A slow start didn’t prevent the high-scoring Rockhurst offense from piling up points in their district semifinal game against Fort Osage at Dasta Memorial Stadium on Nov. 7, 2025. After scoring just six points in the first quarter, the Hawklets rolled from there, running away to a 41-13 win. Junior running back Cash Lewandowski paced the team with 124 scrimmage yards and four touchdowns as Rockhurst advanced to the district final.
In their first-ever matchup, Rockhurst made a statement from Fort Osage’s first offensive snap by getting a sack for a 15-yard loss. This led to a three-and-out and a blocked punt by the Hawklets.
Lewandowski converted their subsequent possession into his first rushing touchdown, giving his team a 6-0 lead.
“We knew they were gonna come out with a full head of steam,” Lewandowski said. “They had nothing to lose, so after that first touchdown, I feel like we kind of took control there.”
While the Hawklets might have controlled things, they weren’t able to put up additional points in the first quarter.
That changed in the second, though. After a Fort drive ended in a field goal, Lewandowski cashed in again, pushing Rockhurst’s advantage to 13-3.
Senior defensive lineman Brennan Murphy recovered a fumble on the Indians’ next drive, setting up the Hawklets inside Fort’s 30-yard line. A couple plays later, junior quarterback Garret Miller found sophomore Tristan Johnson in the front corner of the end zone for a 24-yard score.
A Fort field goal sent both teams to the halftime locker room with Rockhurst leading 20-6.
Lewandowski opened the second half with touchdowns on consecutive Hawklets drives. After his second score of the third quarter–a 32-yard burst through the Indians defense–he ran to the sideline holding up four fingers, letting his teammates know that it was his fourth of the day.
“There’s not a better feeling than breaking a long run, and then hyping it up with your boys,” Lewandowski said.
While the offense piled up 14 points, the Rockhurst defense shut out Fort in the third quarter, giving the Hawklets a 34-6 lead going into the final frame.
Sophomore Ben Hayes continued the dominant rushing day with less than nine minutes to go in the game, breaking off a 70-yard touchdown run during which he bounced outside and outran the Indians secondary.
A garbage time touchdown by Fort resulted in the final score of 41-13.
Coach Kelly Donohoe says the success of the running game, which accounted for five scores in the game, is a testament to how younger players have risen to the occasion after injuries decimated the offensive line.
“With the injuries we had early in the season, we were really worried up front. Not only losing big [center] Jack Sprague, but losing [left tackle] James O’Farrell, and then we lost [tight end] Kevin Sullivan for about five weeks,” Donohoe said. “Freshman Kevin Novel, and then our sophomore Tom Koetting, those two guys have really stepped up and they’ve gotten better every week, which has allowed us to get back to what we like to do, and that’s run the ball really well.”
Thanks, in part, to that offensive line, Lewandowski led the team in scores for the seventh time in 11 games this season.
The Hawklets came into the game averaging 34.8 points per game. The slow start didn’t keep them from exceeding that number. In fact, they surpassed that number across the last three quarters of the game alone.
The defensive performance allowed the offense some breathing room to get things going. The 13 points allowed fell below their season per-game average (17.8). They were able to force a turnover and effectively contain Fort Osage’s athletic backfield.
“Our big thing was defensively, contain No. 15 [Jonathan Ross], their quarterback, because he was a really mobile, good athlete,” Donohoe said. “That little No. 3 [Trace Smith] was a tough little back, but our guys just did a good job staying gap contain and running to the football.”
As Rockhurst now prepares to go against No. 1 seed Platte County for the district title on Friday, this game provides a boost and building block.
“We stayed healthy. That was a big thing,” Donohoe said. “I thought we played really well. Every week you play well, you continue to grow in confidence, so I think we’re in a really good place physically and mentally going into this next game.”
“We want to bring that same intensity we had [against Fort Osage],” Lewandowski said. “[If we] come out and hit them in the mouth and we can win that game.”
