When Bishop Brossart receiver Nicholas Cozzi ran into Dayton coach Jesse Herbst Friday, the Greendevils headman immediately jumped up.
“I’m okay,” Herbst said.
The rest of the Greendevils were pretty good, too. They ended a seven-game losing streak against Brossart by shutting out the Mustangs, 14-0, in their Class A first round playoff game at Munninghoff Family Stadium.
Before Friday, Dayton had not beaten Brossart since 2015.
Herbst had a sense of humor about his collision with Cozzi.
“It happens, it happens,” he said. “I got to make a tackle. I give myself a stat on that one.”
It would be easy to credit Dayton (5-6) quarterback Chad Nickell and running back Mason Johnson for the win; they each scored a second-quarter touchdown. It would also be an incomplete summary – the Greendevils defense held Brossart to 49 rushing yards and 91 through the air.
“We play a big part in it,” Dayton senior linebacker Landon Graham said. “As much as we stop them, we get the ball back for our offense to score.”
Brossart (5-6) coach Paul Wiggins’ worst fears came true – not just because the Mustangs were 0-for-4 on fourth down and 0-for-2 on third down.
“Physicality, unfortunately, you have some teams that don’t possess team physicality; in a game like football, if you don’t have it, you’re going to be behind the 8-ball,” Wiggins said. “This team’s been like that all year. I’m not questioning their heart … but we just weren’t physical.”
Dayton, meanwhile, ran for 172 yards, a good thing because Nickell threw for only 22. D’Angelo Jimenez led the Greendevils with 15 carries for 84 yards.
One thing Dayton will have to clean up: penalties. The Greendevils were whistled 13 times for 125 yards.
“This team has so much potential,” Herbst said. “We get in our own way so many times; we make dumb mistakes, stupid penalties.”
Brossart took the opening kickoff, and things seemed fine – Keegan Gulley’s 21-yard pass to Luke Schroeder and runs by Cameron Mandel and Landon Geyer put the ball at Dayton’s 7. Then – just one more yard on the next two plays.
After Jimenez’s 5-yard run put the ball at Brossart’s 37, Dayton assistant coach Paul Hundemer screamed, “No pain!”
“You’ve got ‘em on their heels! Let’s go!” Hundemer hollered.
Dayton subsequently went. Seven plays later, Nickell scored from four yards out with 1:30 left before halftime.
Brossart’s next drive stalled – Dayton’s Enrique Soard and Braydin Powers stuffed Mandel twice for no gain. Johnson’s seven-yard run and two-point pass to Nickell with 21 seconds left in the half ended the scoring on the night.
Another Brossart drive ended late in the third quarter when Landon Graham stopped Gulley on fourth-and-four at the Dayton 23.
The Mustangs had one fourth-quarter chance on Gulley’s 19-yard pass to Cozzi and a personal foul on Dayton put the ball at the Greendevil 13, but Mandel lost two yards, and Tyler Holtz and Gulley were a combined 0-for-3 passing.
Next for Dayton: Newport Central Catholic in the second round, which advanced when Trimble County forfeited.
“We argue, we fight, we lose playing the game,” Herbst said. “If we can just play the game, we can play anybody in Northern Kentucky – anybody in Class A, and we showed it (Friday).”
DAYTON GREENDEVILS 14, BISHOP BROSSART MUSTANGS 0
DAYTON — 0-14-0-0— 14
BISHOP BROSSART — 0-0-0-0 — 0
Scoring Plays
2nd Quarter
(D)-Chad Nickell 4-yard run (run failed), 1:30
(D)-Mason Johnson 7-yard run (Nickell pass from Johnson), 0:21
Game Stats
Passing Yards: Dayton 24 (Nickell 2-7); Brossart 91 (Gulley 10-22, Holtz 0-1).
Rushing Yards: Dayton 172 (Johnson 9-49, Jimenez 15-84, Nickell 15-33, Iacobucci-Puchta 1-11, Crutchfield 1-(minus-5)); Bishop Brossart 49 (Mandel 11-21, Gulley 5-25, Geyer 1-3).
Receiving: Dayton 24 (Johnson 2-22); Bishop Brossart 91 (Schroeder 3-25, Cozzi 4-49, Kitt 1-10, Geiman 1-(minus-2), Twehues 1-10).
Turnovers: Dayton 1, Bishop Brossart 1.
Penalties: Dayton 13-125, Bishop Brossart 6-29.
Records: Dayton 5-6, Bishop Brossart 5-6.