'Riders-Redskins matchup of '85 a classic

With 109 meetings so far in a series that began in 1921, countless St. Marys-Wapakoneta battles have likely earned the right to be labeled as classic. One encounter, though, that still emerges from most Roughrider fans' memory banks, at least those who stuck around until the end, was their clash 30 years ago when Skip Baughman's crew came to Wapakoneta to square off with the team they hadn't beaten on the road since 1981.

"Any time we faced Wapakoneta, it was going to be a battle that usually was decided by a touchdown or two," longtime St. Marys assistant coach Roger Duncan said. "There were plenty of exciting games in that series dating back to the days when Hank Stroh was their head coach, but I don't think any of them were quite as dramatic as the game in 1985."

The contest held a peculiar feeling from the very start, beginning on the second drive of the game when St. Marys recovered a muffed punt at Wapak's 40-yard line. A 30-yard pass from quarterback Bill Fitzgerald to junior tight end Bruce Wibbeler set the 'Riders up at the 10-yard line, only to have the drive die with an untimely fumble.

Not to be outdone, the Redskins bungled the ball right back to St. Marys on their next snap. Tired of the nonsense, Fitzgerald pounded into the end zone on the next play to put his team up 6-0 midway through the first quarter. Another St. Marys turnover early in the second period gave the Redskins possession near midfield. Nine plays later, Wapak took a 7-6 lead into the half.

"I don't remember much about the halftime break, but being down, I am sure that Skip had a few choice words for the situation," Fitzgerald laughed. "We likely got a good chewing if it was needed but after that we always got fired up and went out to do what we needed to come out on top. It was only a 15-minute bus ride home, but it would seem a whole lot longer if we lost that game."

Each of the Roughriders' first three possessions of the second half began in Wapak territory, but nothing came of it on the scoreboard. With 17 seconds left in the third quarter, the Redskins took advantage of another Roughrider turnover and Daren Stiles' 13-yard scoring run put the Redskins in command 13-6 as the battle rolled into the final quarter.

Fitzgerald tossed an interception to begin the fourth stanza, but fortunately for St. Marys, Wapak couldn't capitalize. On its next series, St. Marys pieced together a 72-yard drive that ended with Fitzgerald and Wibbeler hooking up for a 25-yard score with just under five minutes to play. Baughman's decision to go for two points backfired, preserving Wapak's edge at 13-12.

Looking to drain the clock, Wapak swallowed nearly three minutes on their next drive before their punt gave St. Marys one last chance 85 yards from the end zone with a minute to play.

"I don't think we were too concerned in games where we trailed heading into the fourth quarter," Fitzgerald explained. "We weren't a team that was going to score 50 points in a game but we were confident in our game plan and always played Roughrider football the best that we could to put us in a position to win."

At this point several St. Marys fans, including some prominent boosters, decided they had had enough and headed for the exits. Soon after, the magic began.

"When it boiled down to that final drive, I don't think there were too many people on either side that felt we had a chance because the opinion was that we couldn't throw the ball," Duncan commented. "That simply wasn't true. Just because we traditionally didn't throw much didn't mean we didn't practice it. Heck, we practiced throwing almost as much as we did running. The odds were stacked against us, but we felt as long as someone stepped up and made a big play that we would be okay."

Fitzgerald ignited the drive with a 15-yard pass to Wibbeler, who quickly broke free and raced 30 more yards across midfield. On the following play, Fitzgerald unleashed a toss to Preston Keith, who slithered through a mix-up in the Redskin secondary and waited for the pass as if it were a punt. Fitzgerald then attempted to punch it in from the two-yard line but was unsuccessful, forcing St. Marys to burn their its timeout. On the ensuing snap, Fitzgerald found Wibbeler in the corner of the end zone with 10 seconds to play. Although the PAT was off the mark, it didn't matter as St. Marys took home the 18-13 triumph, giving Baughman the 200th career coaching victory.

"When people look back on that game, there is almost as much talk about what happened off the field that night than on the field," Fitzgerald said, referring to those who absconded a little too early. "I'm sure they look back and regret missing the finish, but it is a great lesson to learn. You never count anyone out even when it looks impossible. That was a huge win in St. Marys history and one that I will never forget being a part of."