BISMARCK — Players are just expected to make plays.
Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin senior Chaz Dubois is just one of those ‘dudes’ according to his coach Mark Dodd.
Dubois proved it on Saturday with three receptions for 132 yards, including the game-winning 55-yard touchdown with 38 seconds left to help the Blue Devils get past the Erie-Prophetstown Panthers 14-6 in an IHSA Class 2A first-round playoff game at Peyton-Moss Field.
“I just play the game,” Dubois said. “When I’m playing the game, I don’t think about anything else but making a play and doing my job.”
That didn’t happen for Dubois or any other Blue Devil in the first three quarters against a very stout Panthers defense.
Bis-Henn/Ross-Al (10-0) had been held to 59 yards on 28 plays in the first three quarters.
“They play in a tough, physical conference and it obviously showed,” said Dodd as Erie-Prophetstown is a member of the Three Rivers Conference, which includes former state championship teams like Sterling Newman, Mercer County and Rockridge. “They did a lot of things that gave us trouble, especially upfront. We couldn’t establish anything offensively.
“We had to loosen them up, but I thought Andy (quarterback Anderson Thomas) was a little rattled early and missed some easy throws.”
So, the second-seeded Blue Devils entered the fourth quarter trailing the Panthers 6-0.
“We had a rough start,” Dubois said. “We weren’t doing anything really well at the start, but at the end of the third quarter and in the fourth quarter, we started putting some stuff together.”
The Blue Devils comeback got a big kickstart when Thomas found Dubois for a 33-yard completion down the west sideline as Dubois went up and over Erie-Prophetstown defensive back Connor Keegan. Four plays later, Thomas found Dubois again for a 34-yard completion down the Panthers 3-yard line.
Offensive lineman Connor Powell finished the seven-play, 77-yard drive with his 3-yard plunge into the end zone that tied the game at 6-6 with 6 minutes, 29 seconds left.
“That was his first-ever touchdown,” said Dodd, noting that Powell had six 2-point conversions this season. “That is our little short-yardage thing. I’ve been doing it for 18 years.
“We trust him to get his shoulder pads low and get those tough yards.”
And the game remained tied as the BHRA extra-point kick was blocked, just like what happened to Erie-Prophetstown in the second quarter after a 1-yard run by the Panthers quarterback Keegan Winckler.
While those two big plays by Dubois were the catalyst for the game-tying touchdown, they were merely an appetizer for the big meal.
The Blue Devils defense responded with a defensive stop, getting the ball back into the hands of Thomas and the BHRA offense with 1:18 left at its own 24.
Senior running back Evan Parish, who had been held to 37 yards on 13 carries, busted out runs of 8 and 13 yards to get the Blue Devils to their own 45.
“Evan did a nice job on those runs. He got out of bounds, stopping the clock and getting us near midfield,” Dodd said. “It’s a little easier to take a shot or two at that point.”
Just like a few previous throws in the fourth quarter, Thomas lobbed a pass toward Dubois along the sideline but this time, it was falling short of its target.
The ball bounced off the hands of Keegan and into the waiting arms of Dubois, who raced the final 30 yards for the game-winning 55-yard touchdown reception.
“I feel that was pretty lucky, but when you have to go make plays and you make a lot of them, luck normally goes your way,” Dubois said. “As soon as I saw him get his hands on it, I got a little scared, but it bounced right into my face and it worked out.”
Did he know that he was going to score?
“I knew I was going to run it in,” he said. “I was faster and there was no one behind me.”
Dubois and Thomas also hooked up on the 2-point conversion to give the Blue Devils the 8-point lead.
“The main thing coming into the fourth quarter, we felt like Chaz had an advantage, we had to get into the right set to put him singled up,” Dodd said. “Once we got that going, (Thomas) settled in and delivered a couple really nice balls. The last one was underthrown but Chaz made the play.”
Erie-Prophetstown (5-5) had a plenty of opportunities as the Panthers converted just 1 of 4 possessions inside the Blue Devils’ red zone.
Bis-Henn/Ross-Al got an interception by Parish in the end zone to stop one drive and right before halftime, Erie-Prophetstown bobbled a snap on a fourth-and-goal play from the 2.
“Their coaching staff did a great job. They were just beating us to the point of attack all day,” Dodd said. “Luckily, coach (Murad) Abbed and his defense did a great job as well and we were able to fend them off numerous times in the red zone just to have a chance for a comeback.
“If we would have gotten down by two scores today, it would have felt like a 40-0 game. Those defensive stops kept our energy up and kept us within striking distance.”
With the victory, Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin advances to the second round and a matchup with former Vermilion Valley Conference football member Seneca. The Fighting Irish (9-1) defeated El Paso-Gridley 39-23 in the first round.
Saturday’s second-round contest will be a 2 p.m. kickoff at Peyton-Moss Field in Bismarck.
At Peyton-Moss Field
Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin 14, Erie-Prophetstown 6
E-P `0 `6 `0 `0 `— `6
BHRA `0 `0 `0 `14 `— `14
Second quarter
EP — Keegan Winckler 1-yard run (kick blocked), 5:37.
Fourth quarter
BHRA — Conner Powell 3-yard run (kick blocked), 6:27.
BHRA — Chaz Dubois 55-yard pass from Anderson Thomas (Dubois pass from Thomas), :38.
Bis-Henn/Ross-Al statistical leaders
Rushing — Evan Paris 15 carries, 58 yards.
Passing — Anderson Thomas 7 completions, 15 attempts, 2 interceptions, 148 yards, 1 touchdown.
Receiving — Chaz Dubois 7 receptions, 148 yards, 1 touchdown.