By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
Rossville defensive back Cale Horak cradled the ball just inches above the muddy turf. Then he rolled on his side, his uniform more brown than white, and held the ball aloft to show his teammates and the Rossville contingent that traveled to Jackson Heights that the Bulldawgs were heading to the state championship.
Rossville celebrates Friday's 21-18 Class 1A semifinal victory at Jackson Heights. [Photo by Todd Fertig/TSN]
Rossville shut down Jackson Heights in the second half and clawed back to win 21-18 Friday to punch the school’s ticket to the Class 1A state championship game next Friday at Hutchinson Community College, where they will face undefeated Sterling.
Rossville will make its first trip back to the state championship since winning back-to-back Class 2A titles in Salina in 2020 and 2021 under coach Derick Hammes. Prior to that, Hammes guided the Bulldawgs to three straight 3A championships, 2014-2016, in Hutchinson.
“It never gets old, I say,” Hammes said. “It’ll be back in Hutch and we’ve got good memories there, and our folks will travel well. And the bottom line is this group of kids, they have done a great job of the buy in and trusting the process. They just deserved a chance.”
The center of the rain-soaked field at Jackson Heights was a brown paste, and the treacherous portion of the field expanded as the night wore on. The muck caked the competitors jerseys and pants and made holding onto the ball and finding footing difficult. Jackson Heights was limited almost exclusively to quarterback runs, and senior Drake Mellies put forth a valiant effort. He rushed for 168 yards on 29 carries, even though Rossville knew he was coming.
“They weren’t great,” Hammes said of the field conditions. “I’m sure we probably both would have liked a better playing surface. But you’ve got to play the hand you’re dealt and both of us did.”
Rossville senior quarterback Canann Mitchell ran for a TD and threw for two scores in the Bulldawgs' 21-18 Class 1A sub-state win over Jackson Heights. [Photo by Todd Fertig/TSN]
Rossville quarterback Canann Mitchell dashed through the mud for a 51-yard score five plays into the game to put Rossville up 6-0. But Mellies answered immediately with a 60-yard bolt for a score.
But that was all Jackson Heights could manage early. The Cobras ran just three plays in the first quarter due to Rossville’s clock-chewing attack. A 16-play drive which lasted almost nine minutes culminated with a 10-yard pass from Mitchell to Cael Horgan. The Bulldawgs ran the exact same play for a two-point conversion to put Rossville back on top 14-6.
Jackson Heights responded with its own 12-play drive that finished with Mellies plowing in from a yard out.
The Cobras then forced Rossville into the only punt of the game. Jackson Heights marched down the field and Mellies scored his third touchdown of the half to give the home team an 18-14 halftime edge.
The game turned, however, on the opening possession of the second half. Jackson Heights moved to midfield, where Mellies broke free for a 62-yard touchdown run. But the play was brought back on a holding call. Two plays later, the Cobras committed the game’s first turnover, a fumble recovered by Rossville’s Cameron Miller.
Rossville seized the opening, driving five plays to the Jackson Heights 20-yard line. That’s where Mitchell found Horgan for another scoring pass to put Rossville up 21-18.
Horgan stood out as the only receiver who seemed comfortable with the footing and with the wet ball. He produced two touchdown catches, a two-point conversion, and 80 yards on five receptions.
“It was slippery. Really slippery,” Horgan said. “I was just keeping my feet under me, not trying to go too fast on the cut. Just make sure I’m staying stable.”
Rossville’s defense locked in after intermission. Following the fumble, it forced the Cobras to turn the ball over on downs on Jackson Heights’ next two possessions.
With the field water-logged and sticky, it was up to Mitchell to try to burn the remaining 4:38. He struggled to set his feet to throw and was repeatedly sacked for losses in the second half. But he marched the ball to the Jackson Heights 35 and used up more than three minutes before finally giving the ball back to Jackson Heights one more time.
Mellies broke containment for a couple of long runs to move the ball into Rossville territory. But with no timeouts remaining and the clock rapidly expiring, the Jackson Heights quarterback lofted the pass over the middle that Horak intercepted at the 23-yard line to thwart the comeback.
“I thought both teams played extremely hard. (The Cobras) are a very good team,” Hammes said. “We had to dig deep to get it done against those guys. I think the difference for us was that we settled in at halftime. Defensively, we did a much better job in the second half and we contained them.
“There was an adjustment or two (on defense), but it was honestly getting the kids on the right page to do what we were needing to do. And the tackling I thought was better as well.”
A year ago, Rossville advanced to the sub-state round before losing to Centralia. They reached the semifinal by pulling off an improbably comeback over Jackson Heights. Hammes knew the Cobras remembered that painful loss.
“We knew that we would get their best shot,” Hammes said. “The only thing that we talked about was just making sure that we handle the emotion of the game because we knew that they would bring it and that they would certainly be ready for us.”
Rossville will face Sterling, which got by Smith Center 14-6 to remain unbeaten at 12-0.
“This is just what we’ve worked for, what we’ve preached since the summer,” Horgan said. “All summer long, this is what our goal has been. Now we’re finally going, but we’ve got one more to win.”
ROSSVILLE 21, JACKSON HEIGHTS 18
Rossville (11-1) 6 8 7 0 -- 21
Jackson Heights (11-1) 6 12 0 0 -- 18
Rossville – Mitchell 51 run (kick failed)
Jackson Heights – Mellies 60 run (kick failed)
Rossville – Horgan 10 pass from Mitchell (Horgan pass from Mitchell)
Jackson Heights – Mellies 1 run (run failed)
Jackson Heights – Mellies 3 run (pass failed)
Rossville – Horgan 20 pass from Mitchell (Dohrman kick)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing – Rossville: Mitchell 22-94, Johnson 7-34, Bush 8-33, Lewis 1-2, Donovan 2-4. Jackson Heights: Mellies 29-168, Eisbarth 4-16, Browning 4-60, Zeller 1-18.
Passing – Rossville: Mitchell 8-12-0 105 yards. Jackson Heights: Mellies 2-6-1, 24.
Receiving – Rossville: Horgan 5-80, Lewis 1-7, Donovan 2-18. Jackson Heights: Eisenbarth 1-13, Peek 1-11.
Punting – Rossville: Miller 1-40.0. Jackson Heights: none.
