Gino Prescott
When Columbus North looks back on its first loss of the football season, the Bull Dogs could point to their four trips inside the Bishop Chatard 30-yard line that came up empty.
The Class 6A No. 8 Bull Dogs moved the ball most of the night on the 4A No. 5 Trojans, but managed only a couple of long touchdowns. Chatard, meanwhile, scored twice in the game’s final 7 minutes to rally for a 21-14 victory in a game that featured a 1-hour, 46-minute lightning delay just before halftime.
The Trojans (4-1) hadn’t been able to do much against the North defense all night until their final two drives. They drove 54 yards in 12 plays, capped by a 5-yard touchdown run by Jax Guidry, and tied the game at 14-14 with 6:55 remaining.
North (4-1) marched into Chatard territory with less than 3 minutes left, but had to punt. A pooch kick by quarterback Asher Ratliff left the Trojans at their own 11 with 2:34 remaining.
Chatard then drove 89 yards in nine plays in 1:29, scoring on a 24-yard run by Guidry with 1:05 left.
The Bull Dogs got as far as the Trojans 40 before the clock ran out.
North twice enjoyed seven-point leads. On their third offensive play, Gino Prescott ran 46 yards for a score to give the Bull Dogs and early 7-0 lead.
North got the ball back on a Macario Mendez interception and drove to the Chatard 28 before turning it over on downs. The Trojans tied the game in the second quarter after a 9-yard run by Daniel Adams.
The Bull Dogs drove to the Chatard 18 before the game was delayed with 1:10 left in the first half. Following the lengthy delay, North threw an incomplete pass, then missed a 35-yard field goal, and the game stayed tied at 7-7 at the end of two quarters.
Jordan Briner
The Bull Dogs once again took the lead with 4:06 left in the third quarter when Ratliff hit Jordan Briner over the middle, and Briner outran the secondary to the end zone for a 46-yard score.
Briner finished with five catches for 88 yards, while Morgan Knapp added eight receptions for 62 yards. The pair emerged in the absence of top receivers Braylon Thoman (elbow) and Garrett Long (ankle), who were sidelined with injuries.
Ratliff completed 22 of 31 passes for 200 yards. Prescott ran for 123 yards on 21 carries.
Bishop Chatard 21, Columbus North 14
Columbus North;7;0;7;0;—14
Bishop Chatard;7;0;7;14;—21
CN — Gino Prescott 46 run (Luke Friend kick), 7:36.
BC — Daniel Adams 9 run (Pato Gallardo kick), 4:52.
CN — Jordan Briner 46 pass from Asher Ratliff (Friend kick), 4:06.
BC — Jax Guidry 5 run (Gallardo kick), 6:55.
BC — Guidry 24 run (Gallardo kick), 1:05.
Individual statistics
RUSHING — Columbus North: Prescott 21-87, Ratliff 9-27.
PASSING — Columbus North: Ratliff 22 for 31, 200 yards, 1 touchdown, 0 interceptions.
RECEIVING — Columbus North: Briner 5-88, Morgan Knapp 8-62, Prescott 4-27, Jerry Likens 1-18, Eli Smith 1-6, Owie Kibler 1-5, Sam Mormino 2-3.
