VIDEO/PHOTOS: Heelan drills Clear Lake
Wegher scores 3 TDs, kicks FG, gains 254 yards
By Terry HersomJournal sports editor | Posted: Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Sioux City Bishop Heelan's Brandon Wegher, left, is tackled by Clear Lake's Steve Scarrow in the first half of a Class 3A semifinal round game of the Iowa High School Football Championships Monday in Cedar Falls, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Putney, Waterloo/Cedar Falls Courier)
Photo gallery
See a photo gallery from the game.
Video highlights
See video highlights and an interview with Brandon Wegher.
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- Eight previous state championship game appearances speak volumes for the football tradition at Bishop Heelan.
Six consecutive runner-up finishes, though, are becoming a sore subject, particularly after last year's staggering 42-7 loss to Keokuk denied the Crusaders a title many felt they were destined to win.
It didn't take long Monday to notice just how determined this Heelan team is about erasing that memory.
With starters returning at 18 of 22 positions from that latest runner-up squad, Coach Roger Jansen's No. 1-ranked Crusaders rolled to a 27-0 halftime lead on their way to an impressive 27-7 triumph over No. 2 Clear Lake.
In the first of Class 3A's two semifinals, both battles between unbeaten teams, Heelan improved to 13-0 as Brandon Wegher, the Crusaders' remarkable senior tailback, carried 34 times for 254 yards and three touchdowns.
Another big day sent Wegher's gaudy season totals to 2,997 yards, third highest ever in Iowa, and 49 touchdowns.
He needs 113 yards to break the single-season state record set in 2002 by Williamsburg's Dustin Baethke, piling up 3,109 yards in 13 games for a Class 2A state runner-up.
"He's as good as we've seen, maybe ever,'' said Fred Wieck, who has guided Clear Lake to playoff appearances the last 11 seasons in a row. "He's not alone out there, though. He's got some pretty good blocking out there and that was by far the best defense we've come up against.''
Indeed, Heelan's defense limited a potent Clear Lake offense to just 119 net yards before the Lions rolled up 80 yards in the final two minutes, scoring their only touchdown against reserves.
But it was unquestionably another sensational day for Wegher, who picked up 17 and 29 yards on the game's first two plays and put Heelan in front to stay, hauling the football on the game's first six snaps -- a 76-yard march to paydirt.
He capped that one with an eight-yard scoring run and also scored from five and 19 yards out in the second quarter.
Meanwhile, the University of Iowa recruit tacked on a 42-yard field goal and sent the final five of his six kickoffs in the contest into the end zone -- an automatic touchback in the high school game.
Sophomore Zach Maxey contributed a 23-yard field goal and three PAT kicks to help Heelan score on all five of its first-half possessions.
Other than a final-play kneeldown, the Crusaders would have the ball just three times in the second half. And one of those lasted just one unflattering play -- a rare Wegher fumble that Clear Lake defensive star Ethan Tindall returned 34 yards to the Heelan 8-yard line.
Even that first-and-goal with 7:52 left in the game failed to produce any points, thanks in no small part to a safety blitz by Wegher that dropped the Lions' Lukas Matheson for a six-yard loss.
"I feel that was the best game we've played all year,'' said Heelan defensive end Buckley Wright. "We came out in the first half and did what we haven't done all year -- we didn't want until the second half.''
Indeed, several of Heelan's wins have seen the Crusaders start slow, then rely on their second-half prowess. So, this was a twist on that scenario.
"Our guys up front did a great job of staying with their blocks and Brandon did a nice job of seeing the field,'' said Heelan Coach Roger Jansen. "It makes play calling really easy when those guys do that.
"I couldn't be more proud of these guys with the pressure they've been under. They know and understand the pressure is still there until we see what happens Saturday.''
Maxey's field goal came on Heelan's second possession, which stalled at the Clear Lake 5-yard line after a hit by Joel McCabe and fumble recovery by Jordan Lester put the Crusaders at the Lions' 23 just two plays the first Wegher TD.
Wegher's 42-yard kick came on the first play of the second quarter after a drive that started with Sean Keane's 31-yard gainer on a quick out from Zach McCabe.
Two remaining first-half chances yielded touchdowns. The first of these was kept alive by a clutch one-handed reception by Joel McCabe, no relation to Zach, whose only incompletion in six pass attempts was a dropped ball.
Wegher now has 109 touchdowns and 759 points for his dazzling career. He was already second on the all-time charts in both departments, trailing North Mahaska's Levi Ferguson in either of them.
Ferguson, with 3,082 yards in 2005, has the only other single-season total standing between Wegher and the record by
Williamsburg's Baethke. Ferguson led his team to a Class A championship three seasons ago, finishing his career with 129 touchdowns and 847 points, the only totals higher than Wegher's.
Heelan's 28th state playoff team in 37 seasons of post-season play in Iowa plays Saturday's 4 p.m. title game against fourth-ranked Decorah, which outpointed No. 7 Pella later Monday night, 37-20.
Decorah is a four-game champion, winning three in a row from 1987 through 1989, but the Vikings' last two finalists were runners-up in 1997 and 204.
Heelan's first two state finals produced championships in 1975 and 1982. However, they were runners-up in 1983, 1985, 1989, 1991 and 1993, all in Class 4A, before last year's setback in their first 3A title contest.
"Last year, we were banged up,'' reflected Wegher, who limped through the championship game on a bad knee, as did Wright, a two-way line standout. "We weren't as confident, me and Buckley were hurt. This year, we're healthy and we can't wait until Saturday.''
Heelan 27, Clear Lake 7
Bishop Heelan 10 17 0 0 -- 27
Clear Lake 0 0 0 7 -- 7
First Quarter
SCH: Brandon Wegher 8 run (Zach Maxey kick) 9:21
SCH: FG Maxey 23, 6:07
Second Quarter
SCH: FG Wegher 42, 11:55
SCH: Wegher 5 run (Maxey kick) 6:49
SCH: Wegher 19 run (Maxey kick) 0:45
Fourth Quarter
CL: Steve Scarrow 23 pass from Jake Plagge (D.J. Wilhelm kick) 0:44
TEAM STATISTICS
Heel CL
First downs 16 10
Rushes-yards 44-277 39-105
Passing yards 61 94
Passes 5-6-0 5-10-1
Total plays-yards 50-338 49-199
Punts-average 2-38.0 3-43.0
Fumbles-lost 1-1 2-1
/Penalties-yards 2-20 1-5
Time of possession 25:20 22:40
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING: Heelan -- Brandon Wegher 34-254, Preston Ives 1-9, Zach McCabe 5-7, Sean Keane 1-6, Nate Berger 2-3, Team 1-(-2). Clear Lake -- Lukas Matheson 10-53, Josh Carlson 9-39, Steve Scarrow 4-12, Drew Dickson 3-6, Jake Plagge 1-(-1), Jake Kopriva 11-(-4).
PASSING: Heelan -- Zach McCabe 5-6-0--61. Clear Lake -- Jake Plagge 3-7-1--66, Jake Kopriva 2-3-0--28.
RECEIVING: Heelan -- Sean Keane 3-48, Joel McCabe 1-15, Preston Ives 1-(-2). Clear Lake -- Zack Mueller 2-23, Lukas Matheson 1-37, Steve Scarrow 1-23, Jake Plagge 1-11.
See a photo gallery from the game.
Video highlights
See video highlights and an interview with Brandon Wegher.
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- Eight previous state championship game appearances speak volumes for the football tradition at Bishop Heelan.
Six consecutive runner-up finishes, though, are becoming a sore subject, particularly after last year's staggering 42-7 loss to Keokuk denied the Crusaders a title many felt they were destined to win.
It didn't take long Monday to notice just how determined this Heelan team is about erasing that memory.
With starters returning at 18 of 22 positions from that latest runner-up squad, Coach Roger Jansen's No. 1-ranked Crusaders rolled to a 27-0 halftime lead on their way to an impressive 27-7 triumph over No. 2 Clear Lake.
In the first of Class 3A's two semifinals, both battles between unbeaten teams, Heelan improved to 13-0 as Brandon Wegher, the Crusaders' remarkable senior tailback, carried 34 times for 254 yards and three touchdowns.
Another big day sent Wegher's gaudy season totals to 2,997 yards, third highest ever in Iowa, and 49 touchdowns.
He needs 113 yards to break the single-season state record set in 2002 by Williamsburg's Dustin Baethke, piling up 3,109 yards in 13 games for a Class 2A state runner-up.
"He's as good as we've seen, maybe ever,'' said Fred Wieck, who has guided Clear Lake to playoff appearances the last 11 seasons in a row. "He's not alone out there, though. He's got some pretty good blocking out there and that was by far the best defense we've come up against.''
Indeed, Heelan's defense limited a potent Clear Lake offense to just 119 net yards before the Lions rolled up 80 yards in the final two minutes, scoring their only touchdown against reserves.
But it was unquestionably another sensational day for Wegher, who picked up 17 and 29 yards on the game's first two plays and put Heelan in front to stay, hauling the football on the game's first six snaps -- a 76-yard march to paydirt.
He capped that one with an eight-yard scoring run and also scored from five and 19 yards out in the second quarter.
Meanwhile, the University of Iowa recruit tacked on a 42-yard field goal and sent the final five of his six kickoffs in the contest into the end zone -- an automatic touchback in the high school game.
Sophomore Zach Maxey contributed a 23-yard field goal and three PAT kicks to help Heelan score on all five of its first-half possessions.
Other than a final-play kneeldown, the Crusaders would have the ball just three times in the second half. And one of those lasted just one unflattering play -- a rare Wegher fumble that Clear Lake defensive star Ethan Tindall returned 34 yards to the Heelan 8-yard line.
Even that first-and-goal with 7:52 left in the game failed to produce any points, thanks in no small part to a safety blitz by Wegher that dropped the Lions' Lukas Matheson for a six-yard loss.
"I feel that was the best game we've played all year,'' said Heelan defensive end Buckley Wright. "We came out in the first half and did what we haven't done all year -- we didn't want until the second half.''
Indeed, several of Heelan's wins have seen the Crusaders start slow, then rely on their second-half prowess. So, this was a twist on that scenario.
"Our guys up front did a great job of staying with their blocks and Brandon did a nice job of seeing the field,'' said Heelan Coach Roger Jansen. "It makes play calling really easy when those guys do that.
"I couldn't be more proud of these guys with the pressure they've been under. They know and understand the pressure is still there until we see what happens Saturday.''
Maxey's field goal came on Heelan's second possession, which stalled at the Clear Lake 5-yard line after a hit by Joel McCabe and fumble recovery by Jordan Lester put the Crusaders at the Lions' 23 just two plays the first Wegher TD.
Wegher's 42-yard kick came on the first play of the second quarter after a drive that started with Sean Keane's 31-yard gainer on a quick out from Zach McCabe.
Two remaining first-half chances yielded touchdowns. The first of these was kept alive by a clutch one-handed reception by Joel McCabe, no relation to Zach, whose only incompletion in six pass attempts was a dropped ball.
Wegher now has 109 touchdowns and 759 points for his dazzling career. He was already second on the all-time charts in both departments, trailing North Mahaska's Levi Ferguson in either of them.
Ferguson, with 3,082 yards in 2005, has the only other single-season total standing between Wegher and the record by
Williamsburg's Baethke. Ferguson led his team to a Class A championship three seasons ago, finishing his career with 129 touchdowns and 847 points, the only totals higher than Wegher's.
Heelan's 28th state playoff team in 37 seasons of post-season play in Iowa plays Saturday's 4 p.m. title game against fourth-ranked Decorah, which outpointed No. 7 Pella later Monday night, 37-20.
Decorah is a four-game champion, winning three in a row from 1987 through 1989, but the Vikings' last two finalists were runners-up in 1997 and 204.
Heelan's first two state finals produced championships in 1975 and 1982. However, they were runners-up in 1983, 1985, 1989, 1991 and 1993, all in Class 4A, before last year's setback in their first 3A title contest.
"Last year, we were banged up,'' reflected Wegher, who limped through the championship game on a bad knee, as did Wright, a two-way line standout. "We weren't as confident, me and Buckley were hurt. This year, we're healthy and we can't wait until Saturday.''
Heelan 27, Clear Lake 7
Bishop Heelan 10 17 0 0 -- 27
Clear Lake 0 0 0 7 -- 7
First Quarter
SCH: Brandon Wegher 8 run (Zach Maxey kick) 9:21
SCH: FG Maxey 23, 6:07
Second Quarter
SCH: FG Wegher 42, 11:55
SCH: Wegher 5 run (Maxey kick) 6:49
SCH: Wegher 19 run (Maxey kick) 0:45
Fourth Quarter
CL: Steve Scarrow 23 pass from Jake Plagge (D.J. Wilhelm kick) 0:44
TEAM STATISTICS
Heel CL
First downs 16 10
Rushes-yards 44-277 39-105
Passing yards 61 94
Passes 5-6-0 5-10-1
Total plays-yards 50-338 49-199
Punts-average 2-38.0 3-43.0
Fumbles-lost 1-1 2-1
/Penalties-yards 2-20 1-5
Time of possession 25:20 22:40
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING: Heelan -- Brandon Wegher 34-254, Preston Ives 1-9, Zach McCabe 5-7, Sean Keane 1-6, Nate Berger 2-3, Team 1-(-2). Clear Lake -- Lukas Matheson 10-53, Josh Carlson 9-39, Steve Scarrow 4-12, Drew Dickson 3-6, Jake Plagge 1-(-1), Jake Kopriva 11-(-4).
PASSING: Heelan -- Zach McCabe 5-6-0--61. Clear Lake -- Jake Plagge 3-7-1--66, Jake Kopriva 2-3-0--28.
RECEIVING: Heelan -- Sean Keane 3-48, Joel McCabe 1-15, Preston Ives 1-(-2). Clear Lake -- Zack Mueller 2-23, Lukas Matheson 1-37, Steve Scarrow 1-23, Jake Plagge 1-11.
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GO HEELAN wrote on Nov 19, 2008 6:44 PM:
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