Despite winning six of its first seven games, the Lindbergh High School Flyers will not make the Missouri Class 6 football playoffs this season after suffering a crushing 34-31 loss in overtime to Ritenour Friday night.
“We did some things right on offense, but we also gave up some easy touchdowns,” Lindbergh head coach Tom Beauchamp said. “A couple of times we were near the goal line, I decided to go for the touchdown rather than the field goal, and that’s my fault.”
The setback for Lindbergh (6-3, 4-2 Suburban West) marked back-to-back defeats in District 2 play this season after losing 16-13 the previous week to Mehlville. The win for Ritenour keeps alive the Huskies’ chance for making the playoffs as they face Mehlville Friday.
Ritenour (5-4, 4-3 Suburban North) jumped out to a 6-0 lead when Darrion Quinn hit Donte´ Simpson on a six-yard pass with 5:50 left in the first quarter. Steven Franzen nailed the point-after touchdown, or PAT, to give Ritenour a 7-0 advantage.
Lindbergh evened the score at 7-7 on a Colton Doss eight-yard run with 10:23 left in the second quarter and the PAT by Bryan Livingston. Doss carried the ball 19 times for 38 yards and one touchdown in the loss.
“Colton got the ball on the outside, saw the seam and it was a beautiful run,” Beauchamp said. “He smelled the end zone and got in there.”
The Flyers took a 13-7 lead on an eight-yard pass by quarterback Kyle Portell to Sean Alexander with 5:20 left in the first half. The PAT by Livingston gave Lindbergh a 14-7 lead going into halftime. Alexander recorded five catches for 78 yards and one touchdown.
“Sean’s been real regular for us all year long,” Beauchamp said. “All we have to do is put the ball in the area he’s in and he gets to the ball.”
Portell completed 20 of 41 passes for 281 yards and three touchdowns.
“Kyle’s been really on here lately,” Beauchamp said. “Now that he’s settled in, he’s really progressed.”
Ritenour tied the score at 14-14 when Kadeem Booth scored on a 37-yard fumble recovery with 10:27 left in the third quarter. Franzen recorded the PAT on Booth’s touchdown. But the Flyers retook the lead with 3:10 left in the quarter when Portell hit Mike Heumann for a 33-yard pass. Livingston’s PAT gave Lindbergh a 21-14 lead. Heumann led the Flyers with five catches for 90 yards and two touchdowns.
“Mike’s such a great competitor,” Beauchamp said. “Nobody was going to catch him on that play.”
Ritenour again tied the score at 21-21 when Darrion Quinn grinded in a one-yard run and Franzen hit the PAT with 1:02 left in the third quarter.
Heumann and Portell connected again in the fourth quarter when Portell hit Heumann for a 19-yard pass. Livingston’s PAT gave Lindbergh a 28-21 advantage.
The Huskies tied the game at 28-28 when Darrion Quinn chucked an 81-yard pass to Kadeem Booth and Franzen hit the PAT with 4:56 left in the game.
Lindbergh took a 31-28 lead in overtime when Livingston hit a 26-yard field goal.
“Bryan’s such a good ballplayer,” Beauchamp said. “Not only does he do our kicking, but he also does our punting and plays on defense.”
But Quinn dashed the Flyers’ playoff hopes with a four-yard pass to Simpson to give Ritenour the 34-31 win.
The Flyers will finish the season at 7 p.m. today — Oct. 30 — when they travel to St. Louis University High (7-2, 2-2 Metro Catholic).
“Right now, we’ve got to play for pride,” Beauchamp said. “SLUH’s already in because they won the district. We’ve just got to try and finish the season with seven wins.”
