FORT WAYNE – Although no Bishop Luers football team has accomplished the state three-peat, that didn’t stop the 2011 edition from setting it as a goal.
The Knights have been close before, going to four straight state championships 1999 to 2002, but the victory parade was interrupted by a 2000 title-game loss to Evansville Mater Dei – the same school Luers will meet today.
“It means a lot to us,” Luers senior offensive tackle Casey Baker said of the three-peat attempt. “We have talked about it all year. That’s been one of our goals, to get back to state and make it a three-peat and make history.”
There’s a reason no other Luers team had gone back-to-back-to-back before – it’s not easy. Only one other 2A program has done it before – Franklin Central in 1980-82 – and only six times among all five classes has it been done.
The feat could be accomplished twice today. Besides Luers, Lafayette Central Catholic will go for its third straight in Class A, playing Indianapolis Scecina.
The other schools to do it were Penn (1995-97) and Warren Central (four straight, 2003-06) in 5A; Indianapolis Roncalli (2002-04) in 4A; Indianapolis Chatard (2001-03) in 3A; and Sheridan (2005-07) in Class A.
“We have never done this, and it would mean a lot to our seniors more than anyone else,” Luers coach Matt Lindsay said. “It would finish their careers 18-0 in the playoffs, if that happens. That would be a pretty nice feat to say the least. The significance is more on the kids than it is on the coaches, who always like to think we will get another opportunity someday. But it’s never guaranteed.”
The Knights have made it look pretty easy.
Through the previous 17 postseason games, teams have gotten to within two touchdowns of Luers only five times and three of those came in 2009 when the Knights finished the regular season 4-5. And only twice – both in 2009 – has a team came within a touchdown or less. The Knights beat Lewis Cass 54-53 in two overtimes in the regional and Monrovia 24-17 in the state finals.
Games like Luers’ 35-21 win over Bremen last week in the semistate show how important experience is in the postseason.
“That was a good springboard to get here,” Lindsay said. “The competition has gotten stiffer each week, and they provided a good challenge. I like the way our kids responded, especially on the defensive end.
“You like to think (experience) is an advantage. I don’t know if that is always true. … We would hope to be very balanced and wide open, why not? It’s the last game of the year.”
