It's good! Chi-Hi's Schindler kicks, catches, returns lead Cards to victory

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By DAVID BOSSICK
david.bossick@lee.net
Saturday, October 4, 2008 1:30 AM CDT

He’d done it five times before.

The first three times it counted. The next two were halted for penalties.

The sixth time, Collin Schindler’s right foot connected with the football and it floated end over end.

He watched the ball go through, and replicated what the officials were signaling.

His extra point was good.

His teammates and coaches flooded the south end zone to celebrate the culmination of Chi-Hi’s 28-27 overtime victory against Superior in a classic Big Rivers Conference showdown at Dorais Field Friday night and as well as another berth in the football playoffs.

Schindler, the team’s renowned kicker, didn’t just get the job done with his right leg, either. He’s got hands and he’s got quick feet, too.

“Collin is a great player. Collin is one of those kids (that) I don’t think he knows how good of an athlete he is, yet,” Chi-Hi coach Chuck Raykovich said. “He’s a phenomenal kid. His kickoffs normally go in the end zone. He’s got great speed. He’s got good hands.

“You saw him tonight, he performed in the clutch.”

Schindler caught the tying touchdown in overtime after Superior had the ball first in overtime. He caught a 17-yard pass from Mitch Olson on the Cardinals’ second play from scrimmage.

That only knotted things up in the extra session because of Superior’s prior touchdown reception by Zach Colvin on a pass from Joe Reichert. But Chris Blake’s extra point was wide right to help set up the dramatic extra point by Schindler.

It took three tries for Schindler just to get the kick through. On the first attempt, the Spartans were offsides. On the second attempt, Superior was called for roughing the kicker because a Spartan defender leaped over Chi-Hi’s center to get the block.

“We went over the center and you can’t go over the snapper like that,” Superior coach Bob DeMeyer. “It was a good call.”

The third time, as the saying goes, was the charm.

Schindler seemed to be where Chi-Hi needed him throughout the contest. He caught a key pass in regulation to set up Olson’s 7-yard run for a touchdown with 2:23 showing on the clock in the fourth quarter.

In the first half, he returned the opening kickoff to the Superior 31-yard line. That set up Chi-Hi’s score on the opening drive of the game, an 8-yard run by Michael Adams.

After Schindler’s big return, the Spartans angled the kickoffs out-of-bounds or squibbed the ball to players further up the field.

Chi-Hi appeared to be in control of the game early on after Jared Jaquish’s 3-yard touchdown run midway through the second quarter.

However, Superior took advantage of a Chi-Hi fumble on the Cardinals 19-yard line and used the short field to draw within seven points. Marzett Turner muscled his way through the Chi-Hi defense for a 14-yard touchdown run.

Superior attempted a 32-yard field goal before the half as the momentum pendulum fully shifted into the Spartans’ favor.

“We kind of shot ourselves in the foot a little bit. Our defense dug in when we had to at times,” DeMeyer said. “Our kids got a lot of heart.”

And it didn’t stop at the half, either. The Spartans wore off nearly the entire fourth quarter thanks in part to a Chi-Hi muffed punt. Turner scored his second of three touchdowns from four yards out and Blake’s extra point tied the score.

After a Chi-Hi three-and-out, the Spartans grind-it-out style continued to wear down the Cardinals’ defense. Superior ran off a 12-play drive that consumed 5 minutes, 49 seconds of clock as Turner scored again. He finished with 68 yards on 14 carries.

“If you take away the fumbles, and against a good football team and Superior is a great football team, you can’t make those mistakes,” Raykovich said. “They did what good football teams do, they capitalized on them.”

With 4:24 remaining, that was enough time for Chi-Hi’s spread offense to score. The Cardinals had a 10-play drive that was nearly all through the air. Adams converted a fourth-and-two, a pass interference call and — you guessed it — a Schindler shoe-string reception led to Olson’s touchdown run. Schindler’s kick tied the score to help force overtime.

Superior had a chance with the remaining time in regulation, but Chi-Hi’s defense clamped down.

Then came the overtime and Schindler’s game winner. It wasn’t just his right leg. It was Schindler’s arms and legs.

Reach David Bossick at david.bossick@lee.net.