Jackson wins Class 5 regional game in double overtime

CREVE COEUR -- Drew Bucher and the Jackson football team went from the thrill of what seemed like certain victory to the agony of what looked like defeat, back to victory in a span of about 30 minutes Wednesday night in a 38-30 double-overtime win at Chaminade.

The Indians had a 23-16 lead and looked as if they were ready to score the clinching touchdown in the final minute of the Class 5 regional playoff game, but Bucher fumbled at the 2-yard line. The ball bounced into the end zone and was recovered by the Red Devils.

Chaminade had 42 seconds to drive 80 yards. It used all but 1 second as it scored a touchdown on a 5-yard pass from Christian Suntrup to Peter Harlan on a fourth-down play. Chaminade, which was helped by several Jackson (6-5) penalties on the drive, kicked the extra point and had all of the momentum going into the overtime.

The Red Devils got the ball first and scored on an 8-yard run by Rob Standard.

Everything was going against the Indians at that point, but they showed a lot of heart coming back to score a touchdown on a short run by Bucher. Jackson coach Van Hitt, who had elected to go for two points and came up just short in the season opener against Riverview Gardens, opted for the kick, and Morgan Johnson put it through to send the game to a second overtime.

Bucher scored once again on a short run then converted a 2-point conversion run after a penalty on Chaminade.

The Red Devils advanced to the Indians' 5-yard-line and had third-and-1, but were called for a false-start penalty then a holding penalty. Standard's halfback pass on third down was incomplete, and Cole Rodgers tackled Standard to send the Indians back to St. Louis on Monday for a playoff game at Parkway North.

"When I fumbled at the end, I thought I had lost the game for the team," Bucher said. "Things weren't going our way, but we buckled down and wanted it more than they did at the end. It was an amazing feeling to be able to score the two touchdowns in overtime and the 2-point conversion after the fumble."

Bucher also was part of a defense which held Standard in check. Standard came into the game as one of the hottest runners in the state. He rushed for 2,226 yards and 28 touchdowns. In his last three games, he rushed for 986 yards, and ran for 1,194 in four games in the rugged Metro Catholic Conference. Standard would need the two overtimes to eclipse 100 yards against the Indians. He was limited to six yards on six carries in the second half.

"They talked about being a smash-mouth offense that couldn't be stopped," Jackson senior Blake Peiffer said. "Well, they were stopped tonight and we are the team which will be playing Monday night. A game like this is the spark we needed. We can't wait for Monday night."

Chaminade led 10-6 at halftime, but Jackson took over the game in the third quarter with a pair of touchdowns. Bucher had a 19-yard touchdown run and Adam Zweigart, who had scored Jackson's first-half points on a 48-yard touchdown run, scored on a 60-yard run in the third quarter.

The Red Devils came back and scored midway in the fourth quarter on a 21-yard pass from Suntrup to Harlan.

But Jackson got a big first-down run from quarterback Marcus Harris on a bootleg and basically were running out the clock when Bucher had the fumble that set up the crazy finish.

"That was an emotional game," Hitt said. "I am drained and I know my guys are as well. My hats are off to these young men. We were getting ready to push it in and clinch the win, and there goes the ball into the end zone and they fall on it.

"The game turned around, but our guys just fought and fought and fought. What a tremendous effort they gave in the two overtimes."

Zweigart had a huge game on the ground with over 200 yards, but the defense was the key against a potent running attack.

"He [Standard] said that there was no defense in the state which could stop him," Bucher said. "Blake and I got the defense together before the game and our goal was to hold him to under 100 yards."

Standard, who had 468 yards against Vianney and over 300 on two other occasions, was held to 79 yards on 21 carries during regulation.