Connect with us

Football

THE GREATEST GAME EVER PLAYED – told by someone without a clue! Part 3: The Game

We had the buildup, but what about the game? Don’t worry, you are in for a treat – as we break down the 2004 Class 3A Sectional Championship – the final chapter of a historic five-game stretch between Griffith and Andrean!
CLICK HERE FOR PART 1: THE INTRODUCTION
CLICK HERE FOR PART 2: THE BUILDUP

THE GREATEST GAME EVER PLAYED – told by someone without a clue!

By Mike Dywan – Sports Director
Article 3/4: The Game

Andrean opened the evening with a three-and-out, as they tried to establish more of a power running game (with formations very similar to the wishbone) that was to no avail. In Griffith’s response, they matched Andrean’s hand with a three-and-out of their own. 

The Niner offense then put together a lengthy drive that featured the more pass happy attack that many were used to. In a drive that took more than half of the first quarter, I counted 14 straight drop backs for Niners’ QB Tommy Finn.

However, on those drop backs – two were completed touchdown passes that were negated by penalty. Andrean also went through two timeouts on the drive. For the cherry on top, after a set of downs stalled the Niners deep in Griffith territory, there were no points to show for it after a missed field goal kept the game scoreless.

Despite the slow start, a theme of this 2004 Sectional Championship will be causing and later capitalizing on sudden change. That said, the first instance of that theme came on the opening play of Griffith’s second offensive drive.

The wishbone, Griffith’s offensive scheme, is one that succeeds on talented runners that can make plays with the ball or carry out fakes that deceive defenders while a different ball carrier is at work. It is an offense that is extremely difficult to defend when operating effectively. That said, everything goes to waste if the football cannot be protected.

Griffith was not a team to make many offensive lapses. However, they immediately put the ball on the ground which was recovered by Andrean – later setting up the Niners for what would be its first score of the game. Finn made Griffith pay by finding his top target, Jake Kocal, on a touchdown pass from just inside the Panther 20. The first frame, which was a surprise to many, ended at 7-0 in favor of Andrean.

Panther tailback Matt Nelleman would provide a spark on the ensuing drive for Griffith, but they would find themselves with a fourth and nine in Andrean territory. For defenses going against an offense like the wishbone, this is an ideal situation, but a rare pitch and catch between Lehmann and Drew Rogowski moved the sticks – setting up what would be a goal line plunge from Nelleman to tie it back up at seven-a-side.

Andrean’s next offensive drive would be short lived, but once again – here comes some more sudden change.

At this point, Tommy Finn was Andrean’s guy under center. He has been at it for two full seasons now, performing at a level that was nearly unmatched in the area. Finn was also sure-handed and one of Andrean’s best in the open field, so much so that he would return punts.

With a player that valuable, although talented enough to play on defense, you would think lining him up in harm’s way against a smashmouth Griffith team would be asinine, right? Not tonight.

“We have to have a philosophy going into this game that we cannot give up 70 yard runs,” St Germain said. “They were so good at that. We have to have someone back there who can turn a 70 yard touchdown run into only a 25 yard gain. That guy was Tommy Finn.

When you get to the playoffs and you play a team that beat you by five touchdowns, Tommy is playing.”

Finn, who was thought to be on the field defensively only to limit the chunk plays of Griffith – helped out his cause offensively with a forced fumble in the open field on opposing quarterback Rich Lehmann.

“I just saw the hole open… that Red Sea opens and it is like ‘oh no’,” joked Finn. “To be honest with you, I just tried to get lower and protect myself. Next thing you know the ball is out and I’m going crazy. We knew that if you could cause a couple turnovers against Griffith you slow down their momentum – which they thrive off of.”

On the second Griffith turnover, the Niners would once again take advantage of the short field, first with the help of tailback Juaquin Rodriguez and later with Kocal. Finn would connect with another sure handed weapon in Ty Harangody to regain the lead, 14-7.

That would be the difference at half’s end, as in case two turnovers were already uncharacteristic, the Panthers put the ball on the ground for a third time that half – this instance in Andrean’s red zone.

Through 24 minutes, the stars shined, the environment was second to none, the stakes were as high as ever in a heated rivalry, but I was still waiting for the play on the field to tie things all together.

Thankfully, good things come to those who wait.

The second half would begin with a long drive from Griffith halted by the Andrean defense on a turnover on downs. However, another sudden change alert, as Andrean made its first mistake offensively by giving the ball right back on a lost fumble two plays later. Griffith would capitalize soon after on Nelleman’s first score of the night. 14-14.

Now, for those that like points, it is time to have some fun.

Two plays later on the next Andrean drive, Finn became the creator that is ever so important in St. Germain’s offense. On a play action bootleg to his right, Finn rolled out and after some time found a wide open Kocal near the sideline, connecting with him for a 69-yard score. Niners lead 21-14.

According to Coach, it was a play similar to what you see all across the sport in today’s age.

“There’s certain rules once Tommy breaks the pocket,” said St. Germain. “Short routes go deep, deep routes go short. That is football now. The guys that make plays outside of structure, that’s what it’s all about now.”

In a series that has always seemed to be decided by one or two special teams plays, the first of such was on the next kickoff. Griffith’s Drew Rogowski, who initially bobbled the line drive kick, picked the ball up, bounced off of a host of 59ers, made the kicker miss, and responded right back with a kickoff return for a touchdown from over 70 yards out. 21-21.

“I was like, here we go again,” said Finn. “We just can’t get away from these guys. It was exhausting. It never is easy against these guys.”

Each team would punch it in once more, as Andrean’s Juaquin Rodriguez would close out the third quarter with a score after a Finn-led offensive drive, while Griffith’s Matt Nelleman knotted things back up at 28-a-piece at the start of the fourth.

A Sectional Championship, believe it or not, was to be handed out at the end of this.

It was now Andrean’s turn. Finn, as much as he threw, rarely turned the ball over. Coming into this game, the senior had 24 passing touchdowns to only five interceptions. That season’s total in picks would increase after Andrean’s next drive, as Drew Rogowski made an over-the-shoulder interception on a third and long heave. That would be Andrean’s second turnover – another in which Griffith would later score on.

Nelleman would find paydirt for his third touchdown of the half and fourth of the game, giving the Panthers its first lead of the night with about six minutes to play, 35-28. The Niners, who seemingly controlled the majority of this game, now had to put together a potential game tying drive to keep its season and championship aspirations afloat.

On the first set of downs, the Panther defense would quickly force Andrean into a fourth-and-short. Finn dropped back and threw to a crossing Harangody, which fell incomplete but did draw a sticks-moving passing interference call.

Not long after, Finn took a shot downfield – delivering a ball to a diving Kocal for a big gain that would set Andrean up in the red zone. It was an instance of deja vu for Andrean’s QB.

“If you look back at the previous year for the sectional championship at their place, we got a call like something similar,” Finn said. “Immediately after the play, we called 599. Five step drop and the outside guys are running fade routes. Jake Kocal the year previous broke his collarbone on that same field to set us up for that game winning field goal.”

Momentum was back on the Andrean side, until it wasn’t. The next three plays were a sack, a drop, and another sack. A set of downs that started at the 17-yard line was now pushed back to the 33. Oh yeah, it was also fourth down. More specifically, fourth and 26.

It was a death sentence. Yes, Andrean’s offense at least had the quarterback and the perimeter weapons to make things interesting, but then again they may be neutralized by a strong Griffith secondary. Also, at this rate, you are hoping to get a throw off before the defensive line gets in the backfield for the third time in four plays. To make matters worse, there is 2:13 left in the ballgame. This was it.

To the majority, it was a long shot. Others had faith.

While one broadcast crew bailed out on the 4th and 26th, Region Sports stayed live. Ramirez remembers telling his announcers Jaime Perko and Chris Lannin “that if anybody is going to do it, it will be Tommy Finn.”

Before the play that decided it all, Andrean would burn a timeout.

“Back is up against it, right?” Finn laughed. “I told my guys to give me some time. They kept two over Jake. Brett called a sprint out right from the left hash, the illusion that we are going to Hail Mary to our trips side, but we ran a post corner with Jake.”

“They were a man team,” St. Germain said. “Jake’s general rule on the route is he is going to run to the middle of the field. Once we saw they went to cover two, but instead Jake would run a post corner. Keep that safety in the middle of the field and then break to the corner.”

As mentioned, out of the break, Andrean would line up three receivers on the near side, leaving Kocal alone on the far side. A tailback was kept in the backfield for extra protection.

Finn took the snap, rolled out right, threw back across the field, and the rest is history.

“I remember laying on the ground trying to peek through legs and just seeing our sidelines, our fans, a bunch of hands going up.

My head just looks up at the sky and I think, ‘no way dude.’”

On a ball that seemed to hang in the air for an eternity, Kocal had a step on Nelleman, the corner he lined up across from. It then left a near one-on-one matchup between the Andrean receiver and Rogowski, who was one of the few Panthers deep playing prevent safety. On the out breaking route, the ball was thrown more inside, causing Kocal to turn his shoulders back inside as if it was a streak or a go route.

The ball, released by Finn, who was on the ground at this point, found its way through two of Griffith’s top defensive guys, right into the arms of Jake Kocal for a touchdown. 35-34.

The unthinkable has happened. Andrean was now a kick away from tying things back up. Kocal, who just had the play of his life, now had to trot back out and kick the extra point.

But it wouldn’t be a Griffith-Andrean game without just one more big special teams play.

“I pop up right away and try to get my bearings,” said Finn. “I run over to Brett and hold up two. I didn’t know because I was playing defense that previous drive, but he was telling everybody that we are going to go for two. He was yelling at me to put my hand down. I almost blew the cover.”

As gutsy of a call it may seem to go for the jugular after completing a near-Hail Mary, St. Germain knew the perfect play call.

“It had been in the works for a while,” he said. “When they are defending an extra point, this is what they are doing. Lo and behold, what better time to run it? This is it. There is no question. We knew it was going to work.”

What Griffith was “doing” was overmanning one side of the field of its PAT block team – something that was discovered well in advance.

Shortly after the week eight thrashing at the Boneyard, St. Germain did what he prided himself on – film study. In his eyes, as the young gun in a conference with proven greats at the head coaching position, it was one of the only ways to try and get himself to sit at the dinner table.

“My mindset was that I’m going into this conference with Russ Radtke, Kirk Kennedy, Leroy Marsh, you have a lot of big name guys,” said St. Germain “Who am I? So I put myself in a mindset that no one is going to work harder than me. I had this belief that if I kept watching film, I’d find something.”

It paid off. Sure enough, the Panthers had seven guys on one side of the center with only four on the other side, leaving the far side of the field for two of Andrean’s top athletes – Tommy Finn and Jake Kocal, who were holding and kicking on the play.

Finn took the snap, sprinted out to his left, the weak side, in what would be a speed-option type of play, would pitch the ball to Kocal once the end man for Griffith made his decision. Kocal, who still may have still been coming down from his previous touchdown, would dive for the pylon with ease. 36-35.

The Boneyard, a place that was riled up only minutes before, has now gone radio silent.

“The outcomes of those two plays created as big of an emotional swing in a game that I can recall in my 25 years covering Region football,” Ramirez said. “The life was sucked out of 5,000 fans – not once, but twice. Panther fans were in shock.”

Although the Panthers, an offense that was not suited for two minute drives, found a way to move the ball just outside of Andrean’s red zone. But on the game’s final play, in a situation where Griffith had to go for a touchdown, linebacker Bob Puchalski intercepted a Lehmann pass – sending the Niner sideline into a frenzy.

Andrean, once again, snatches victory away from the jaws of defeat – who in this case those jaws once again belonged to the Griffith Panthers. Fast forward three weeks, the Niners would defeat Heritage Hills for the program’s first state championship.

Many would question if the state championship had already been played before then.

“Looking back on it,” Finn recalled. “There was no doubt in my mind that if Griffith wins that game, with their mentality and that offense, they might have rolled even better than us those upcoming weeks.”

It was a storybook ending to a five-game stretch, one that is still talked about to this day…

PART 4: THE RECOLLECTION, 20 YEARS LATER (RELEASES ON 11/8)

Related Topics

More in Football