By Jeremy Price
For the Daily Journal
BLOOMINGTON
Host Bloomington North arguably was in position to pick its poison against 4A No. 1 Roncalli on Friday night.
Except that everything the Rebels offered up was toxic.
Whether it was the run, the pass or the defense, the visitors simply imposed their will en route to a 56-13 win on the Cougars’ senior night.
Roncalli scored touchdowns on each of its first five possessions — three on the ground and two through the air, with five different players cashing in — to take control against a North team used to getting into track meets, such as last week’s 69-45 win at New Albany.
But this time the pace the Rebels set was simply too fast and too physical for the Cougars to keep up.
“I was pleased (with the start),” Roncalli coach John Rodenberg said. “This is our first big road trip, so making sure we got off the bus, got dressed and were ready to play, because we have a big trip next week (to Cincinnati Elder).”
Aidan Leffler was 16 of 21 passing for 222 yards and the two scores in the opening half, while the ground game produced 192 yards on 17 carries.
The offense was so potent that the Royals only faced three third downs in the opening 24 minutes and missed a field goal on one of those possessions.
“That’s who we want to be,” Rodenberg said. “We went to be a team that’s dynamic that can get the ball all over the place, run and throw. Last week (against Brebeuf) we grinded it out in the second half, which was fine, but I don’t want to get too much in the habit of that.”
On the flip side, Bloomington North occasionally moved the ball but couldn’t put the ball in the end zone, settling for a pair of Kyle Trilling field goals in the opening half. But trading seven points for three wasn’t a winning proposition.
The Royals effectively put the Cougars out of their misery when Leffler ran in from a yard out to start the second half to push the lead to 42-6 and invoke a running clock for the rest of the game.
“That’s important to me,” Rodenberg said. “I always like to defer, and they took the ball, but I’m a big believer in the first possession of the second half. We did what we needed to do, and we haven’t been doing that.”
It was all academic from there. Bloomington North finally got in the end zone on a 65-yard rush by reserve running back Nolan Coy to end the third quarter, but it was small consolation against potent Roncalli.
Leffler finished 20 of 26 for 284 yards, while Caden Gore ran for 112 yards, Michael Gallagher 79 yards and Ben Brandenburg 63 as the Royals picked up 24 fi
