Tallahassee FL- No one can say that University Christian (8-5) didn’t deserve to be in the Class 2A state championship game after their hard fought performance against 11-2 Champagnat Catholic Wednesday. After trailing 14-0 early in the first quarter, University Christian scored 15 unanswered points to take a 15-14 lead into halftime.
Champagnat scored on just the second play of the game when Benson Prosper took a short 51 yard pass the distance to go up 7-0. After a forced punt, Champagnat would score again as Tyous Taylor hit Benson Prosper again on a short pass. Prosper did the rest breaking tackles to the end-zone as the Lions took an early 14-0 with 6:44 to play in the first.
University Christian turned up the intensity at the end of the first quarter. Desirrio Riles hit Orel Gray on a short pass that Gray took to mid-field. A steady dose of Gray and senior Joseph Carter got the ball down to 12-yard line.
Carter would score the first points for University Christian in the championship game. Speeding around the left side then powering his way into the end-zone. University Christian trailed 14-7.
UC needed a stop and they got just that from their defense. Junior Jerome Manning and Coast Moyle sacked Taylor and UC would recover the ball setting up the Christians in great field position. However UC would fumble the ball, giving the ball back to Champagnat as the first quarter ended.
UC’s defense would step up again with toe more fumble recoveries. The first, a sack resulting in Jerome Manning recovered the ball. The other a fumble and recovery by Ja’won Grey. The turnover finally led to points as Orel Gray muscled his way into the end-zone to pull closer to Champagnat 14-13.
A penalty on the Lions gave UC the ball at the one yard line and David Penland III rolled the dice and went for it. His gamble paid off as Gray bull-dozed his way into the end-zone as University Christian took its first lead of the game 15-14 into halftime.
Unfortunately for the young Christian’s it would be their only lead of the game, as the second half saw them playing catchup until the final whistle. In the third quarter, #3 Jordan Jones stripped the ball and recovered the fumble for Champagnat. That lead to a Donovan Jones touchdown run as Champagnat went up 20-15.
After stopping UC, Champagnat’s Malik Rutherford and Tyous Taylor would go to work. Rutherford caught Tyous Taylor’s 40-yard pass, which set up a Taylor strike to Benson Prosper for the 14 yard touchdown as the Lions increased their lead to 26-15.
Yet UC would respond in championship fashion. Pennland dialed up the flea flicker as a pitch to Carter was tossed back to Riles. Riles launched a 66-yard touchdown pass to Ja’Won Grey . The 2-point conversion was no good, and UC clawed to within 5-points 26-21.
After a Malik Rutherford touchdown put Champagnat up 34-21, Orel Gray would score in the fourth quarter making the score 34-27. The sophomore finished with 18 carries for 126 yards and 2 touchdowns. He and Joseph Carter (89 yards 1 TD) led the ground game for University Christian racking up 265 yards rushing versus the defending Class 2A champions.
Yey Champagnat showed why they were defending champions. Seniors Malik Rutherford and Tyous Taylor would seal the deal when they hooked up for a fade in the end-zone. Taylor finished 18 of 23 for 246yard and 4 TDs. The touchdown finished off the iron Christian’s as many players played both ways as University Christian fell to Champagnat Catholic 41-27.
Desirrio Riles finished 11 of 17 for 178 yards and 1 touchdown. Also just a sophomore, the performance shocked many in attendance as University Christian were heavy underdogs in the game. But it’s that grit and determination by the youngest team in the FHSAA Class 1A-8A championships, that has UC chasing the 2A championship that fell just out of reach.
Lions- Donovan Jones 18/120 rush yds 1 TD
Lions- Benson Prosper 100yds Rec 3 TDS
