The Mustangs were once again matched up against the Hobart Brickies, who were now looking for their eighth straight regional trophy. Hobart was coming into the game with a 9-2 record and as always, was regarded as one of the favorites in the class. Hobart also ran through their sectional in dominant fashion, outscoring their previous three opponents, 99 to 27.

Luckily for Munster, the game was once again to be played at Barney Hill Field.

“We did have home field advantage which we felt great about,” said Dywan. “Nobody wanted to go to the Brickie Bowl. It was the biggest game we have ever played up to that point. We knew it was going to be a battle.”

Nonetheless, this was still the Hobart Brickies we were talking about, the same team that now was seeking their eighth straight regional title. For many of these Munster players, Hobart football has been dominant for as long as they have been alive.

“Hobart, to be blunt, they were ridiculous,” said Novotny. “They played in the Duneland, and they were the only 4A school out of the 10 schools. Everyone else was 5A. They won the dang thing about every year.”

“My dad played for a brief time at Indiana University with Don Howell,” said Dryjanski. “He knew Coach Howell from way back. At that time, football was the thing in Hobart. Even in middle school, I went out to the Brickie Bowl to watch games, and it was just different. It was an event. It felt like a small college and their fans were intense.”

“We knew Hobart was the team to beat,” said Dywan. “Seeing that they were the powerhouse of the 80s, Hobart was always on your mind. We didn’t know if we were going to play Hobart come sectionals, but they were definitely on our minds.”

“In the 80s, Hobart was lingering on everybody’s mind,” said Marsh. “The thing with Hobart is you could never count on them doing something stupid to give you the game. You had to go out and play really solidly. Every play was critical.”

Although practice that week was business as usual, the excitement leading up to the game would not go unnoticed.

“I was sitting in speech class, my first class of the day ,” Novotny recalled. “At around 7:30 in the morning, the Brickie fans were lining up in their chairs. I just couldn’t believe it.”

While the hype surrounding the game built up to unimaginable heights, the confidence of the Mustangs did not waver.

“I remember going into the Hobart game going, ‘this is just another game, we’re going to beat them,’” Melby said. “If I could do my job and everyone else does theirs, we’ll be fine.”

“We knew that it was going to be competitive, but we believed it,” said Dryjanski. “Take your ‘Ted Lasso’ thing, we believed that we could beat them.”

“They were a force,” Porter said. “They were a good team, and I respected them for it. Seeing those fans lineup during class, it kind of motivated us.”

“Hobart was a mountain we were never able to climb,” Novotny said. “If Hobart was in the way, so be it. They were always going to be somebody we would have to beat.”

The two teams wasted little time picking up where they left off.

“Hobart kicked off,” said Dryjanksi. “I took the initial kick off. I saw a little bit of an opening and I cut to my left. I was looking at the left sideline and I got walloped. The game started with the bang, and unfortunately, I was on the receiving end of it.”

The Mustangs would strike first on a goal line plunge from Porter. After a failed two-point conversion, the 6-0 lead would be one that stood up almost the entirety of the first half.

With under a minute left in the second quarter, Brickie signal caller Jeff Ford found Ken Edmond for a 37-yard touchdown pass. In the less than usual kicker friendly conditions at Munster that night, a successful PAT from Hobart kicker John Batistatos sprung the Brickies in front with a 7-6 halftime lead.

After a scoreless third frame, Ford once again found the end zone, this time with his legs, to open up the fourth quarter and extend the Brickies’ lead to eight.

But the Mustangs would come storming back down the field, this time with a lengthy drive that required a breakout in the Munster passing game. On two different third down conversions, Porter connected with Wiley, the junior tight end, to move the sticks twice. On those two plays, Munster combined for around 35 yards passing. The team would finish the night around 50 passing yards in total.

Eldridge, who was sidelined a week ago, would cut into the lead with his first score of the night. Needing two points to tie, Porter would find Adam Tavitas to bring the two sides together at 14. After the Mustangs stifled the Brickies on the very next drive, they seemed to be in the driver’s seat.

That was until they quickly got out of it.

A Mustang fumble in their own territory set Hobart up for a potential game winning drive. With about three minutes to go, the Stangs were on the ropes and the Brickies seemed to be on their way to their eighth consecutive Semi-State birth.

Ford and company would move just inside the Mustang’s red zone, setting up Batistatos for the deciding field goal with under a minute to go.

But as mentioned before, the conditions that night were not kicker friendly. It was cold, it was windy, and it was ugly enough to force Batistatos potential game winner left of the intended target.

In a slugfest between two heavyweight fighters, we had to go to an overtime period to decide whose hand would get raised at the end of the night. For now the second time in three weeks, the Mustangs’ fate would be decided in the extra frame. Thankfully for them, the extra period was implemented in their practice plan.

“Coach Marsh actually had us practice overtime,” Melby said. “I was like ‘we’re ready,’ we actually practice for this. I was pretty confident going in.”

Munster would open up with the ball and struck first with a one-yard plunge from Eldridge. Hobart would soon respond on their do-or-die drive with a second touchdown pass from Ford.

One overtime period was still not enough.

The Stangs would begin the second overtime period with the ball, this time less successful. A sack from the Hobart defense called for a field goal.

Remember that freshman who was once the “insurance kicker?”

If he didn’t strip that title after his game winner against Hammond High two weeks ago, he would certainly strip it tonight. This time, it was no surprise to whoever was attempting the kick. Novtony, who suffered a significant injury in that week of practice, could not suit up for the Regional Championship.

“I did not play the Hobart game,” he said. “I was on the sidelines in a boot. My nervousness for that game never changed whether I was playing or not. I just wanted to win.”

That said, it was Ulinski’s kick, and he came through. The freshman nailed a 27-yard field goal to put the Mustangs back in front, 24-21.

On the ensuing possession, the Hobart offense did a bit of damage, but Munster stalled the Brickies to a fourth and short. It quickly became decision time for Coach Howell.

After a pair of timeouts from the Brickies, Hobart lined up to what many thought would be the game-tying field goal.

Although Batistatos missed that game winning kick in regulation, the belief was that Hobart would take the chip shot field goal and try to win it in a third overtime.

That looked to be the case until Jeff Ford rolled to his right in an attempt to steal the game from the Mustangs. It was a fake all the way. Hobart was going for the win and their eight straight regional crown.

Dryjanksi, who was the cornerback on that side of the field, thought he cost his team some hardware

“I thought I blew it,” he said. “I saw the quarterback get the ball and start rolling in our direction. I am lined up over a receiver. That receiver was pushing up field and trying to show block. I looked through the receiver and I saw the quarterback rolling in my direction and I went for it. I left that receiver uncovered to put pressure on the quarterback. I was able to pressure the throw but that was not my assignment.”

Marsh, like many others, the fake field goal was not in the forefront of his mind.

Thankfully for some, it was. 

“I never saw the fake coming but our guys on defense did,” Marsh said. “Danny Porter saw it.”

Porter was the final line of defense on that play.

“It was something I just baited him into it,” said Porter. “I showed myself as open so that they could run to my side. They did and I was like ‘here we go.’”

The same senior captain who vividly remembered that 41-0 blowout just more than a year ago on that exact field, had to make sure that his senior year ended in better fashion.

Porter would jump in front of the intended receiver, intercepting the pass. The Mustangs accomplished two things on that very play: their first regional championship and their first victory over the Hobart Brickies in program history.

To put it lightly, it was pandemonium on Columbia Avenue.

“I remember after celebrating on the field,” Dywan recalled. “I turned around and there were 10 purple jerseys face down in the grass like they were shot by a sniper. They were just deflated, defeated, didn’t even want to move.”

“It was a party for sure,” said Melby. “I remember being so exhausted that I was just watching everybody celebrate. As far as high school football memories, it had to be number one. You beat Hobart, you made it to a final four, and it was with some of my best friends.”

“It was a great moment,” said Marsh. “I remember I jumped in the air when we intercepted the ball, and I tore my calf muscle. I had to hobble over to shake hands.”

Although Munster would fall to the eventual state champion at DeKalb a week later, this game and team arguably sit alone as the greatest in the program’s history.

Munster has not won a game of that magnitude since, as they are hoping to add a second regional title next to that lone 1986 trophy.

It took four quarters, two overtimes, a devoted offseason, and so much more, all to accomplish one goal – to Beat the Brickies.