Colman-Egan completed their quest for back-to-back state football championships on Thursday afternoon when they defeated Sully Buttes 42-28 for the Class 9B title.
The Hawks received to start the game. They were able to work the ball deep into Sully Buttes territory, but penalties proved to be costly. After a failed fourth down conversion, the Chargers took over on their own 21-yard line.
Sully Buttes moved the ball downfield at ease into Colman-Egan territory on their opening possession, but a bad snap that went over the head of quarterback Devan Kleven resulted in a fumble recovery for the Hawks.
Colman-Egan put up the first points of the game, capping off a 39-yard drive following the Sully Buttes turnover with a one-yard touchdown run by Kade Groos. The two-point conversion was unsuccessful, and with 20 seconds to play in the first quarter Colman-Egan led Sully Buttes 6-0.
End of 1st Quarter: Colman-Egan 6 Sully Buttes 0
Sully Buttes had their drive to start the second quarter stall near midfield. Colman-Egan quarterback Bodee Groos broke free on the first play of the next drive for the Hawks, scoring on a 54-yard read option keeper. The two-point conversion was good, which gave Colman-Egan a 14-0 lead with 7:07 left in the half.
On the next offensive possession for the Chargers, a bad snap resulted in another fumble recovery for the Hawks – deep in Sully Buttes territory.
Bodee Groos would then find tight end Dalton Voelker over the middle for a 20-yard score a few plays later. The two-point conversion was successful again, and at the 5:33 mark of the second quarter, Colman-Egan led Sully Buttes 22-0.
Both teams traded turnovers on fumbles for the next two possessions of the game. The Chargers got on the board late in the half when Kleven found wide out Nick Wittler for a 20-yard touchdown. The attempt for extra points was no good. Colman-Egan still led Sully Buttes 22-6.
Colman-Egan wasted no time answering as Kade Groos returned the Sully Buttes kickoff on the next play for a 77-yard touchdown. Their two-point conversion was also good, giving the Hawks a 30-6 lead as teams went into the locker room.
Halftime: Colman-Egan 30 Sully Buttes 6
With 4:53 to play in the third quarter, Sully Buttes capped off an 83-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown run by Morris Hofer. The two-point conversion was no good, but this cut the deficit to 18-points.
Trying to keep the momentum, Sully Buttes then attempted an onside kick, which they recovered to get their offense back on the field. However, the Chargers weren’t able to capitalize as they turned it over on downs inside Colman-Egan territory.
End of 3rd Quarter: Colman-Egan 30 Sully Buttes 12
Needing a score, Sully Buttes went for 54-yards on 13 plays. Chargers quarterback Kleven found wide out Grant Johnson for an 8-yard touchdown. After the two-point conversion, the deficit was cut to just ten points with 7:54 to play.
Colman-Egan answered right back as Kade Groos got loose for a 53-yard touchdown scamper. However, a failed two-point conversion attempt kept it a two-possession game – as the Hawks led Sully Buttes 36-20 at the 7:42 mark of the final quarter.
It became a one-possession game when Kleven found Wittler for a 3-yard touchdown pass. With the successful two-point conversion, Colman-Egan now led by just eight points, 36-28.
Colman-Egan’s Kade Groos didn’t let it last though, as he broke free again, this time for a 50-yard touchdown run to increase the Hawks lead, 42-28, with 4:26 to play in the game.
Final Score: Colman-Egan 42 Sully Buttes 28
Joe Robbie Award: Colman-Egan senior Kade Groos was the recipient of the Joe Robbie Award for the Class 9B Championship game. He finished the contest with 124-rushing yards on only seven attempts with three rushing touchdowns. Groos also hauled in 40-receiving yards and added a 77-yard kick return touchdown to his resume for the day.
