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Kings of Region 3

Ryan football bests Velva, 35-34, to win regional title

Justin Martinez/MDN Velva quarterback Jersey Selzer scrambles as a Bishop Ryan defender closes in during Velva's game against the Lions on Friday.

VELVA — With the Class A Region 3 title on the line, Bishop Ryan senior quarterback Ben Bohl willed his team to victory, 35-34, in overtime.

Ryan (8-0, 7-0 Region 3) and Velva (7-1, 6-1 Region 3) found themselves in an instant classic Friday night under the lights of the Velva Sports Complex. After five lead changes and even more shifts in momentum, the Lions had the ball at their own 25-yard line with a slim 21-20 advantage and just over six minutes left in the game.

Aggies fans hollered from the bleachers, as Bohl led his team onto the field. The senior had already decimated Velva’s defense for 113 passing yards, one passing touchdown and even a receiving touchdown.

But none of that mattered. All Bohl had on his mind was delivering the knockout punch.

“We’d been battling so hard all night,” Bohl said. “We just kept fighting the whole game and put ourselves in a position to win. We were just taking it one play at a time.”

After a three-yard run on the first play, Bohl went all in and launched a pass down the field to sophomore Logan Merck. The ball hit Merck in stride as he broke a tackle and took it 72 yards to the house, giving Bishop Ryan a 28-20 lead with 5:54 left in the game.

But, the Aggies weren’t going down that easy. After exchanging empty drives, Velva had one final shot to extend the game on a 4th-and-8 play from its own 44-yard line with 1:20 left.

Sophomore quarterback Jersey Selzler gave a jump ball to senior Seth Fahy, who came down with the ball and waltzed into the end zone. A successful two-point conversion run by sophomore Gage Florence tied the game at 28, sending the two teams into overtime.

Bohl wasted no time on the Lions’ first possession, connecting with Merck once again on the very first play for the 10-yard touchdown pass. Bishop Ryan drilled the PAT, giving the Lions a 35-28 lead and forcing Velva to answer.

The Aggies turned to Florence, who’d ran for 176 yards and three scores on the night, on third down and goal from the five yard line. The sophomore rushed to the left side and got stood up by none other than Bohl at the two yard line, setting up a 4th-and-2 play the Aggies had to convert on.

Selzler delivered once again, finding Hayden Lee in the right corner of the end zone to bring Velva to within one point.

But, instead of kicking for the tie, the Aggies lined up for the win.

“I just told my guys, ‘This is the biggest play of your season,'” Coleman said. “They’d already come through so many times tonight, but we needed this one more than anything. We had to get the stop.”

Selzler took the snap and lunged forward in a desperate push for the end zone. The sound of pads colliding rang throughout the field as the quarterback was met by a trio of Bishop Ryan defenders. Selzler fell to the ground, one yard short of the end zone.

Ball game.

The Lions rushed the field in a moment of sheer chaos as they celebrated their nail-biting victory.

Ryan celebrated on their opponents’ field, taking photos with the Region 6 title trophy as the rain came down on them.

Bohl finished with 191 passing yards and five total touchdowns, while Merck recorded 107 receiving yards and three touchdowns.

The win sends Bishop Ryan into the postseason with a world of confidence as it attempts to make a splash in the playoffs. For Velva, the Aggies hope to get back on track as they too prepare for the postseason.

“This is a really tough one to take in,” Florence said. “But we just have to move forward. I know we’ll come back from this.”

Justin Martinez covers Minot High School and Class B high school sports. Follow him on Twitter @JTheSportsDude.

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