Burroughs KO's Ste. Genevieve In Class 3 State Quarterfinals

Ste. Genevieve...In boxing vernacular, John Burroughs' football game plan was set to knock out host Ste. Genevieve early in the Class 3 Missouri State quarterfinals. The Bombers did so by routing the Dragons, 49-7, on Saturday. The Bombers led by a 42-0 score at halftime, which meant the mercy rule was in effect for the final 24 minutes.

John Burroughs (12-1), winner of 10 straight games, which includes defeating Ste. Genevieve twice during the winning streak, hosts Osage (12-0) in the state semifinals at 1:30 p.m. on Nov. 19. Osage routed North Calloway, 63-21, on Saturday to advance to the next round. "To come into a place like this and do that really helps," said Gus Frerotte, John Burroughs' first-year coach. "To come into this place and put up 49 points on the board and keep them from scoring until the final minute of the game is quite a feat."

Before Ste. Genevieve's spread offense stepped onto the field, John Burroughs led, 14-0. Before the Dragons (10-3) got their first first down of the game and had any positive yardage in the second quarter, the Bombers increased their lead to 35-0.

John Burroughs' first two possessions of the game was an indication of a KO. On the fifth play of the opening drive at the Bombers 33-yard line, senior wide receiver Nathan Adams ran a wrong passing route, leaving two receivers in the same area on the left side of the field.

Senior quarterback Davey Holmes decided to improvise, rolling from the left to the right side of the field and heaving a pass down the right sideline, where the football dropped into the arms of Adams for a 67-yard touchdown with 10 minutes, 17 seconds left in the first quarter.

As he threw the football, Holmes was smacked to the ground. He didn't see the catch, but he knew the result was positive by the crowd's reaction. "But it felt good," Holmes said."I decided to throw it up and take a shot."

Adams turned goat into hero in a matter of seconds by getting free past the Ste. Genevieve cornerback. "We made something out of nothing," Adams said.

On the ensuing kickoff, junior placekicker Rushil Sheth, who converted all seven extra points, successfully executed an onside kick, where senior Sam Hefler recovered at the Ste. Genevieve 49. Eight plays later, Holmes hit junior wide receiver Foye Oluokun for an eight-yard touchdown with 3:27 remaining in the first quarter. Oluokun made an acrobatic catch with a Dragons defender draped all over him. "That (onside kick) definitely sets the tone for the whole day - for the whole team," Adams said. "It sucked the air out of their crowd and the other team."

Said Holmes: "It was perfect timing (for the onside kick). We executed it perfectly. That's all we did against them today. Honestly, that is what we wanted to happen. We were able to shut them up."

John Burroughs totaled 409 yards of offense (232 passing,  177 rushing). Holmes completed 11 of 16 passes for 232 yards and four touchdowns. In the first half alone, he was nine of 14 for 201 yards and three touchdowns. Holmes, who had 23 yards on five carries, also scored on a one-yard plunge. 

"He made me nervous during the week," Frerotte said. "But today he came out and played well. He's always learning. He keeps getting better and better as we go."

Adams also is a fan of Holmes. Adams also caught a 50-yard touchdown pass, where he broke three tackles on the bubble screen en route to the end zone with 3:27 left in the first quarter, and a 25-yard touchdown catch with 9:02 remaining in the third quarter. Adams finished with six catches for 178 yards and three touchdowns.

"Davey has gotten a lot of confidence and walks with a swagger since he's gotten the starting job (full-time)," Adams said. "You can tell a difference - a complete change."

Junior Ezekiel Elliott, playing just the first half after injuring his left knee late in the second quarter, rushed for 91 yards on 12 attempts and two touchdowns of 38 yards and one yard. Sophomore runningback Jake Wood finished with 62 yards on five attempts.

Defensively, Hefler, a linebacker, had a team-high nine tackles and two assists while cornerback Wood had six tackles. Junior defensive end Xavier Bledsoe had four tackles, all for losses.

Senior linebacker Bear Kaminer, who left the game in the second half with a left shoulder injury, and junior linebacker Christian Bledsoe recorded one interception each. Oluokun also made his presence known with bone crunching hits from his cornerback position. "Guys kept stepping up and making plays," said Frerotte, who battled sickness himself.

Now, John Burroughs faces a test against Osage. Besides Elliott and Kaminer, Frerotte also held out junior center Griff Palan, who was dinged up, in the second half. "We have to get healthy and be ready to play," Frerotte said.

Holmes said his squad is ready for the challenge. "I feel confident in my team - no matter what they bring," Holmes said. Adams agrees. "This sets the tone for the rest of the season," Adams said. "We're a fiery team. We're going to come out with fire."