Analysis: Richmond-Burton vs. Rochester

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Key play: Richmond-Burton was trailing, 14-0, and Rochester looked headed for a third touchdown when R-B forced a fumble and defensive tackle Jake Pauly recovered it at the R-B 5-yard line with 4:03 remaining. The play stopped the bleeding for R-B, and its offense mounted a sustained drive from there, keeping the ball through the end of the quarter.

Key drive: Rochester scored on its first drive of the game, a seven-play, 80-yard drive that took only 1:13. Rochester QB Wes Lunt was 7 for 7 passing for 79 yards on the drive.

Key stat: Lunt completed 13 of his first 15 passes for 206 yards in the first quarter.

Analysis: Rochester set the tone on the game’s first drive, slashing through the R-B defense on a touchdown drive that looked too easy. Lunt was able to pick on the secondary, throwing fast when the cornerbacks gave too much cushion and then stretching the field. Richmond-Burton needed to sustain long drives, but its offense went three-and-out on its two possessions. They came to life on their third possession, which had to end in points for R-B.

Second quarter – Rochester 21, Richmond-Burton 10

Key play: R-B’s Jack Dechow powered into the end zone for R-B to cap a 17-play, 95-yard scoring drive that took 7:44 and cut the deficit in half with 8:19 remaining in the second quarter.

Key drive: After R-B’s score, Rochester answered immediately with an eight-play, 76-yard touchdown drive that took only 2:17, ending with a 22-yard TD pass from Lunt to Wes Grant over two R-B defenders. With 6:02 remaining in the half, the Rochester lead was back to 14 and the momentum R-B built had dissipated.

Key stat: Richmond-Burton held the ball for 17:50, compared with only 6:10 for Rochester. But Rochester’s quick-strike capability still gave them a comfortable lead at halftime.

Analysis: R-B got onto the scoreboard after the kind of long, sustained drive it needed, but the defense wasn’t able to come up with another stop against the Rochester offense. R-B was able to answer the Rochester score with another sustained drive, taking another 5:53 off the clock. But it ended with a Michael Marzahl field goal that felt like a moral victory for the Rochester defense. R-B was still in the game, though and would get the ball back to start the second half.

Third quarter – Rochester 42, Richmond-Burton 31

Key play: Dechow’s 68-yard touchdown run kept R-B’s hopes alive with 4:40 remaining in the third quarter. It made it an 11-point game at 35-24, and showed R-B would fight on.

Key drive: R-B counterpunched after another quick Rochester scoring drive, with a nine-play, 80-yard drive that ended in a 10-yard Dechow touchdown run. It again made it an 11-point game with 11 seconds to go in the quarter.

Key stat: Rochester’s Zach Grant set a state final record with 11 receptions, and set a new final mark with 213 receiving yards.

Analysis: The two offenses traded punches in the quarter, with the big difference being that Rochester recovered an onside kick. R-B didn’t attempt an onside kick, even though it was becoming painfully clear their defense could not stop the Rochester spread offense, which began to take on exotic formations with as many as seven possible receivers. But R-B didn’t give up, and thanks to some long runs by its offense, R-B still had a shot to win at the end of the third. 

Fourth quarter – Rochester 42, Richmond-Burton 39

Key play: With R-B facing fourth and nine from the Rochester 38 with 21 seconds to play, R-B’s Brett O’Kane was stopped four yards short on a sweep play, and R-B turned it over on downs, ending the ballgame.

Key drive: Rochester’s second-to-last possession of the ballgame was a 13-play, 75 yard drive that ended in an O’Kane interception in the end zone. Although it didn’t result in points, it did burn 4:34 off the clock and put R-B in a tight spot when they took the ball back.

Key stat: Both teams set Class 4A offensive records – R-B’s 514 total rushing yards were a new Class 4A state record.

Analysis: This was an unbelievable game that R-B had a shot to win right down to the gun. In a strength vs. strength battle, the R-B running game just couldn’t quite keep pace with the Rochester spread. The R-B defense didn’t allow any points in the fourth, but they needed to pull out a stop sooner, when they had Rochester in third and long deep in their own territory. Instead, Lunt found Grant for the 13th time on a 31-yard completion, and Rochester continued burning away the clock.