It is easy to focus on the elite, right?
Players that fit that category are the most talked about dudes in town. Division I bound. The highlight-reel plays. Conversations about a team always seem to start with them.
So when certain folks this week spoke about this Bishop Luers team lacking those high-level athletes, a rarity, some off Paulding Road took it to heart.
It fueled them. It motivated them.
And we saw some of those “overlooked” guys come up big on Friday.
Bishop Luers captured its 22nd regional championship in program history with a 15-7 victory over Bluffton at Luersfield. It wasn’t pretty. At times, it was downright ugly.
But the Knights found a way.
Ask Damiun Jackson about being overlooked. He was an absolute menace all night on the edge for the Bishop Luers defense, continuously finding his way into the Bluffton backfield. He finished with six tackles, two tackles for loss, two quarterback hurries and a sack, but his impact was felt even more.
Go ask junior Jacob Felger about being overlooked. A baseball-first guy who is often forgotten about on the Luers defense. It was he who clinched the win with an interception of an Axton Beste pass late in the game on fourth down, his first pick of the entire season.
How about Kohen McKenzie? He missed some throws, but he didn’t turn the ball over, which was key in a game that could have turned Bluffton’s way with a big play on defense. He hit Gio Jimenez on a screen for a 20-yard touchdown that pushed the Knights lead to 15-0 before the Tigers got on the board in the fourth quarter.
There were plenty of other individual efforts as well. Wes Javins. Isaac Zay. Mickey Daring. Dee Hogue. Collectively, Bishop Luers was not about to let the opinion of outsiders decide their season.
The defense as a whole was the difference on Friday. Bluffton was able to run the ball at times and held a commanding advantage in time of possession, but the Knights made it difficult in short and medium yardage situations. It also completely took away the passing game, allowing just 67 yards through the air. Over a third of those yards came on one play, a great throw by the freshman Beste to AJ Streveler for a 25-yard touchdown with five minutes left in the game.
The Knights showed on Friday they couldn’t care less what everyone else thinks.
Those that questioned their SAC co-championship? They don’t care, with the Victory Bell ringing loudly on the sideline on Friday.
Those that believe Luers doesn’t have the talent it usually does? The roster pushed back on that narrative against the Tigers.
Can the Knights prove the doubters wrong one more time at home next week against Lafayette Central Catholic?
The Knights are hoping people do just that.
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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