Roeder’s two touchdowns help Roncalli pull away from East Central 28-10
Staff Report
ST. LEON — Luke Roeder scored through the air and on a kickoff return, and Roncalli shut out East Central in the second half Friday to secure a 28-10 victory in an Indiana high school football game.
The Royals (7-2) carried a four-point lead into halftime before adding a touchdown in each of the final two quarters. East Central fell to 7-2.
Neither team scored in the opening quarter, but the offenses and special teams produced a busy second period.
Roncalli broke the deadlock on a touchdown pass from Dominic Cromer to Roeder. The extra point gave the Royals a 7-0 advantage.
East Central answered with a field goal by Blake Sterwerf to cut the deficit to 7-3. Roeder immediately swung momentum back to Roncalli, returning the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown. Another extra point pushed the lead to 14-3.
The Trojans responded before halftime. Quarterback Ben Bond scored on a 4-yard run, and Sterwerf’s extra point brought East Central within 14-10 at the break.
That was as close as the Trojans would get.
Roncalli added a rushing touchdown in the third quarter, extending its advantage to 21-10. The Royals scored again on the ground in the fourth, with Austin Bradley’s extra point completing the scoring.
Cromer finished eight of 13 passing for 139 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 41 yards and a score on six carries. Alex Jarvis added 45 yards and a touchdown on 11 attempts, while freshman Colton Wildey led the Royals with 60 rushing yards on 10 carries.
Roeder caught two passes for 48 yards, including a 45-yard touchdown, and finished with 170 all-purpose yards. Bradley converted all four extra-point attempts.
Roncalli’s defense helped turn a close halftime contest into an 18-point victory, holding East Central scoreless over the final two quarters. Will Hegwood led the Royals with 16 tackles.
The Royals finished with 294 yards of offense, including 155 rushing yards. East Central totaled 279 yards, with Bond passing for 139 and the Trojans gaining 140 on the ground.
