In a rivalry that has produced so many memorable performances, 2024’s installment of the Battle of the Bishops was just like all the others – hard-fought, gritty, and down-to-the-wire. And yet, it was decidedly unique. In what figures to be a first in the annual crosstown series between Bishop Dwenger and Bishop Luers, the Saints and Knights played a full four quarters of football without either team scoring a touchdown. However, it was the Bishop Dwenger special teams and defense helping to deliver an 8-0 victory for its homecoming crowd on Friday, October 4, at Shields Field. Junior placekicker Lucas Nguyen connected on a pair of field goals for the Saints, while the Dwenger defense added a safety by swarming Luers running back Daryea Williams in his own endzone. Bishop Luers running back Daryea WIlliams attempts to turn the corner around the Saints defense during the Battle of the Bishops football game at Shields Field in Fort Wayne on Friday, October 4. “It was a grind from the very beginning,” said Saints head coach Jason Garrett, who watched starting quarterback Henry Jordan exit the game early with an injury and sophomore Nick O’Keefe step in under center while also playing in the defensive secondary. “Our defense just continues to get better and better. Losing Henry at the quarterback position early on, and God bless Nick O’Keefe, man, playing corner and then has to come play quarterback again. We did what we had to do, but defense wins championships; that old adage proved true tonight. And special teams, once again, Lucas hitting a couple big ones there, and a big safety down there. I’m proud of our guys. Sometimes when it doesn’t go your way, you’ve got to grind them out, and that’s what the guys did tonight. It shows a lot of character; I’m very proud of them.” “I knew it was a big role I had to step into,” admitted O’Keefe after the game. “I couldn’t do it without the help of my teammates. I knew that I had to step up and manage the game to beat Luers. Luers is such a special game to us – we just had to win that game.” The Saints (3-4, 3-2 in Summit Athletic Conference play) weren’t the only team to suffer injuries at the quarterback position. Bishop Luers (5-2, 4-1) starting signal caller Devin Patterson was forced to exit the game on multiple occasions and was ultimately replaced by Jayce White. As both offenses struggled to move the football with their backup quarterbacks, the Knights and Saints defensive units put on a show, leading to a combined 13 punts on the night. Bishop Dwenger Saints quarterback Nick O’Keefe hands the ball off during the second half of the Battle of the Bishops football game at Shields Field in Fort Wayne on Friday, October 4. “Without the help of our defense, we couldn’t have won that game,” said O’Keefe. “Just everything: the sacks, the turnovers, the tackles, the hard-hitting, the physicality of Dwenger football we showed tonight, shutting them out. Our defense is really, really good.” That was never more apparent than on a series midway through the fourth quarter. Following an interception by Knights defensive back McKale Woodson, the Bishop Luers offense was backed up inside its own five-yard line. As soon as Williams took the handoff, he was engulfed in the backfield by a sea of blue jerseys and dropped in his own endzone for a safety. Linebacker K.C. Pieper, one of those Dwenger defenders in on the play, said he had been practicing for that opportunity. “I got my chance, and I took it,” Pieper said of the safety. “We were preparing for it all week; our coaches got us prepared very well. We went out there, did what we are supposed to do, and gave them a goose egg [zero on the scoreboard].” Meanwhile, Bishop Dwenger’s running game proved to be its most effective weapon on offense. Gus Tippmann rushed 24 times for 90 yards to pace the Saints, while A.J. Shefferly added 38 yards on 11 carries. It was just enough to put Nguyen into field goal range twice, and he came through on both attempts – a 30-yarder in the second quarter, and another from 43 yards out in the third. The victory marked the Saints’ first shutout since a 41-0 win against Northrop on October 16, 2020 – a period of 44 games. It came five years to the day since the Saints’ last shutout of the Knights, a 47-0 rout on October 4, 2019. This year’s annual rivalry game proved much closer and wasn’t secured until a desperation fourth down heave from White fell incomplete with a little more than a minute remaining. In fitting fashion, it was the seventh time in the last nine meetings that the two teams have been separated by a single score. “Traditional Battle of the Bishops, you know?” remarked Garrett. “One-score game, and we’re fortunate we’re on top this year. They got us last year, so it’s just the way it goes – Battle of the Bishops to the end.” The post Saints Prevail in Battle of the Bishops Defensive Showcase appeared first on Today's Catholic.