Marian quarterback Robert Mischler never flinched.
Faced with a fourth-and-one at the Marian 43 with 3:05 left in the game, Mischler stared into the teeth of a bulldog Mishawaka defense and called his own number as the Knights labored to protect a 35-30 lead Friday night.
Mischler faked out the Cavemen on an option and then bolted for an eight-yard gain to keep the ball in Marian's hands. Two plays later, Mischler broke loose for an 18-yard gain, a dagger that allowed the Knights to run the clock out on a 35-30 high school football victory.
Marian improves to 6-2 overall, 4-2 in the Northern Indiana Conference. Mishawaka is 5-3 overall and 3-2 in the league.
"That's what option guys do," Marian coach Reggie Glon said of going for it on fourth down twice at critical moments. "If you can't get a yard, you don't deserve to win. Our big thing was, if we give them the ball back, they're marching down and scoring. They're averaging 30 or 40 points a game. We weren't stopping them a whole lot."
Mischler connected on 6 of 8 passes for 130 yards, all to Anthony Rice. Mischler hit Rice for TD strikes of 18, 65 and seven yards.
"Anthony is running great routes on the outside and getting open," Mischler said. "He's going to be my first read because of his ability."
Marian built a 29-8 lead in the first half. The Knights turned two Mishawaka turnovers (a fumble recovered by Andrew Derucki and a leaping interception by Rice) into touchdowns.
Mishawaka scored four seconds before halftime to make it a 29-15 score, and then the Cavemen surged in the second half.
"The adjustment we made was we decided to compete and play like it mattered, like there was something important to be played for," Mishawaka coach Bart Curtis said. "That was the big difference. There was no magic, no X's and O's. We just looked like we had a backbone the second half."
Angelo Multari gave Mishawaka a burst of momentum to start the second half. Multari scrambled through the Knights for a 64-yard return of the opening kickoff to give the Maroonclads the ball at the Marian 29. Mishawaka drove to the Marian 5, but a penalty and a tackle-for-loss by Marian's Eric Plude helped thwart the Cavemen drive.
Mishawaka cashed in on field position on its next possession, driving 46 yards. Quarterback Sam Schrader knifed through the Knights for a 28-yard gain to put the ball at the 2. He rammed into the end zone from the 1 two plays later. Khari Berning added a two-point conversion to help the Cavemen close to 29-23 with 2:29 left in the third quarter.
Marian, aided by a fourth-and-1 conversion and a 15-yard facemask penalty, took a 35-23 lead. The Knights moved 65 yards on a drive that culminated in a seven-yard touchdown pass from Mischler to a diving Rice with 7:01 left in the game.
Mishawaka closed to 35-30 with 3:44 left in the game, marching 65 yards and scoring on a two-yard run by Matthew Carver.
But Mischler made sure the Knights never let Mishawaka's offense get another shot.
Mischler finished with 76 yards on nine carries. Vince Campiti worked for 63 yards on 17 carries.
Schrader carried the ball 24 times for 131 yards.
"Sam's a warrior," Curtis said. "We had some unbelievable kids battle in the second half. We're just not making the big plays when it counts."
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