Iowa High School Football: Eight-Player Final An Instant Classic

from the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa, Bishop Garrigan relied on its seniors to overcame a three-touchdown deficit and win the Iowa high school state football eight-player title Thursday.

The Golden Bears capped a wild fourth quarter with the game-winning score from senior Ethan Marso, as classmate Tate Foertsch added the two-point conversion for a 44-42 victory over Woodbine from the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Bishop Garrigan, winners of the eight-player class two years ago, scored 30 points in the final 11-plus minutes of the game. They reached the semifinals last season, falling in a heartbreaker to eventual champion Remsen St. Mary’s.

Top WR Prospect Landon Blum With Two Touchdowns

After posting 12 wins by double digits leading up to the finals, the Golden Bears found themselves staring at a 36-14 hole when Landon Blum caught a 30-yard touchdown pass from Brody Pryor late in the third.

Blum, one of the top Class of 2027 prospects in Iowa, had also just hauled in a 38-yard touchdown from Pryor earlier in the quarter.

Tate Foertsch Excellent In Final High School Game

Foertsch, a three-year starter who has lost just twice in his career, directed four scoring drives that started with a nine-play, 61-yard series where Marso punched it in from three yards out.

Foertsch added an 8-yard run less than four minutes later after an interception by Marso, and had a 9-yard touchdown with 2:32 to go to make it 36-36.

Woodbine With Answer From Micah Moores

Woodbine answered, going 55 yards over seven plays and 77 seconds to take the 42-36 lead when Micah Moores plunged into the end zone. The two-point conversion was unsuccessful on the series.

Bishop Garrigan quickly marched down the field, as Foertsch completed a huge pass to CJ McGregor that got them to the Woodbine 5-yard line with less than a minute to go. As the clock ticked away, Marso pushed his way through the trenches and into the end zone.

Game-Winning Points From Seniors For Bishop Garrigan

Foertsch kept it on the conversion, going in untouched to cap a wild and crazy championship game.

Bishop Garrigan set a state records ith 72 rush attempts, finishing with 331 yards on the ground. Foertsch had 36 of those for 157 yards and three touchdowns while Marso had 25 for 103 and two scores.

McGregor, who caught the 36-yard pass on the game-winning drive, ran 10 times for 63 yards and a touchdown. Foertsch added 131 yards passing on 9 of 13 attempts.

For the Tigers, Blum caught eight passes for 116 yards and two touchdowns while Moores added 106 yards rushing and three touchdowns. Pryor was 13-for-21 passing with three TDs, as he also hit Ayden Coenen for a score.

Both Joe Freund and Cal Pryor each had 14 tackles for Woodbine, as Brenner Sullivan recorded 12.