Aurora Christian topples Walther Lutheran

Roberts within 102 yards of breaking IHSA passing record

Aurora Christian survived its toughest test of the season Saturday afternoon at Walther Lutheran and moved a step closer to capturing its second consecutive Private School League title with a 39-33 victory over the host Broncos.

The game featured 923 yards of total offense and seven turnovers and saw the Eagles (7-0, 4-0) score 19 unanswered points after falling behind 7-6 in the first quarter, only to have the Broncos (5-2, 3-1) respond with 26 second-half points.

"It was a battle," ACS receiver and defensive back Matt Morse said. "This is a huge game. The conference title was on the line."

The win was the Eagles' 16th consecutive in the regular season.

Eagles quarterback Jordan Roberts threw for 252 yards and three touchdowns in the first half, including a 68-yard hookup with David Zielke and a 62-yard score to Matt Morse as ACS went into the break leading 25-7.

Running back Lewis Gaddis starred for the Eagles, rushing for 220 yards and a touchdown.

Roberts finished with 306 yards passing and five touchdowns, leaving him just 102 yards away from breaking the career IHSA passing yards record.

"The (line) did great and the wideouts were catching balls," Roberts said. "It was a lot of fun."

The Eagles were in position to put the game away in the second half, but the Broncos took their opening drive down the field to make it 25-14 on an 11-yard Logan Davis run. Two plays later, Gaddis was stripped at his own 35, which led to a 20-yard touchdown pass from David Tuomi to Brandon Sims that cut the lead to 25-20.

Aurora Christian responded with consecutive scores of its own on a 10-yard pass from Roberts to Luis Solorio and then on a 4-yard Roberts pass to Morse to take a 39-20 lead into the final quarter.

Walther Lutheran took its next drive in for a score on a 13-yard Sims run, but it looked as if the Eagles would run the clock out.

But a holding penalty forced ACS into a 2nd-and-18 from the 50 and Roberts lost the ball when he was sacked by Perry Brown. The Broncos took advantage, eventually scoring on a Sims run from the goal line with 3:54 left.

Leading 39-33, ACS moved the ball to the Broncos 27 behind Gaddis and a long quarterback sneak by Roberts. Then, with 1:56 left, Roberts tried to cut upfield on a run and fumbled again, giving the Broncos a chance to tie or win the game.

Walther Lutheran moved the ball to near midfield, but on 2nd-and-eight from the 49, Tuomi was pressured and tried to throw the ball out of bounds, but Morse easily intercepted it to seal the victory.

Sims had 291 total yards and four touchdowns for the Broncos.

"They came to play," Broncos coach Bruce Tuomi said of the Eagles. "(But) I thought our kids did a good job battling back. It was a heckuva game."

Aurora Christian 39, Walther Lutheran 33