DeSmet High School of St. Louis knocked off the Kansas City Jr. Blues 19-17 Saturday to win the Missouri State Championship. The Jr. Blues held a 17-7 lead deep in the game.

"When we were down by 10 with five or six minutes left I was praying for us to finish strong and play proud,” De Smet coach Pat Fogarty told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “I didn’t even know if we could get those points. I was just concentrating on the boys finishing on a high note.”

Zach Davis and Austin Collins scored back-to-back tries, one converted, to give DeSmet the comeback win.

“For the seniors, it was our last game and we had to give it all we got,” De Smet captain Aaron Sommerich told the Post-Dispatch. “I think our fitness was the difference. They were getting pretty exhausted.”

The title is DeSmet’s third in four years. For the full report, follow this link.