For the third straight year, the rivalry game between Rockhurst and St. Thomas Aquinas came down to the final play of overtime. As happened two years ago, the Hawklets walked off Aquinas’ home field with the win, a 36-35 nail-biter on Oct. 10, 2025.
“The games before have been overtime thrillers going both ways, so we knew the stage was set for a great game, and it was highly anticipated,” senior backup quarterback Joe Pitzl said.
This is Rockhurst and Aquinas’ fourth year in a row playing each other. The Hawklets won two out of the previous three, with the two most recent contests decided in overtime on an extra point attempt. In 2023, the Hawklets fell behind 28-0 before making a roaring comeback. They ended up winning in overtime when they blocked an Aquinas extra point attempt. One season later, the teams were in overtime again, but this time Rockhurst lost on a missed extra point. That history set the stage for another potential thriller.
“We told the boys all week that we expected it to be a tough fourth quarter game, and that we’d have to play with a ‘tough, gutsy’ mindset to win the game,” head coach Kelly Donohoe said. “I thought the boys were outstanding with their preparation through the week and with the toughness and resolve they showed during the game.”
Rockhurst entered the game with a 5-1 record, while Aquinas came in undefeated at 5-0. Aquinas had not lost since October 20, 2023. They came in with a run-oriented offense led by senior running back Calin Arndt, the reigning 810 Sports Player of the Week who put up 288 rushing yards and three touchdowns the previous week against Bishop Miege.
“Heading into the game, we knew they had some good players, including their running back and linemen. We had to mentally prepare ourselves for a hard fought game in the trenches,” Pitzl said.
Aquinas was the first to score, on a busted 73-yard rushing touchdown from Arndt, who finished the game with 238 yards and four touchdowns.
Rockhurst quickly answered with a drive completed by a Cash Lewandowski 2-yard rushing touchdown.
The second quarter started with another Arndt touchdown run, this one 34 yards. Aquinas went for two and converted, putting them ahead 15-7.
Rockhurst countered with a 57-yard rushing touchdown from Lewandowski. The Hawklets tried to go for two, however, their attempt was unsuccessful, so it remained 15-13 Aquinas.
Later in the second, Rockhurst junior quarterback Garret Miller found sophomore Tristan Johnson on a 60-yard touchdown pass. This time, they converted the two-point conversion, giving the Hawklets a 21-15 lead.
Aquinas got the ball back with five minutes left in the first half. They began driving downfield, and, with under a minute left, sophomore quarterback Luke Bernhardt connected with senior Jack Lambert for a 35-yard touchdown. Aquinas’ extra point attempt was good, putting them ahead 22-21 heading into halftime.
The Saints got the second-half scoring started with another touchdown run from Arndt. After missing the extra point, Aquinas led 28-21 with five minutes left in the third.
The teams traded possessions until about halfway through the fourth quarter. Rockhurst’s defense made a stop deep in Aquinas territory, forcing the Saints to punt. Junior Peter Nickson partially blocked the kick, and the Hawklets recovered in favorable field position.
“Our coaches kept saying this was gonna be a fourth quarter game, and when we were trading possessions at the end of the fourth, we knew we were going to keep fighting,” senior Xavier Clemons said.
Miller methodically led the Hawklets downfield. After a series of unsuccessful shots at the end zone, he connected with junior wide receiver Blake Thomas. The extra point was good, and the score was tied at 28-28.
As the game clock wound down, the Hawklets stopped the Saints again. With 1:08 left, Rockhurst forced a punt, resulting in them having the ball at the 50-yard line. After moving the ball about 20 yards, they attempted a 36-yard game-winning field goal, but it was blocked. This sent the game into overtime for the third straight year.
“That blocked field goal was a communication error between some guys, but we knew we were on fire heading into overtime, ready to win the game,” senior Luca Sano said.
Kansas overtime rules dictate that each team gets one set of downs from the 10-yard line. Arndt subsequently hammered home another 2-yard rushing touchdown, his fourth of the game. The Aquinas extra point was good, and the Saints took a 35-28 lead.
If Rockhurst did not answer Aquinas’ score, the game would be over.
Once again, they turned to Lewandowski, their junior running back, who punched it in from two yards out.
Now, the Hawklets faced a big decision: attempt a two-point conversion to win the game or try the extra point to send it to a second overtime. After the unsuccessful kick at the end of the fourth quarter, the Hawklets chose to go for two.
“Went for two, because we have so many two way players, and I just felt like it was the right thing to do,” Donohoe said. “I didn’t want to see it drag on.
“The memory of last year’s extra point block that led to their win in overtime also played a role in that decision.”
Miller took the snap and rolled out to his right, looking for an open receiver. Right when the play was starting to look blown, Miller threw it up in the direction of junior receiver Warren Robertson, who out-jumped the Aquinas defenders and came down with the game-winning catch, giving the Hawklets another thrilling victory over the Saints, 36-35.
With the win, Rockhurst improved its record to 6-1 on the season, and the Saints dropped to 5-1.
