Asher Ratliff
Trailing 38-15 going to the fourth quarter, Columbus North could have packed it in.
The Bull Dogs mounted a furious fourth quarter comeback, only to fall a little short in their quest to claim a share of the Conference Indiana title.
Class 5A No. 1 Bloomington North withstood a 20-point fourth-quarter blitz by Columbus North to hang on for a 38-35 victory and claim the outright conference title.
Quarterback Asher Ratliff scored on a 4-yard keeper on the second play of the fourth quarter, and after Bryce Luttrell’s extra point, still trailed 38-22. After forcing a three-and-out, a 39-yard pass from Ratliff to Gino Prescott set up Ratliff’s 1-yard sneak. The 2-point conversion attempt failed, leaving it 38-28.
The Bull Dogs then blocked a Cougars field goal attempt and drove for another touchdown. Ratliff hit Morgan Knapp for 32 yards, and after the Luttrell extra point, it was 38-35 with 2:03 remaining.
Columbus North tried an onside kick, but touched the ball before it went 10 yards. The Bull Dogs forced Bloomington North to punt, but were backed up at their own 6-yard line with 39 seconds left.
Braylon Thoman
A 24-yard pass from Ratliff to Braylon Thoman on fourth-and-10 got it to the 30, but that was as far as the Bull Dogs could get.
Ratliff finished 17 of 37 passing for 276 yards and three touchdowns and carried 16 times for 127 yards and two scores. Thoman caught eight passes for 152 yards.
The Cougars (8-0, 5-0) looked like they would run away with this one early. They needed only four plays to score first after taking the opening kickoff. Dash King hit Tate Bless for a 7-yard touchdown and an early 7-0 lead.
After a Bull Dog three-and-out, Bloomington North struck with another four-play drive. This time, King found Cole Grupenoff for a 3-yard score.
Columbus North (3-5, 2-2) then drove for its only score of the first half. Runs of 26 and 19 yards by Ratliff set up a 10-yard scoring run by Prescott, and with Bryce Luttrell’s extra point, the Bull Dogs cut the lead in half.
The Cougars answered with another touchdown, this time on a 2-yard keeper by King. Columbus North then drove to the Bloomington North 21 before turning the ball over on downs.
After the Bull Dogs took over on a bad snap after a field goal, they tried fake punt, but it was stopped. Bloomington North then drove for a 1-yard keeper by King and led 28-7.
Columbus North lined up for a 33-yard field goal on the final play of the first half, but Luttrell’s kick was partially blocked.
On their first drive of the second half, the Cougars tacked on a 27-yard field goal by Noah Nelson. But then the Bull Dogs struck back with a 45-yard pass from Ratliff to Thoman. Ratliff ran in the 2-point conversion to cut the lead to 31-15.
Bloomington North answered with King’s third touchdown pass of the night, this one a 5-yarder to Grupehnoff. But Columbus North didn’t go away quitetly.
King finished 22 for 32 for 279 yards and three touchdowns and carried 17 times for 84 yards and two scores.
Bloomington North 38,Columbus North 35
Columbus North;7;0;8;20;—;35
Bloomington North;21;7;10;0;—;38
BN—Tate Bless 7 pass from Dash King (Noah Nelson kick), 11:09.
BN—Cole Grupenhoff 3 pass from King (Nelson kick), 8:38.
CN—Geno Prescott 10 run (Bryce Luttrell kick), 5:09.
BN—King 2 run (Nelson kick), 3:17.
BN—King 1 run (Nelson kick), 3:33.
BN—Nelson 27 FG, 6:30.
CN—Braylon Thoman 45 pass from Asher Ratliff (Ratliff run), 4:40.
BN—Grupenhoff 5 pass from King (Nelson kick), 1:29.
CN—Ratliff 4 run (Luttrell kick), 11:51.
CN—Ratliff 1 run (pass failed), 9:17
CN—Morgan Knapp 32 pass from Ratliff (Luttrell kick), 2:03.
Individual statistics
RUSHING — Columbus North: Ratliff 16-127, Prescott 16-186. Bloomington North: King 17-84, Kijuan Hayes 14-79, Stephen Opoku Jr. 2-51, Trey Scott 12-32, Bless 1-(-30).
PASSING — Columbus North: Ratliff 17 for 31, 276 yards, 3 touchdowns, 0 interceptions; Jayce Emmitt 0-10-0-0-0. Bloomington North: King 22-32-279-3-0.
RECEIVING — Columbus North: Thoman 8-152, Prescott 4-64, Knapp 1-32, Jordan Briner 3-24, Sam Perry 1-4. Bloomington North: Jorian Brooks 7-120, Aidan Steinfeldt 6-56, Grupenhoff 4-44, Bless 2-33, Hayes 1-17, Scott 2-7.
