Cass shuts down Rensselaer

RENSSELAER — For much of the second half of the season, the Rensselaer Bombers have dominated their opponents with their offensive-line size and a multitalented runing game.

But against undefeated Lewis Cass in the Class 2A regional, it was a different story; the Kings had a king-size line of their own and a multitalented quarterback.

Despite a strong Bombers start, Cass pulled away to a 30-14 win Friday night.

It didn’t look like Cass was going to have an advantage on either side of the football in the first half. The Bombers scored on their first possession, setting up a 1-yard Ben Ahler touchtown on a beautiful Josh Wollack-to-Joey Miramontes pass connection.

Cass came right back with Colton Zack, who would have two touchdown runs, going in from 5 yards out to tie the score. Cass would also get another score with 5 seconds to go in the half, a 30-yard Justin Hicks field goal.

Cass also scored on its first possesion of the second half with quarterback Damon Foreman moving his team downfield and then scoring from 7 yards out.

“Down by nine, it was important to come back, and we responded,” said Rensselaer coach Chris Meeks. “We had a nice drive, but we just couldn’t punch it in,” because of a goal-line stand by Cass.

That probably was the decisive series for the Bombers.

“That goal-line stand was huge,” said Kings coach Scott Mannering.

Said Wollack: “It was a real tough game. On that goal-line drive we thought we had it. We fell a yard short.”

“We were getting some push,” Wollachk said of his offensive line.

“But we couldn’t put a string of 3 to 4 yards together at a time.”

Meeks said his big offensive line was able to do the job most of the season, but, “Cass is the biggest line we went against all year, and on offense, they’ve got a full complement. That quarterback runs that play-option so very well."

The Bombers had a chance to keep themselves in the game, but they were unable to pound it inside the 5 on that goal-line stand, with the drive dying on two attempts, twice at the 1-yard line.

“The bottom line, they’re offense did it to us,” Meeks said. “Their line wore us down the second half. In the first half we did a nice job running the offense, but that field goal at the end of the half gave them momentum, that goal-line stand, and at that point we needed a touchdown.

“In the playoffs, we gave it everything we had.”