HOLLAND - In a snowy battle of defenses, it was the Wisconsin-La Crosse Eagles making snow eagles at the end of the game.
The Hope College football team had its chance late in the game but came up yards short in a 9-7 loss to La Crosse in the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs at Ray & Sue Smith Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 29.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Eagles, surviving the late scare ran to the hill on the south side of the stadium an made snow eagles in celebration.
"We knew it would be a defensive battle," La Crosse coach Matt Janus said. "The atmosphere, the snow, two really good teams - you write movies about stuff like this. It was just an awesome environment to be a part of and I am glad our guys found a way to win the game."
But Hope has a lot to celebrate this year, too, even if came to an end earlier than desired.
The Flying Dutchmen hosted NCAA playoff games in back-to-back seasons, something never done before in program history.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMore: Hope football playoffs, 3 keys to victory vs La Crosse
More: Hope College football makes NCAA Division III playoffs, will host second-round showdown
"I am super proud of our guys. Our seniors had a great journey and sacrificed and committed to our program. They made one more play than we did. At the end, I thought we had a really good shot, drive down the field and kick a field goal or score (a touchdown). That was the way the game was rolling," Hope coach Peter Stuursma said. "It says a lot about the guys I am coaching - they don't quit."
Hope (9-2) started to piece things together in the fourth quarter as quarterback Alex Thole was finding Jonny Rohen-Blanton in open spaces.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHope broke free on third-and-1 as Alex Thole went for the deep ball to Rohen-Blanton who dove to make the catch on the 4-yard line.
Thole found Skye VanderKuyl (Zeeland West) wide open for the 4-yard touchdown pass, pulling Hope within 9-7 after the extra point with just 3:49 to go.
Hope's Austin Harvey, front, breaks up a pass against Wisconsin-La Crosse on Saturday, Nov. 29, at Hope's Ray & Sue Smith Stadium.That left it up to the defense, and it delivered. Hope stuffed the run on two plays, then Liam Danitz sacked quarterback Kyle Haas to force a punt.
Hope got the ball on its 40-yard line with 2:43 to go, down two.
Thole scrambled for a first down as the clock continued to count down. Two incomplete passes forced a third-and-10. Thole scrambled again for 7 yards and it was fourth-and-3 with 1 minute to go and Thole was chased and fired the ball incomplete as he was hit.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"We made some plays down the stretch, but didn't do quite enough," Thole said. "I am proud of the way our guys fought."
Hope had 65 yards rushing and 185 yards passing. Thole was 22-for-36 and Rohen-Blanton had 66 yards receiving. The Flying Dutchmen hung in by not committing a turnover and using the punting leg of Noah Dunckel to control the field-position game.
"With the weather conditions the way things were going, their defense was playing lights out and our defense was playing lights out," Stuursma said. "This is the way most games are played. There are defensive battles."
Haas was 18-for-25 passing for La Crosse, which had no turnovers or penalties in the game. Gabe Lynch had 16 carries for 93 yards. Tyler Shaver had seven tackles and Aaron Winters had six.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"We knew what we had to do and when a team goes 0-for-3 on fourth-down conversions, you know you did a good job," Winters said. "Our guys loved the snow. Defensively, this was the game we wanted to be in, a mud bowl pretty much. Nose-grinding, I love defensive environments."
Defense keeps Hope alive
Hope was able to hold the Eagles to 101 yards rushing and 210 yards of total offense. La Crosse was 3-for-14 on third down and 1-for-2 on fourth down.
Colton Schreur had 15 tackles to lead the Flying Dutchmen. Caleb Paarlberg had nine stops, while Austin Harvey and Keaton Hendricks each had five.
Hope's Tyson Mann attempts to tackle the Wisconsin-La Crosse ball carrier on Saturday, Nov. 29."Caleb Paarlberg has started for four years for us. His dad played here and was a four-year starter. That is pretty remarkable," Stuursma said. "We are going to miss him. His personality lights up a room, and lights up the defense."
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementLiam Danitz had two sacks, and finished the season with 15 total, top five in the nation.
"Another home playoff game was really cool. Playing in front of your home crowd is a special experience. As a D-tackle, I like football in the phone booth and that is what it was for most of it," Paarlberg said. "At the end of the day, we didn't make enough plays to stop them, but it was a really fun game to go out and play."
Eagles soar in third quarter
The Hope College football team hosts Wisconsin-La Crosse on Saturday, Nov. 29.La Crosse was able to move the ball on its first drive of the second half with a tackle-breaking long run and a couple of passes.
But the Eagles faced a fourth-and-2 on the Hope 17-yard line. They decided to go for it and Haas found Keaton Arendt on a pass across the middle, setting up first-and-goal. Two plays later, Gabe Lynch scored the first points of the game, a 6-0 lead. The extra point attempt was blocked by Harvey.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Eagles defense kept the momentum by rushing Thole. One pass was broken up and Thole was sacked on third down for a loss of 16.
La Crosse marched down and kicked a field goal to make it 9-0 heading into the fourth quarter.
Hope had a chance to get on the board early in the fourth but a bobbled snap on a field-goal attempt denied the Flying Dutchmen.
Hope finished 5-of-15 on third downs and went 0-for-3 on fourth-down attempts.
Contact sports editor Dan D’Addona at Dan.D’[email protected]. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @DanDAddona or Facebook @HollandSentinelSports.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Hope football edged in thrilling, defensive snowy playoff showdown
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