If the first game is any indication of what the season will be like, Wayne High fans had better buckle up their seat belts.
The Blue Devils put a scare into the preseason-No. 4 ranked Omaha Roncalli Crimson Pride on Friday, overcoming a slow start and staying in the game until late before the visitors escaped with a 43-33 win at Wayne State College’s Cunningham Field.
Kaden Keller tied a school record with five touchdown passes, but the Blue Devils just couldn’t keep Roncalli’s offense out of the end zone down the stretch as the visitors were able to hang on for the victory.
Wayne’s night got off to a bumpy start, as the Crimson Pride scored on its second possession, then took advantage of an errant snap that flew over Keller’s head and into the end zone for a safety to give the visitors a 9-0 lead midway through the opening period.
Wayne’s fortunes would change quickly, however. The defense came up with a big turnover that led to points, as Keller found Sam Junck for a 36-yard scoring strike to make it 9-7 with 4:57 left in the first.
The two teams would trade scores the rest of the night, as Roncalli would maintain just enough distance to keep the Blue Devils in catch-up mode the rest of the night.
After Roncalli scored on a short touchdown run, Wayne drove deep in Roncalli territory and faced a fourth-down play that saw Keller scramble to the right side, then dump a pass inside to Garrett Schultz, who turned and raced for a hole in the defense to score and make it 16-13 after one period.
Keller hit paydirt through the air two more times in the second period, finding Jace Jorgensen for a 49-yard bomb and hitting Gavin Redden for a four-yard score, but Roncalli would answer both times to maintain a five-point lead at the break.
Roncalli took advantage of a Wayne turnover in the third to score and improve their advantage to 36-25, but the Blue Devils got it back within three when Keller found Redden for a second touchdown pass, a 28-yarder that brought Wayne within three after the two connected on the two-point conversion.
Keller’s fifth touchdown pass of the night tied a school record, set in 2010 by Gage Rethwisch, who threw five touchdown passes in a win over West Point-Beemer.
Roncalli put the lead back up to 10 on a 45-yard pass from Brady McGill to Luke Orr. Wayne tried to pick away at the deficit, but a pair of interceptions in the fourth quarter sealed the deal for the Crimson Pride, dropping Wayne to 0-1 on the season.
Keller was 13-of-27 for 194 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions on the night. Jorgensen caught two balls for 63 yards, Redden had four for 45, Schultz had four for 33, Junck had a 36-yard catch and Gavin Anderson and Colson Nelsen also caught passes.
On the ground, Redden had 94 yards on seven carries and Schultz added 56 on nine tries. Anderson recorded 23 yards on five carries, Junck had 23 on two tries, Keller had 17 yards on 13 carries and Will Leseberg had a three-yard run.
Defensively, Redden led the team with 12 tackles while Schultz and Calvin Ankeny both had eight. Leseberg made six stops and Junck and Grant Maas had five apiece. Maas recorded three fumble recoveries.
Wayne travels to Douglas County West for a 7 p.m. matchup on Friday.
Omaha Roncalli 43, Wayne 33
Wayne 13 12 8 0 — 33
O. Roncalli 16 14 6 7 — 43
Scoring Summary
RONCALLI — Luke Orr 11 pass from Brady McGill (kick good)
RONCALLI — Safety.
WAYNE — Sam Junck 36 pass from Kaden Keller (Junck kick)
RONCALLI — Chris Haman-Macias 4 run (kick good)
WAYNE — Garrett Schultz 11 pass from Keller (kick failed)
RONCALLI — Caden Shafer 6 pass from McGill (kick good)
WAYNE — Jace Jorgensen 49 pass from Keller (PAT failed)
RONCALLI — McGill 2 run (kick good)
WAYNE — Gavin Redden 4 pass from Keller (PAT failed)
RONCALLI — McGill 4 run (PAT failed)
WAYNE — Redden 28 pass from Keller (Redden pass from Keller)
RONCALLI — Orr 45 pass from McGill (kick good)
