Ryan Ladika/MDN Josh Will (12) hoists the Penny Trophy with his teammates following Bishop Ryan’s 20-12 win over the Velva Aggies Friday afternoon.

When the clock finally ticked down to double zeros on Bishop Ryan’s 20-12 Friday afternoon victory over the previously-unbeaten No. 5 Velva/Garrison Aggies, the Lions had earned a bit more than bragging rights.

The one-possession win in the latest edition of the Copper Bowl sent the Penny Trophy Ryan’s (7-0 Northwest, 7-1 overall) way for the first time in at least two years and gave the Lions the Region 11B Northwest championship, as well as the top seed entering the postseason.

“Yeah it was awesome, it was a battle all the way to the end,” Ryan head coach Roger Coleman said postgame. “I’m just proud of how they played, we had new guys in new spots even this week from injuries and we executed really perfectly. They got some plays, but it feels awesome. It was great, I’m at a loss for words right now.”

A raucous crowd almost large enough to fill the bleachers at Minot State’s Herb Parker Stadium showed up in support of both teams in one of the most crucial games of the fall season. Entering the Friday contest, the two squads had only one loss between them in 13 games.

Coleman and his team were expecting a dogfight against the Aggies (6-1, 6-1) all week long, and ensured his team prepared for either a defensive struggle or an offensive shootout.

The result was a bit of both, as both defenses stood their ground well throughout the opening 12 minutes to keep the game scoreless entering the second quarter.

A seven-play drive that ate up 3:20 of game clock concluded with Velva hitting paydirt first. Quarterback Benjamin Schepp took the snap and quickly tossed the ball to Preston Kraft on a reverse play. Kraft, with plenty of time, aired out a perfect 13-yard strike to Thomas Bodine in the end zone to put the Aggies ahead 6-0.

The Lions quickly drew up an answer on the other end, authoring a nine-play scoring drive in 4:52 of game time. Quarterback Jett Lundeen bounced back well after he tossed an interception on the first play of the game, finding Zach Hendrickson on the near side of the field for a 23-yard score. Christian Lormejuste’s extra point was good, putting the Lions ahead 7-6 entering the half.

“He’s just really special as a freshman,” Coleman said of Lundeen. “He’s got a lot of confidence in himself. The next play is his and he knows he’s going to go execute it. The way he bounced back after that interception was awesome.”

The Lions would find the end zone twice more in a second half that turned into more of an offensive battle, on their first play of the second half via another Hendrickson reception and a Lundeen rushing score with just over two minutes remaining in the contest.

Velva drove down the field in crunch time for a late touchdown of its own, but the Lions’ defense staved off a last-second lateral-play by the Aggies to claim the eight-point win.

“A huge battle down to the last possession, and that’s what we expect,” Coleman added. “We’re always amped up to play them, they’re always amped up to play us, and obviously when you’re playing for the Penny and playing for a region championship, it’s a big deal.”

Ryan will now have their final matchup against Nedrose next week to get healthy entering the postseason, while the Aggies will continue to battle for postseason positioning against Des Lacs-Burlington.