Members of the Bishop Dwenger football team have put their blood, sweat, and tears into trying to achieve one of the most difficult tasks in high school athletics – namely, advancing to the state finals and, ultimately, winning a state championship. Although it is an extremely challenging goal, wi th determination and hard work, Dwenger’s football team won the Class 4A state championship on Saturday, November 29, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, defeating the Roncalli Royals 36-29. With the score tied at 29 in the middle of the fourth quarter, Bishop Dwenger kicker Lucas Nguyen completed a pass to AJ Shefferly on a fake field goal. Shefferly caught the ball and broke several tackles on his way to the game-winning touchdown that clinched the program’s sixth state title. Most of the players have played together or competed against one another since they were little kids, dreaming of playing for a championship at Lucas Oil Stadium one day. “Having played with and against my teammates since third grade, it is something we have all dreamed of since then,” said senior quarterback Henry Jordan. “The brotherhood that this senior class has is like no other.” Bishop Dwenger players and coaches rush the field after a game-clinching interception to win the IHSAA Class 4A state championship in Indianapolis on Friday, November 28. This team deserved every bit of making it to state, playing at the Lucas Oil Stadium, and going home with a win. They have spent many months building up to this moment, preparing for the best possible outcome. “We work together every week and watch film together and just build good chemistry together throughout the week,” said senior Gus Tippmann. Having a bond that makes it easier to perform flawlessly on the field is crucial to a strong and successful team. This team has worked together through thick and thin in order to get as far as they did. “Football has brought me so close to many of my teammates and created friendships that I wouldn’t have otherwise,” Shefferly said. “Without football, I don’t think I would be the same person I am today.” Being their last year at Dwenger, these seniors are reminiscing about every memory made on the field together – and what it means to be a BD football player. Coach Jason Garrett speaks at a pep rally celebrating the Saints’ 4A state title. “Playing football at Dwenger is one of the biggest blessings because of the traditions that have been carried on since the beginning,” said senior Nick Tippmann. Every game, the players catch a glimpse of their future and look back on their past in seeing the many different people who surround the program. They inspire the young kids who look up to them and can imagine what future saints will see when they become alumni. “It is cool always seeing the alumni and future saints at our games,” said Nick Tippmann. Football comes with many hardships, and the team has to work hard to achieve the goals they’ve set before themselves. They are constantly practicing and learning how to become better at the sport they know and love. “To be a Bishop Dwenger football player, you have to have that gritty, never-quit attitude,” Shefferly said. “Everyone works together for the team to go; everyone needs to have trust, unity, and toughness,” he said. It is not just one person who makes the team flourish, the seniors said; it is everyone working together and putting in the effort to make the team the best it can be. The relationships created while on the team are like no other and are never taken for granted. “Football has brought me so close to all my teammates and helped me realize how strong our brotherhood is. It is my favorite thing ever,” said Gus Tippmann. The seniors are leaving Dwenger with many practices filled with laughter, many exciting games, and many bonds created through friendship and football. Throughout the season, the seniors said, each member of the football team stayed focus on the main prize: winning state. Having lost to Roncalli in the regular season opener gave the Saints an idea of how difficult the task was going to be in the state finals. “After we lost 3-0 in the first game of the season against Roncalli, I’m sure the whole team can remember the feeling and the promise we made that we would remember this feeling and it wouldn’t happen again,” Jordan said. “We all told ourselves that we would see them again in the postseason, and God lined that up perfectly in the state final game.” The team knew it was going to be a tough game, but with their nonstop persistence, they knew they could accomplish anything they put their minds to. “You have to have a work ethic that can never be turned off,” Nick Tippmann said. “We have been training for this since January, and we have kept training. It has never stopped. This has helped us go this far into the playoffs.” The football program at Dwenger is one filled with faith, love, trust, and family. On the team, the players treat one another like brothers, and the relationships made will last a lifetime. Courtney Haynes is a sophomore at Bishop Dwenger High School. The post Dwenger Seniors Savor Championship Run appeared first on Today's Catholic. ...read more read less