It was the kind of state championship game that will be talked about for decades to come.
Thirty years into the future, the Sterling football players, coaches, fans and community will relive Friday’s state-championship glory – thrilling 35-34 win over Rossville at Gowans Stadium in the Class 1A title game – in detail.
Big moments and heroes were aplenty for Sterling during their 35-34 win, such as:
- Zane Farney’s 279 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
- Jacob Lewis’ acrobatic 24-yard touchdown catch with 52 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, which tied the game 34-34.
- The nerves the moments before Lane Weigel kicked the go-ahead extra point.
- Kevin Ploutz’s blocked extra-point kick, right after Rossville went ahead 34-28 with 6:36 left in the fourth quarter.
It all came together nicely for Sterling’s first football title since 1982.
The football championship comes on the heels of Sterling’s Class 2A boys basketball championship in March.
Sterling controlled most of the first half, leading 21-6 after touchdown runs by Wyatt Newberry and two from Farney.
But Rossville scored on each side of halftime, as Connor Bush caught a 26-yard touchdown pass from Cannon Mitchell with 14 seconds left in the second quarter, cutting the deficit to 21-14, and then Andre Johnson’s 1-yard touchdown run on Rossville’s first third-quarter possession tied it 21-21.
Rossville even took its first lead of the game on the final play of the third quarter on Mitchell’s 2-yard touchdown run. But Sterling answered on Farney’s 18-yard touchdown run 59 seconds into the fourth quarter.
Rossville surged ahead 34-28 with 6:36 left on Mitchell’s 4-yard touchdown run, but Ploutz blocked the extra point, opening the door for Sterling to win it late.
The Black Bears did, as Lewis snagged a great long pass from Logan Isaac. Weigel’s extra-point kick put the Black Bears ahead for good.
Rossville had 420 yards of offense to 371 for Sterling, and had 26 first downs to 18 for Sterling
STERLING 35, ROSSVILLE 34
Sterling 14 7 0 14 – 35
Rossville 6 8 14 6 – 34
First quarter
S–Wyatt Newberry 5 run (Lane Weigel kick), 9:55
S–Zane Farney 6 run (Weigel kick), 4:07
R–Cannon Mitchell 2 run (kick failed), 0:46
Second quarter
S–Farney 66 run (Weigel kick), 2:44
R–Connor Bush 26 pass from Mitchell (Mitchell run), 0:14
Third quarter
R–Andre Johnson 1 run (Austin Dohrman kick), 7:58
R–Mitchell 2 run (Dohrman kick), :00
Fourth quarter
S–Farney 18 run (Weigel kick), 11:01
R–Mitchell 4 run (kick blocked), 6:36
S–Jacob Lewis 24 pass from Logan Isaac (Weigel kick), 0:52
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING – Sterling: Farney 27-279, Newberry 9-41, Darnauer 3-20, Isaac 8-8, Team 1-(minus 1). Rossville: Mitchell 28-149, Lewis 5-28, Bush 12-27, Horgan 1-10, Johnson 3-7, Donovan 4-6.
PASSING – Sterling: Isaac 1-2-0 24. Rossville: Mitchell 14-20-0 193
RECEIVING – Sterling: Lewis 1-24. Rossville: Bush 5-73, Donovan 3-25, Miller 2-41, Horak 1-29, Johnson 1-10, Lewis 1-9, Horgan 1-6.
