There is a saying that Blitz is reminded of each season about this time. He isn’t sure where it’s from or even if it is an actual quote. Maybe it’s just something this bear just overheard deep in the woods.
Once is a chance. Twice is a coincidence. Three times is a pattern.
Through three weeks, a big enough sample size has been gathered to begin to make accurate judgments about teams.
So as Blitz watched Bishop Luers’ post-game celebration following Friday’s epic 45-42 victory over Homestead, he understood why there was a bit more emotion out of the Knights than what you usually see in Week 3.
You see, three times is a pattern.
Three wins, two against Class 6A opponents and the latest over the two-time defending SAC champion. Over the course of 21 days, Bishop Luers has turned Blitz into a doubtful outsider when it came to competing for a league title to an all-in supporter of the Knights willing to jump on board the hype train.
The Victory Bell is a truly realistic possibility.
When Sir Hale gained the edge and scored from seven yards out with 13 seconds remaining on Friday, it not only capped off a comeback brought about after a blown 14-point lead, but it also showed that once again the Knights, with barely half the personnel on the sideline compared to the opposite side of the field, could outplay and outlast a Fort Wayne-area 6A challenger over the course of four quarters.
There was no withering and wilting out of the Knights on Friday. With their backs against the wall down four in the closing minutes, it was Evan Linker snatching a ball out of midair over the middle inside the 10-yard line. It gave Bishop Luers new life, with senior Carson Clark leading his team down the field with the capper the run by Hale.
It was another sensational night for Clark, throwing for 338 yards and three scores while running “as much as I ever had in a game” as he took what the physical Homestead defense gave him.
But what makes this Bishop Luers team endearing is just how many clutch plays against the Spartans were made by so many different guys. Antwian Lake was huge early on. Brody Glenn was clutch after half. Sir Hale was the grinder at running back. Brayden McInturf the oft-forgotten piece. Jayden Hill the physical tight end. Da’von Doughty the clinching interception. Blitz could go on and on.
There are hurdles that remain, and a Class 2A state championship is still the ultimate goal. But the perspective has changed over the last three weeks. Whereas Blitz viewed the regular season as merely a proving ground for the Knights to prep for the postseason, it has now been shown that Bishop Luers is a true player in the SAC race. It has double the amount of victories over 6A foes so far this season than the rest of Class 2A combined, with Andrean’s win over Crown Point the only other win in the state in a 2A v. 6A matchup.
Yes, three weeks is a pattern. Bishop Luers is THAT team, a special 2A squad ready to crash the party at the top of the SAC.
It is what Coach Kyle Lindsay and his players envisioned, and Blitz is late to the party.
These opinions represent those of Blitz and Outside the Huddle. No opinions expressed on Outside the Huddle represent those of any of our advertisers. Follow Blitz on Twitter at Blitz_OTH
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