Stepinac wins CHSAA state championship
Ryan Nagelhout, For the Journal News 11:13 p.m. EST November 28, 2015
/For the Journal News)

GRAND ISLAND – Tyquell Fields said his ankle felt “horrible” after the game, but he limped off the field a state champion.

The Archbishop Stepinac senior quarterback threw four touchdown passes as the Crusaders secured their first CHSAA championship with a 42-28 win over St. Francis on Saturday at dreary Gene Masters Field.

A high ankle sprain suffered in the CHSFL title game kept Fields in the pocket and limited his ability to plant on throws, but senior T.J. Morrison (nine catches, 200 yards) caught three of Fields’ four TD passes and added a fourth on a halfback pass from Antonio Giannico to lead the Crusaders’ offensive attack.

“I told him ‘I got your back,’ ” Morrison said to his quarterback before the game. “ ‘I know you’re hurt, but just put the ball where I can get it and I’ll make a play for you.’ ”

Fields (14 for 26, four TDs, two interceptions) was named the game’s MVP on offense, but Morrison stole the show in the first half, opening the scoring with a 27-yard touchdown catch down the left sideline with 1:49 left in the first quarter.

Stepinac hopes to finish in return to CHSAA state final

A Daniel Negron (six tackles, one sack) interception of St. Francis (7-5) quarterback Jerry Hickson — one of six Red Raiders turnovers on the day — set up Morrison’s second score. Giannico’s pass went right through Garth Pinnock’s hands to a seated Morrison, who made it 13-0. The Crusaders missed the PAT.

Morrison’s third score was a 59-yard wideout screen, the senior making a cornerback miss and racing down the right sideline to put the Crusaders (12-0) up 20-0 at the half.

“Just an unbelievable job,” Crusaders head coach Mike O’Donnell said. “There were a couple of balls that were up there in the air and T.J. pulled them down for touchdowns.”

Stepinac defenders, including DeVante Reid (on ground), Stepinac’s Devonte Myles brings down St. Francis running Stepinac’s Malcolm Koonce closes in as St. Francis Stepinac’s Antonio Giannico and St. Francis’ Tom Acuri The Crusaders’ Daniel Negron tackles St. Francis running Stepinac’s Robinson De La Cruz brings down St. Francis Stepinac players pose with their championship trophy
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Early in the third, St. Francis fumbled at its own 2 and set up a Fields touchdown pass to Negron. Malik Crawford (20 carries, 100 yards) added the 2-point conversion to make it 28-0, but from there St. Francis mounted a wild comeback.

Big plays from Hickson (21 of 38, 232 yards) set up Brandon Metz’s 1-yard run to get the Red Raiders on the board. Later, consecutive failed St. Francis onside kicks were promptly answered by Stepinac turnovers on the next play from scrimmage.

The first —a Giannico fumble—led to Metz’s second rushing score and made it 28-14. Fields then threw the first of two interceptions to Metz, though the ensuing Red Raiders drive stalled at Stepinac’s 40.

On the next drive, Fields lofted a ball into the end zone to Morrison for his fourth touchdown of the day. The ensuing kickoff, however, was taken 90 yards by Pinnock for a score that made it 35-21 Crusaders.

Metz then jumped a Fields sideline pass on the first play of the fourth quarter, cashing in his second interception of the day for a touchdown to bring St. Francis within seven at 35-28.

“We played the worst half of our season,” said Metz, who took home defensive MVP honors. “We had to go out there and show them what we can do.”

The comeback, however, ended soon after. Crawford ran to pay dirt from 11 yards out and a pair of St. Francis drives ended on downs in Crusaders territory.

After a disappointing loss to Canisius ended the Crusaders’ perfect season last year, Fields said his team was ready for any test in this year’s title game.

“Last year’s team actually came to practice (this week) to motivate us,” Fields said. “They said we didn’t want to leave the field with a sour taste in our mouths in our last game. As seniors, we knew we had to win the game.”