For the second week in a row, Festus had to take on an undefeated opponent to stay alive in the Class 4 state football playoffs – and do it on the road in dramatically different conditions.
On Nov. 23, the Tigers overpowered host Gateway of St. Louis 48-14 in the quarterfinals, on an unseasonably warm, sunny day. Seven days later, the Festus team bus drove through a snowstorm to face 12-0 Warrenton.
With the grounds crew clearing the field lines every five yards as snow kept falling, the Tigers (11-2) broke a halftime 7-7 tie with two touchdowns in the third quarter and held on for a 21-16 victory that puts them into a state football championship game for the first time in school history.
Festus will play Lutheran North (12-1) of north St. Louis County for the Class 4 title at 11 a.m. Friday at Faurot Field in Columbia. The Crusaders defeated Kearney 24-21 in the other semifinal, eliminating the defending champions who rolled past Hillsboro in the final a year ago. Lutheran North has won six state championships, most recently in 2019.
“We practiced in the cold all week; no big deal,” said Festus head coach AJ Ofodile, who guided Columbia Rock Bridge to second in the state in Class 6 in 2013. “Even with a little snow coming down I assumed it would be a dusting. I didn’t expect the field to be covered with inches of snow. I’ve never done this before. I figured nobody has. It was going to be a new experience for everyone.
“Hats off to (Warrenton). They had their moments and were great, too. Both teams didn’t let the conditions bother them. They’ve been so dynamic all year on offense.”
The Warriors lost some of that dynamism when senior quarterback Brandon Johnson was injured early in the fourth quarter, unable to return. Head coach Jason Koper shifted senior running back Austin Haas to QB, in the “wildcat” formation – a logical move considering Haas is a shoo-in for all-state recognition, with 2,347 yards rushing (No. 2 in the St. Louis area) and 31 touchdowns.
“It limited them quite a bit in terms of what they could do,” Ofodile said. “The wildcat is organic to what they do, so it wasn’t difficult for them to transition and it put the ball in the hands of their most dynamic player.”
Trailing the Tigers 21-14 in the fourth, Haas converted on fourth down in Festus territory. But on fourth-and-nine, Tiger senior cornerback Trey Lacey intercepted Haas at the Festus one-yard line. The hosts kept Festus pinned down, however, to force a punt from the end zone.
Now it was Ofodile’s turn to make a crucial decision. Junior punter Jackson Frank took the snap and stepped backward for a safety to make the score 21-16 with 1:57 to play.
Would Ofodile have yielded the two points had field conditions been normal?
“It becomes a more difficult decision,” he said. “We probably would have punted it. We work ‘tight punt’ all the time (in practice). We’re confident in that operation, but in these field conditions, (the safety) was an easier decision, the way Warrenton had been getting upfield on pass-rush situations. They were rushing our punt team with those three guys, so that was part of the decision. We wanted to put our defense on the field to try and win it. That’s what we hang our hat on.”
The Tiger defense, which had given up an average of only 13 points per game, with three shutouts, validated their coach’s faith by shutting down Warrenton in the closing moments.
Despite the field conditions, neither team shied away from passing the deep ball. Coming out of halftime, Lacey outjumped a defender to haul in a 45-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Essien Smith. Junior Luke Wacker’s extra-point kick gave Festus a 14-7 lead.
“I was thinking my team needed the momentum and I saw the ball and caught it, almost fell, but knew I had to get the touchdown,” Lacey said. “We had to wait for the perfect timing.”
Smith, a three-year starter who in his first two seasons alternated with Jeremiah Cunningham in a two-QB system, has helped tutor his future successor, sophomore Parker Perry, who completed 19 of 32 pass attempts this fall for 298 yards and one touchdown.
“I feel like working with Parker Perry over the summer made me better,” Smith said. “He’s a great passer and being able to compete with him made me a better player.
“I’m so blessed to be in this situation. I put in the work for it. I feel like I’ve come a long way.”
Trailing by a touchdown in the third quarter, Warrenton went for it on fourth-and-five from its own 20, but junior linebacker Aiden Clifton knocked down Johnson’s pass. Soon after, Smith burst through the middle of the defense for a 15-yard TD and Wacker made it 21-7.
“The snow didn’t bother me too much when it came to throwing the ball,” Smith said. “It was more the running aspect of it. (The field) was slick at first, but I got my feet underneath me. The defense and O-line have gotten it done for us.”
The Warriors lived up to their name, however, battling back with a drive to the Festus 35, aided by a late-hit penalty on Festus. Haas dashed 20 yards to the 15, but Warrenton stalled on fourth-and-10. Johnson was pressured as the pocket broke down, but he found junior Deadrick Forrest for a TD pass and with senior kicker Tyler Faerber’s PAT it was 21-14.
Warrenton took the early lead on the first Tiger series of the game when Haas scored on a 19-yard run after he had snared an interception on a pass tipped by lineman Taylor Anderson.
It was still 7-0 in the second quarter when Festus senior Mason Schirmer changed the momentum with four impact plays. First, he blew up a Johnson pass on third down. Then Schirmer moved the chains with a run on fourth down before tying the game 7-7 on an eight-yard touchdown burst. And finally, he intercepted Johnson, sending the game to the half tied. Schirmer recently was named the defensive player of the year and most valuable player of the Mississippi Area Football Conference.