St. Bede becomes playoff eligible with win over Dwight/G-SW

QB Max Bray runs for 4 TDs, intercepts 2 passes on defense

Max Bray

PERU – The St. Bede football team heard the talk and read the projections.

With four wins this season, three weeks remaining in the regular season and an incredibly difficult final three opponents, many didn’t project the Bruins to make the playoffs.

“When you get to 4-2 and the combined record of your last three opponents is 16-2 (going into Week 7), it’s do-or-die time,” SBA coach Jim Eustice said. “I looked at the projections, and I don’t think anybody had us in the playoffs, and I can understand why.”

On Friday, St. Bede proved the prognosticators wrong.

In a Chicagoland Prairie League game against Dwight/Gardner-South Wilmington, St. Bede sophomore kicker Ryan Soliman kicked the go-ahead 23-yard field goal in the final minute, and the Bruins’ defense made a last-second stand to seal a 31-28 victory that made SBA playoff eligible.

“This feels incredible,” SBA senior quarterback Max Bray said. “Our guys – me included – went through a lot of struggles at the beginning of the year, and there were times when there was a lot of doubt, but tonight we proved we are a playoff team and that we can play with anybody.”

An exciting final minute made SBA playoff eligible.

In a game that featured four ties and four lead changes, the Bruins (5-2, 4-1 CPL) made the plays down the stretch.

Tied at 28 with less than five minutes to go, the SBA defense stopped Dwight/GSW (5-2, 4-1) and forced a punt.

Taking over possession with 4:40 remaining, Bray and the Bruins went to work as Bray and freshman running back Landon Marquez both ran the ball and pushed SBA to inside the 10-yard line.

The Bruins were unable to find the end zone, but with 52 seconds left, Soliman kicked a 23-yard field goal to give SBA a 31-28 advantage.

“I knew we were going to go down and score, but I just didn’t know how it was going to happen,” Bray said. “I had faith in my guys. I knew he was going to kick that in. I knew he was going to make it.”

Dwight/GSW had one last chance as it took over possession at its 32-yard line with 47 seconds to go. The Trojans systematically took short to medium gains via runs and pass as they moved down the field, while the Bruins refused to give up the big play.

Dwight/GSW got to the SBA 48-yard line with 13 seconds to go, to the SBA 31-yard line with seven seconds remaining and to the SBA 20-yard line with two seconds left to set up one last play.

Dwight/GSW quarterback Conner Telford heaved a pass to the end zone, where Bray intercepted it to seal the victory.

“Coach told me to get the outside guy, the tallest guy,” Bray said. “The receivers crossed, and I just went over, jumped up and grabbed it.”

The game-winning interception capped Bray’s unbelievable night as he ran for 190 yards on 26 carries, ran for all four SBA touchdowns, was 7-for-11 for 100 yards passing and had two interceptions on defense.

“He’s an incredible talent,” Eustice said. “We lost a lot from last year, but he’s really come along and has allowed us to throw and do a lot.”

The win put an exclamation point on a back-and-forth contest.

SBA struck first when Bray scored on a 38-yard TD run, but Dwight/GSW threw a 16-yard TD to tie the game at 7 after the first quarter.

The Trojans took the lead when it recovered a Bruins fumble and scored on a 1-yard TD run with 9:06 left in the second quarter, but Bray ran for a 33-yard TD and a 6-yard TD to give SBA a 21-14 lead at half.

Dwight/GSW responded with 27-yard pass to tie the game with 6:34 left in the third quarter and took a 28-21 lead following a 79-yard TD pass on the first play of the fourth quarter.

However, Bray’s 5-yard TD run with 7:12 remaining in the game tied the contest at 28 and set up the finish.

SBA’s victory all but assures the Bruins’ third straight playoff appearance and fifth under Eustice.

It also allows SBA a chance to win the conference if it wins out. Next week, the Bruins travel to rival Marquette (5-2, 4-1), for whom Eustice was the head coach from 2005-09 and from which he graduated.

It will be the third time Eustice has coached against Marquette, but his first as the head coach.

“It’s exciting to go back,” Eustice said. “I already know they’re doing a big tailgate and there are shirts being made. I hope we can pack the place, and that people realize it’s about the kids and not about me going back. It should be a heck of a night.”