4 minutes left.

Big 3rd down here. Crusaders threatening deep in Mustangs territory.

St. Henry scores. PAT to follow.

43-40, St. Henry. 3:22 in 4th.

Roughing the passer.

Next play, St. Henry runs it into the endzone. St.Henry takes the lead

Brossart with the ball. 3 minutes left

1 minute left.

Brossart driving. 3rd &4

St. Henry recovers a fumble. 1 minute left

43-40 Crusaders = Final

I'll wear it. I was wrong. Great win Cru. Brossart put up the points I thought they would but the Cru never gave up and surged at the end. Awesome game.

St. Henry lost to Brossart 55-3 a year ago. What a turnaround. Onward and upward! GO CRU!!!!

Not surprised St. Henry won as I knew it would be close. I am very surprised at the high score.

What a great game. Full recap tomorrow, but a solid win for St. Henry and a great effort from Brossart. Lucas Pate is the real deal...but stud performances all around.

Late Surge by St. Henry Spoils Mustang Offensive Fireworks in 43-40 Shootout

ALEXANDRIA, Ky. - On an electric Friday night under the lights at the MAC, fans at Munninghoff Family Stadium were treated to an instant Northern Kentucky classic. In a contest that featured lightning-fast scoring answers, heavy physical trench play, and non-stop offensive fireworks, visiting St. Henry edged Bishop Brossart 43-40 in a wild, back-and-forth thriller.

The Mustangs controlled tempo and led on the scoreboard for nearly forty-four minutes of action, putting up 40 points behind a stellar dual-threat showcase from quarterback Landon Spaulding and an all-field performance from junior tight end Quentin Tischner. However, a ferocious fourth-quarter rally spearheaded by St. Henry back Lucas Pate allowed the Crusaders to snatch their first lead of the night with just 3:22 remaining.

An Explosive Ground-and-Pound Start

Brossart (1-2) set the tone right out of the gate with an authoritative opening possession. Methodically marching 80 yards over a grueling 7-minute-and-32-second drive, the Mustangs chewed up the first-quarter clock with six first downs. Spaulding capped off the surgical drive with a 1-yard plunge behind a surging interior offensive line to make it 6-0.

Early in the second quarter, Spaulding broke the game wide open. Calling his own number on an option keeper, the senior signal-caller found open turf along the home sideline and took it 80 yards to the house untouched, pushing the Mustang cushion to 12-0.

St. Henry capitalized on short field position and a defensive penalty to answer with a red-zone strike, cutting the deficit to 12-6. The Crusaders then turned the tide momentarily on special teams, blocking a Mustang punt and returning it for a score to knot things up at 12-12 before the two-point conversion gave them a brief edge at 14-12.

Brossart's offense answered in dazzling fashion. Facing third down, Spaulding connected over the middle with Justin Bezold, who turned on the afterburners and sprinted away from the Crusader secondary for a 69-yard touchdown strike. Ryan Eldridge's PAT sent the Mustangs into the locker room at halftime holding a 19-14 lead after a goal-line stand halted another Brossart push at the Crusaders' 2-yard line as the clock expired.

Fireworks in the Third: 33 Seconds of Pure Chaos

The Mustangs seized immediate momentum to begin the second half. Following a Crusader fumble recovered by Charlie Rauch, Brossart capitalized on a short field. Spaulding scored his third touchdown of the evening, navigating a 9-yard bootleg around the left edge to extend the lead to 26-14.

What followed next was a breathtaking 33-second sequence that had the Munninghoff faithful roaring:

• St. Henry answered on the very next scrimmage snap when Lucas Pate broke multiple tackles along the right sideline for a stunning 75-yard touchdown gallop (26-20).

• On the ensuing kickoff, Brossart's Brady Boruske fielded the ball cleanly, found a crease up the hash marks, and electrified the stadium with an 80-plus-yard return for a touchdown (33-20).

St. Henry continued to battle back behind Pate, who punched in his second touchdown of the quarter to narrow the margin to 33-28 heading into the final frame.

Tischner Powers Brossart; Crusaders Rally Late

Opening the fourth quarter, Brossart executed another clutch march. Quentin Tischner, who was a reliable safety valve all evening on intermediate crossers and tight-end flats, delivered the play of the night for the home squad. Hauling in a pass in the flat, Tischner broke two tackles, stayed on his feet through direct contact at the 5-yard line, and powered through the goal-line pile for a touchdown, extending the Mustang advantage to 40-28 with 10:07 to play.

Refusing to fold, the Crusaders dialed up pressure. After converting a deep 30-yard pass to David Penick, Pate hauled in a 31-yard scoring pass from Cy Perento to bring St. Henry within five at 40-35 with 6:18 left.

Pinned deep inside their own 15-yard line on the ensuing drive after a penalty, the Mustangs were forced to punt from their own end zone. St. Henry capitalized, as Pate broke loose for a go-ahead touchdown scamper with 3:22 remaining. Perento connected with the 6-foot-4 Penick on the two-point conversion to push St. Henry ahead 43-40.

The Mustangs refused to go quietly. With 3:11 on the clock, Spaulding delivered under heavy pressure, completing a contested 25-yard pass to Boruske and a 14-yard laser to Landon Ketron into Crusader territory. However, on third-and-manageable at the St. Henry 37, the Crusader pass rush got home, knocking the ball loose on a strip-sack fumble to stall the drive with 1:08 remaining. St. Henry's Pate picked up one final first down before smartly taking a knee to secure the 43-40 victory.

Unofficial Statistical Standouts

• Landon Spaulding (Brossart): Finished with over 100 yards rushing and 2 rushing touchdowns (80, 9); threw for over 225 yards and 2 touchdowns (69, 15).

• Quentin Tischner (Brossart): 8+ receptions, roughly 85 yards, 1 touchdown; recorded multiple drive-stopping open-field tackles on defense.

• Justin Bezold (Brossart): 1 reception, 69 yards, 1 touchdown.

• Brady Boruske (Brossart): 1 kickoff return touchdown (~82 yards); 4 receptions for ~45 yards.

• Charlie Rauch & Atticus Prost (Brossart): Combined for 2 sacks, multiple tackles for loss, a fumble recovery, and a crucial fourth-down stop on a fake punt attempt.

• Lucas Pate (St. Henry): 150+ rushing yards, 4 total touchdowns (including runs of 75 and 31 yards).

Takeaways & Looking Ahead

The Positives:

There is immense offensive firepower on this Brossart roster. Scoring 40 points in high school football wins on most Friday nights. Spaulding showed poise, escapability, and veteran leadership, while Tischner proved to be one of the most complete two-way athletes in the region. The offensive line-anchored by clean center snaps from Colin Blau and strong push from Isaac Hildebrand and company-won the battle at the line of scrimmage for large stretches of the evening. Defensively, Rauch, Prost, and Beckett Meersman demonstrated that they can generate heavy penetration and disrupt game plans.

Growth Areas for Film Study:

In a contest decided by a single possession, the margins are razor-thin. Untimely pre-snap penalties and field-position miscues in the fourth quarter backed the Mustangs into their own end zone at critical junctures. Cleaning up punt protection rules and maintaining gap discipline against outside perimeter sweeps will be central themes as Coach Martin and the staff break down the tape this week.

The effort, character, and resolve displayed across 48 grueling, physical minutes showed a team that is battle-tested and capable of trading punches with anyone on their schedule. The Mustangs will look to regroup, refine the details, and bring that same intensity into Week 4.