following possession and momentum seemed ….

following possession and momentum seemed to have shifted slightly as the Hornets drove inside their opponents’ 30-yard line. Another turnover on a fumble ended the drive prematurely, however, and Colby would need yet another stop from their defense.

Once again, the Hornets’ defense had their chances, but it was Aquinas that came away with big plays when they needed them. A 48-yard completion on third-and-five and a scramble from Flottmeyer on fourth-and-goal that saw the Blugold sailing into the end zone were game changing plays that could have very well turned the game’s momentum back to the Hornets. Instead, Aquinas went up by two scores, stretching their lead to 28-14.

Colby wasn’t quite done yet, driving down into the red zone on the following possession thanks in part to big runs of 21 and 12 yards from Healy. Once there though, a penalty and a tackle for loss put the Hornets into a passing situation. On fourth down, Meyer went to Healy down the middle of the field, but the pass was broken up, giving possession to the Blugolds. While they forced an Aquinas punt, two sacks of Meyer on Colby’s final drive effectively ended the game.

“We went nose to nose with a very good, physical and fast Aquinas football team,” head coach Jim Hagen said following the game. “I thought offensively we mixed it up nicely with both the run and pass and we hit them on some big pass plays. A few turnovers in the second half hurt our chances to win the game. Defensively we played well at times but Aquinas offense is really good and they have some play makers.”

Colby gained 296 yards of total offense and Healy accounted for 201 of those yards. He led the team in rushing with 112 yards on 22 carries and had 89 yards receiving, the total from his 92-yard touchdown catch brought back slightly by another reception for -3 yards earlier in the game. Healy also led the team in tackles, ending the game with 10.

Haemer finished the day with 44 yards rushing on 11 carries and had one catch for 33 yards. Tevin Rue, who had to exit the game early due to injury, finished with six carries for 22 yards. Robida’s 20-yard touchdown reception was the major source of offense for Colby.

It was a tale of two halves for Colby’s passing attack. After completing three of four pass attempts for 109 yards and two touchdowns in the first half, Meyer was one-for-six passing in the second half for 33 yards.

Mateo Lopez followed Healy in tackles, racking up nine in a return performance to the defense. Erik Martinez also contributed seven and Isaac Raatz had six.

While the season may have concluded earlier than the Hornets would have liked, there was still a lot that the team managed to achieve over the course of the season. Colby won the Marawood conference title for the third year in a row and ended with a 10-2 record overall including two playoff wins, one of which was against the one-seed in their regional.

“I am so proud of this team and what they have accomplished,” Hagen said. “We had an excellent season. Making it to level three is something to be proud of and even though it hurts to lose, we played well during the playoffs. Thank you to the seniors for the past four years, as they accomplished an awful lot and have meant so much to the football program. They will all be missed.”