St. Teresa wins first state title since 1979, holds off Tri-Valley in Class 2A championship

CHAMPAIGN — St. Teresa’s defensive players only had one thing in their minds on the final play of Friday’s Class 2A state-title game.

“Don’t let them catch it,” Elijah Wills said.

The Bulldogs led 29-22 with three seconds left and Tri-Valley needed 23 yards to get to the end zone. Vikings quarterback Andy Knox made one last attempt with a pass near the goal line, but Billy Guyse battled in the air to make sure the ball hit the ground.

When it did, St. Teresa won its first state title since 1979.

“It just means the world to us,” Guyse said. “We’ve been to the semifinals three years in a row before this and we couldn’t get over the hump. Now that we’re here, we’re different from every other team that’s been here.”

St. Teresa (14-0) led 23-22 with 11:07 left in the game and went on an 80-yard drive that ended when Joe Brummer found Guyse for a 9-yard touchdown on fourth down to make it a 29-22 lead with 6:06 left.

Wills forced a Viking fumble on their next drive and the defense came through with another stand in the end to win the game.

“They just played for each other,” St. Teresa coach Mark Ramsey said. “I think that made the difference.”

The two teams exchanged scores for much of the third quarter after the game was tied at the half. St. Teresa took a 16-8 lead when Christion Harper scored on a 22-yard run with 10:05 left in the third before Tri-Valley made it a 16-14 game after Knox found Cole Klien for a 15-yard touchdown and a failed 2-point conversion with 3:43 left in the quarter.

[ Photos: Tri-Valley vs. St. Teresa in Class 2A football state championship ]

Wills made it a 23-14 St. Teresa lead when he rushed in on a 76-yard rush before Blake Regenold scored on a 6-yard run with 11:07 left in the game to get Tri-Valley close once again. Wills rushed for 92 yards and a touchdown while Harper added 64 yards. Brummer completed five of his nine pass attempts for 148 yards and two touchdowns.

St. Teresa had lost in three straight semifinal games. The Bulldogs drew from those experiences to finally get over the hump and make history.

“We just kept working hard and became closer as a brotherhood,” Harper said. “It meant a lot more when things mattered.”

Tri-Valley (11-3) went to the red zone on its first four drives but finally scored with 11 seconds left in the second quarter when Regenold ran in for a 3-yard touchdown to tie the game 8-8.

Regenold set the state record for any class with 43 carries for 215 yards and two touchdowns, while Knox added 72 yards on the ground and 109 in the air.

There was confusion in the fourth quarter when almost a minute of game time came off the clock without explanation, but Tri-Valley coach Josh Roop didn’t want that to be the reason his team lost.

“I made mistakes,” Roop said. “The boys made mistakes, too many mistakes to beat a team like that.”

St. Teresa coach Mark Ramsey said he hasn’t made a decision on whether Friday will end his 40-year coaching career. But he was proud of the history the Bulldogs accomplished Friday and the lifetime memories they made by playing until the end.

“I just hope they’ve enjoyed the ride,” Ramsey said. “I know I have.”