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Nov. 4, 2016

HANNIBAL, Mo. --- Sooner or later, it will happen.

The Helias program is too good and built on too much success and too much pride with too many good athletes for it not to happen.

Just not this year.

It will have to be later.

For the fourth time in less than 15 months --- this time in the Class 4 District 7 championship game --- the Hannibal Pirates have handled Helias, this time with a 21-14 knockout blow to the Crusaders on Friday night.

All four games have been in The Town That Twain Built --- a nice place to visit, but that should be enough for a while --- and the second time in 12 months that Hannibal has ended the Helias' season.

The teams met to open this season, with the Pirates pulling out a 19-14 win in a game that was as close as the final score --- Hannibal had 266 total yards, Helias had 247.

Think these teams were evenly matched? This season, Hannibal averaged 41 points a game and allowed 23. The numbers for Helias? 41 and 25.

This was more of the same.

A big return by Zach Stiles on the opening kickoff set Helias (7-5) up at the Hannibal 36. Good start, indeed, but it was followed by a three-and-out. The punt, however, was a good one and pinned the Pirates inside their own 5.

But then on third-and-2 from the 12 --- stopping the Pirates on third down would be a problem all night --- Hannibal quarterback Trevor Watson busted loose for an 88-yard touchdown run to make it 7-0.

Second-ranked Hannibal (10-2) had two interceptions in the first half, the second of which led its second touchdown, a 75-yard strike from Watson to Ricky Lawson to make it 14-0 with 9:03 left in the first half.

Watson finished with 141 yards rushing and 137 through the air, accounting for 278 of Hannibal's 419 total yards.

Back came Helias with a series of big plays to keep it close.

Late in the half and facing third-and-6 from its own 39, quarterback Chandler Luebbert --- after a great fake into to the line to Kaleb Davis --- pulled it back and raced around the edge 61 yards for a crucial touchdown with 1:26 left in the half to get the Crusaders within 14-7.

On the ensuing kickoff, another crucial play --- kicker Sam Heckart made a touchdown-saving tackle, clipping Shamar Griffith to the turf as the Helias 40.

Two plays later, Grant Bryan made that touchdown-saving tackle stand up, to be sure, when his interception at the Crusaders' 20 stymied the Hannibal effort to leave it 14-7 at the break.

The Crusaders were within seven at the half, despite being doubled-up in total yards --- 247-123. The three scoring plays were all big ones, obviously, covering a tidy 224 total yards.

The Pirates put together a significant 11-play, 60-yard march that chewed up more than five minutes off the clock midway through the third quarter. Dynamic senior running back Shamar Griffith --- who's rushed for more than 6,000 yards in his astounding career --- capped the effort on a 6-yard run, and it was 21-7 late heading into the fourth.

More big plays were coming.

With the Pirates perched at the Helias 1 and ready to deliver the knockout blow with six minutes left, Watson fumbled into the end zone, which Helias recovered for a touchback to move it out to the 20.

The Crusaders still had a chance.

On the next play, Curtis Campbell entered the game at quarterback and engineered a six-play, 80-yard scoring drive. The march started on a 34-yard pass from Campbell to Stiles, and ended on a 4-yard run by Jacob Storms and suddenly --- perhaps improbably --- Helias was within 21-14 with 4:53 left.

That sounded a lot better than 28-7 with six minutes left.

Jacob Storms then recovered the ensuing free kick for Helias --- and hopes of ending the Hannibal hex were getting hotter. But the drive stalled on downs, and Hannibal got it back at its own 19.

Helias still had a chance, especially when it knocked Hannibal into a third-and-14 hole. But as was the story all night --- as well as the first game in August --- the Crusaders couldn't get the critical stop on third down.

Instead, Eric Jones busted free for a 34-yard gain, and the Pirates followed with another first down to run out the clock.

While Hannibal advances to the quarterfinals for the second straight year, this closes the book on the second season for Helias under head coach Tim Rulo, who's now 11-8 in his two years --- against any team not named Hannibal.

BLAIR OAKS 56, SOUTHERN BOONE 35

WARDSVILLE, Mo. --- For Helias, the road block wears Red and Black.

For Southern Boone, it's Green and White.

Either way, the results are the same ... wait 'til next year.

This week has proven, however, that next year will be the year at some point, even if the wait is 108 years.

Jake Van Ronzelen rushed for 254 yards and three touchdowns and Nolan Hair threw for 257 yards and four scores as the second-ranked Blair Oaks Falcons knocked out the Eagles 56-35 on Friday night to capture the Class 3 District 6 championship at the Falcon Athletic Complex.

The win moves the Falcons to 11-0 and into the quarterfinals at 7 p.m. Friday against either fifth-ranked McCluer South-Berkeley (10-0) or St. Charles West (7-4). Those teams will play Saturday.

After an early fumble by Southern Boone (8-3), which lost 42-13 to Blair Oaks in the regular season, Ben Thomas pulled in a 15-yard pass from Hair to make it 8-0 just 95 seconds into the game.

Colby Phillips returning the ensuing kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown to make it 8-7, and that's where it stayed before fans were dazzled by a wild and crazy second quarter --- to be more precise, a wild and crazy final seven minutes, when a combined 41 points were scored.

Or, basically six points a minute.

* Jake Van Ronzelen, 1-yard run caps a 13-play, 70-yard drive, 6:54, 14-7 Falcons

* Jackson Sartain, 67-yard run, 6:02, 14-14

* Cody Alexander, 1-yard run set up by Van Ronzelen's 61-yard sprint, 5:11, Falcons 22-14

* Brenden Brown, 40-yard pass from Hair, 2:41, 29-14 Falcons

* Alexander 7-yard pass from Hair, who was 14-of-20 for 170 and three scores in the first two quarters, 0:13, 35-14 Falcons

* Sartain, 88-yard kickoff return, :00, 35-21 Falcons.

After that scoring frenzy --- a full game would feature 280 points if played at that pace --- the teams got a much-deserved halftime break to catch their breath.

It only took 47 seconds, however, for the next touchdown, when Van Ronzelen busted free for a 51-yard score to give the Falcons a 43-21 lead.

Van Ronzelen had a great year in his two games against Southern Boone this season, as he rushed for a staggering 485 yards.

Sartain, who finished with 144 yards on the ground, had an answer, as he scored on a 30-yard dash to get the Eagles back within 43-28. But they would get no closer.

The final touchdown of the game and this record-setting season for the Eagles --- they set a new school standard for wins in a season --- came on a screen pass turned 25-yard touchdown from Spencer Taggart to Clay Jeffrey.

The other scores for the Falcons, who led 49-28 after three quarters, came on a 75-yard pass from Hair to Braydan Pritchett and Van Ronzelen's 3-yard run.

This was the second straight district championship for the Falcons, both behind second-year coach Terry Walker --- who's now 24-1 --- and their 13th district title in 16 years.

Blair Oaks senior Brenden Brown catches his breath after catching a 40-yard touchdown from Nolan Hair in the second quarter of Friday night's game with Southern Boone in Wardsville.

Loeffler's Link

Helias still can't solve Hannibal,

Blair Oaks knocks out So. Boone