INDIANAPOLIS
Roncalli’s defense has built a reputation for its opportunism this season, even more so in the postseason.
During Friday’s Class 4A state championship game, that unit came up with a pair of takeaways, including an early interception that helped set the tone for what wound up being a lopsided 49-7 Roncalli victory.
Shortly after a Michael Gallagher touchdown had put Roncalli in front by seven, senior linebacker Skyler Phillips jumped in front of a pass from Brickies quarterback Riley Johnston and picked it off. Two plays later, Roncalli was in the end zone again and the rout was on.
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"I saw (Johnston) rolling out, and I saw the guy behind me and there was a guy in front of me," Phillips said. "I just tried to split them, and then he threw that ball and I just jumped up and got it."
The interception was the third of the season for Phillips and the 25th for the Roncalli defense as a whole. Sophomore Andrew Baugh made it 26 with a fourth-quarter pick in the end zone, his third of the year. Six different Roncalli players had three or more INTs this season.
Roncalli already had the game well in hand, up 35-0 in the third quarter, when it came up with another takeaway. A muffed punt return by Hobart was scooped up by junior linebacker Joe Curd at the Brickies’ 25, setting up another short field that the Roncalli offense turned into a touchdown.
Those three turnovers pushed Roncalli’s total to 39 for the year. The team wound up plus-27 in turnover margin, coming out on the plus side in each of its 13 victories.
"We’re just athletes, and we make big plays," Phillips said.
Icing on the cake
Just moments after the Class 4A game ended, Roncalli senior defensive back Ryan Henry followed up his team’s state championship win by earning the IHSAA Mental Attitude Award.
"I owe all my credit to my parents," Henry said. "They truly raised me to be who I am today and instilled all the right traits, discipline. I owe all my credit to my coaches and my parents, and my teammates; they’ve made me who I am."
"It’s a sweet victory," he said. "We’ve been through a lot over the past four years; this just makes it all worth it, just to be here with all my friends, making memories that’ll last a lifetime."
The long and the short of it
Roncalli’s first scoring drive, which ended with a 4-yard TD pass from Aidan Leffler to Gallagher, took 18 plays to complete, the most on any of the team’s possessions this season. It also ate up 7 minutes and 11 seconds of clock.
The longest previous Roncalli drive in terms of number of plays run was actually its first of the season, a 15-play touchdown drive in the opening quarter against Franklin Central on Aug. 28.
By contrast, Roncalli’s second scoring drive, set up by the Phillips interception, took two plays and just 29 seconds of time.
Select company
With his first carry of the second half, Roncalli senior running back Baron Huebler reached a couple of milestones, posting his 13th 100-yard rushing game of the season and becoming the third player in school history to pass the 4,000-yard mark for his career.
Huebler finished the game with 155 yards and a touchdown on 36 carries. His 4,055 career yards moved him past Sean Schembra and into second on Roncalli’s all-time rushing list behind only Joe Gillum (4,275).
"It means a lot," said Huebler, who totaled 2,327 yards rushing this year. "Roncalli, it’s all about tradition, and I know there’s some amazing running backs back then and still. It’s just an honor to be up there, for sure."
One for the record books
Junior receiver Kyle Lockard, already Roncalli’s all-time leader in pass receptions, padded that total on Friday afternoon while also earning a share of two other records.
Lockard hauled in three touchdown passes, tying a Class 4A state finals mark. He also matched the Roncalli school record, which he already shared with Glen Huffman, Mark Heisig and Jacob Luedeman.
Climbing the ladder
Friday’s victory gives Roncalli 10 state championships, good for sole possession of fourth in Indiana history.
Roncalli had been tied with Ben Davis, Carmel, Sheridan and Warren Central with nine apiece. The team now trails only Bishop Chatard (14), Cathedral (12) and Fort Wayne Luers (11).
Chatard and Cathedral both play for titles today. Luers lost the 2A final to Western Boone on Friday, 36-35.
