Briefly caught off guard by Nokomis's intensity, Our Savior's turned up its energy as well to take control with big plays.
Conor McCaffrey ran for one touchdown and threw for another, Johnny Orlando rushed for two scores and the O.S./Concordia Eagles beat Nokomis 35-17 on Saturday night.
Jace Easley rushed 15 times for 110 yards, including an 11-yard TD, as the Eagles worked harder than expected to put away the rebuilding Redskins.
Figuring it out in time pleased O.S. coach Phillip Heppe.
""There's a litany of things we can get better at," he said. "We still won the game, and we have some good things to take away."
Starting good was important to the Eagles in their first game since a 30-3 loss to Williamsville last November in the State quarterfinal. Besides wanting to put that defeat behind them and mounting another State championship run, Heppe was interested to see how his team replaced key players in many phases, especially on defense.
Their answer to Nokomis's challenge might have been the most impressive part.
Our Savior's trailed 14-7 in the first before Easleys' score tied it, and McCaffrey followed with an 11-yard score just before haltime.
McCaffrey's TD came after a bizarre sequence featuring three consecutive fumbles between the teams, the last of which Our Savior's recovered at the Nokomis 20. The Eagles forced five fumbles overall and recovered three.
"We just had to focus on the smaller details," said McCaffrey, who rushed for 81 yards on 14 carries. "They were there. Just had to execute what was called. We trust the coaches to put in the right decision and we just had to execute it. All 11 guys."
McCaffrey hit Paul Hammond for a 26-yard TD pass midway through the third for a 28-14 lead. He finished 14 of 23 passing for 193 yards. Orlando rushed for touchdowns of 3 and 1 yards and totaled 24 on eight carries.
THE TAKEAWAY
Our Savior's: The defense initally looked shaky before adjusting to keep Nokomis out of the end zone after the first quarter. Four sacks highlighted that performance, along with the fumble recoveries that stopped drives and momentum. McCaffrey's feet helped set the offensive tone as the Eagles rushed for 232 yards. He then threw the key touchdown for a cushion they never lost.