Chance Ruble of Seckman High School scored a game-winning touchdown in overtime, giving the Jaguars their fifth straight win over Fox High School in their C-6 football rivalry.
The Jaguars (1-1) won the game 21-14 at Gerald O’Conner Stadium in Arnold on Sept. 5.
Seckman had forced and recovered a Fox fumble in its end zone at the end of regulation, scored a touchdown in its overtime possession and held the Warriors inches short on theirs.
The Warriors (1-1) last beat Seckman in 2020, the year Fox went to the Class 6 state semifinals. Since then, Fox hasn’t posted a winning record while the Jaguars attained new heights as a program, including 21 wins in their last 24 games, the Suburban Conference (Orange pool) title the last four years and two trips in a row to the Class 6 District 1 final.
Seckman’s streak over the Warriors, its district home win against St. Louis University High in 2022, and its streak of pool titles are just a few of the triumphs Nick Baer has collected in his seven seasons as head coach.
“This one goes pretty damn close to the top of the list,” Baer said. “This game was all about two equal, physical teams. The game went back and forth, and it came down to one inch in the end.”
Fox had a chance to end the game in regulation when it drove inside the red zone in the final minute. After the Jaguars tied the game 14-14 on a 7-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Brody Kube to junior wide receiver Nick Weidler and a PAT by senior kicker Ben Bajric with 1:18 to play, junior Nehemiah Glanville returned the ensuing kickoff 62 yards to the Seckman 37. On the next play, a pair of Fox seniors moved the ball to the Jaguar 2 when QB Chandler Price connected with WR Ryder Hanks. A false start against the Warriors moved the ball back to the 7. On third-and-goal, Price tucked the ball and headed for the goal line when he lost the ball and fumbled into the end zone, where it was recovered by Seckman senior DB Colton Fowler.
The Warriors had thought about going for a field goal.
“We were talking about it. We were considering it,” said Fox head coach Brent Tinker, whose 15 years at Fox is the longest tenure of any head coach at the 12 high schools in the county.
“We made a couple of critical errors and they made big plays and sometimes that’s part of it,” he said. “I’m very proud of our kids. Heck, I’m very proud of Jefferson County right now. That was a good night of football. I think everyone here can be proud of the kids that played. We’re all going to be better in week three because of this game.”
According to state overtime rules, each team is allowed at least one possession starting at the 25-yard line. Seckman got the ball first and on first down, Kube quick-pitched to senior RB Quinn Mattingly, who gained 10 yards. Senior RB Mason Fowler took the next carry over left end to the 5. On second down, junior RB Chance Ruble scored and Bajric’s PAT made it 21-14. The Fowlers are cousins.
On their first OT possession, the Warriors gained a first down on a run by senior Antonio Jarillo. Price’s run on third down set up a fourth-and-1 at the 4, but the Jaguars stopped Jarillo short of the first down.
Price gained 121 of his team’s 218 rushng yards. He completed three passes for 99 yards.
“It’s hard to retrace all the moments,” Baer said among a large contingent of Seckman fans mingling with the players afterward. “It’s us in the first half not getting inside the 20 and not scoring both times, keeping them in the game. I got bailed out going for it on a fourth-and-1 (inside the 10). We’ve won a lot of football games that way the last six years and we came up short and the defense bailed us out.”
Seckman jumped out to a 7-0 lead on a 20-yard halfback TD pass from Mason Fowler to Benson with 3:24 left in the first quarter.
Kube completed 14-of-20 passes for 179 yards. Benson led the Jags with 6 catches for 89 yards.
Fox tied the game on a 27-yard TD pass from Price to Glanville with 6:26 to go in the third quarter.
The two teams traded TDs in the fourth on a 7-yard TD run by Jarillo and Weidler’s tying score was set up by a perfectly thrown pass from Kube to Benson.
“I rolled out, saw the safety drop down and I was like, ‘Screw it, Cam’s down there somewhere,’” Kube said. “So I chucked it down there and he made an unbelievable catch.”
“As an offense, we have to take the top off of the defense and get the ball behind teams and we had that big catch by Cam Benson,” Baer said.
In a 28-27 loss to Parkway West the week before, Baer had chosen to go for two points instead of the tie after scoring the game’s only points in the second half. Not this time.
“The old me would say, ‘Yes,’ but I’m 0-for-2 already this season,” Baer said.
“I expected them to go for two there,” Tinker said. “He probably played it right. He likes his team in a short-yardage field. I like and respect (Seckman’s) kids. I’m so proud of my kids. I told them, if you think you’re heartbroken now, wait until you see the film. So many opportunities.”
The Warriors play their third home game when they host Ritenour (1-1, 0-1) in their Red pool opener Friday. The Jaguars host unbeaten Northwest (2-0, 1-0) on Friday in an Orange pool game. The Lions drilled Mehlville (0-2, 0-1) 62-24 Sept. 5 in their pool opener.
“When we need that yard right now, we haven’t been able to get it and we’re going to have to continue to work and get better for a big, strong Northwest team,” Baer said.