good friends since sixth or seventh grade, growing up on the southside together. There’s been a really good connection there.”
They weren’t the only two Roncalli players to put up impressive stats. Baron Huebler rushed for 164 yards and two touchdowns on just 16 carries.
The Rebels dominated play on both lines. Roncalli outgained the Golden Eagles 373-78 in the first half and 452-290 overall.
Roncalli’s defense, meanwhile, tallied three sacks (Jack Wardzala, Owen Volk and David Clayton), an interception (Michael Hegwood) and a fumble recovery (John Kesterson).
“It’s just young kids growing up,” Roncalli coach Scott Marsh said of the Rebels’ late-season improvement. “The biggest difference for us has been the development of Aidan Leffler. He’s just grown so much as a quarterback, and that’s allowed Kyle to blossom, and that’s allowed our offensive line to blossom.”
Roncalli hosts winless Frankfort next Friday in the first round of Class 4A sectional play.
