NEWTON, Kan.—
Last season, the ride home from Newton was not the trip Baileyville B&B had planned after a 46-14 pounding at the hands of Thunder Ridge.This season, the tables were turned with a 28-6 win for the Falcons over the Longhorns. But the Baileyville state title is just a state title.
“When your goal is to win a state championship, that’s the only motivation there is,” said Baileyville head coach Justin Coup. “It’s not revenge, it’s not a league game, it’s not a rivalry game—it’s a state championship game.”
For the Falcons, it is the third state title in the last five years, as the program continues to measure success with championships.
Baileyville got off to a quick start with a Dustin Deters touchdown to give the Falcons an 8-0 lead. With the way the Baileyville defense played, the touchdown was all the Falcons needed to secure the big trophy. But Baileyville wasn’t done scoring.
Brendan Bergman added to the lead two minutes later with a 6-yard run to give the Falcons a 16-0 lead.
In the second quarter, a juggling catch from Tyler Deters on a pass from Dustin Rottinghaus helped Baileyville to a commanding 22-0 lead at the half. However Thunder Ridge is a dangerous team and the Falcons weren’t about to let off the gas.
“You’ve got to keep going,” said Rottinghaus. “You can’t let up at all because they will come back.”
Baileyville finished the game with Rottingaus punching it in on a keeper to put the Falcons up 22-0 in the fourth quarter. With the way Baileyville lines, both offensive and defense, dominated the point of attack, a 22-point lead in the fourth quarter was far more than Thunder Ridge could overcome.
“It feels good after it’s done,” said Rottinghaus. “The seniors have only lost to two teams before, but we’ve beaten them both this year so they have beaten every team out there that we’ve played.”
Thunder Ridge scored late in the game when Trevor Lowe stayed with a tipped ball to haul it in for a 20-yard touchdown pass for the Longhorns. But it was too little too late as the Falcons won another state trophy with a 22-6 win.
“It starts with our seniors and showing the underclassmen exactly how it’s done,” said Coup. “And when they graduate, they don’t just graduate. They are still a part of it and it’s amazing, the tradition.”
