Playing turnover-free football can get you far come November.
Or at least into the next round.
Bishop Brossart won the turnover battle Friday night at the Mustang Athletic Complex in Alexandria, forcing four Dayton turnovers in a 35-14 victory in the first round of the Class A football playoffs.
“We repped it all week. We preached it all week. The more disciplined team is going to win this game,” Mustangs coach Jacob Martin said. “And these guys. I mean, they came out, I don’t think we had very many offensive penalties either. I think we had one that set us back a little bit, but then we executed that next play and had that next play mentality is also what we preach, too.”
While Dayton coughed it up three times and threw an interception, Brossart stayed clear of the turnover bug and benefited greatly. The Mustangs scored 21 points off the Greendevils’ turnovers, converting on short fields. The other turnover came on the final play of the first half when the Mustangs recovered a fumble.
Dayton entered the game with high hopes, searching for its first playoff win since 2023. The Greendevils started the season 7-0 for the first time in nearly 60 years and jumped out to a strong start Friday, taking a 14-8 lead after the first quarter.
Mykah Foster hit Anthony Hull on fourth down for a 30-yard touchdown pass to open the scoring, and the speedy Kaden Anderson raced 40 yards down the sideline to give the Greendevils a 14-8 advantage.
PHOTOS: Slideshow provided by Charles Bolton
Not much went right for Dayton from there.
“Turnovers kill you. I mean, it just takes everything away,” Greendevils coach Jesse Herbst said. “That sudden change, and we don’t respond sometimes to the sudden change very well. Turnovers crushed us tonight.”
Brossart stayed disciplined, limited Dayton’s ground game and picked up critical third downs on its way to victory.
Landon Spaulding ran for three touchdowns and threw for another, guiding the Mustangs’ offense to five scoring drives on seven full possessions. His touchdown pass went to Brady Boruske, who made one of the easier catches he’ll have in his life on a forward pitch out of the backfield.
“It’s probably the easiest catch I’ll have,” Boruske said.
“It gives him yards, too,” Tischner said.
Tommy Busby was the other Mustang to find the end zone.
Quinten Tischner came up with the last of Dayton’s four turnovers, intercepting a Foster pass in the early stages of the fourth quarter with Brossart leading 28-14. His interception set up Spaulding’s third rushing touchdown of the night and the 21st point the Mustangs scored off Dayton miscues.
“We we told our defense, bend, don’t break,” Martin said. “We knew that they had good athletes in number two and 28. I knew they were going to break one, which they did. We played disciplined defense, and our offense executed.”
Dayton had 74 rushing yards through its first three drives but finished with just 66.
“Stay disciplined,” Tischner said. “That’s what Coach Martin preaches. Stay disciplined. Work as a team. Get the job done.”
The win sends the Mustangs into the second round, where they’ll face Newport Central Catholic. Brossart will be looking for revenge after the Thoroughbreds sent the Mustangs home early in each of the past two seasons.
“Just preach to the guys we’re different this year,” Martin said. “This is a new era of Bishop Brossart football. We don’t see anybody as overwhelming to us, especially in 1A now.”
Dayton closes its season at 8-3, its most wins in a season since 2007, when the Greendevils also won eight games.
Dayton caught everyone by surprise with its blazing start, fueled by 1,000-yard rushers Malachi Kennedy and Kaden Anderson. But the season came to a crashing halt, beginning with the team’s highly anticipated matchup with Newport Central Catholic. Things spiraled from there as the Greendevils lost three of their final four games.
“Just told the guys everything’s temporary. Everything in this life is temporary. The good and the bad. So pick it up and move on,” Herbst said.
MUSTANGS 35, GREENDEVILS 14
DAYTON — 14-0-0-0 — 14
BISHOP BROSSART — 8-13-7-7 — 35
Scoring Plays
1st Quarter
(D) Foster 30-yard pass to Hull (7:11) Lopez-Torres run
(BB) Spaulding 5-yard run (3:25) Spaulding pass to Tischner
(D) Anderson 40-yard run (1:44) Run failed
2nd Quarter
(BB) Spaulding 1-yard run (6:39) Run failed
(BB) Spaulding 38-yard pass to Boruske (5:47) Eldridge kick
3rd Quarter
(BB) Busby 4-yard run (3:22) Eldridge kick
4th Quarter
(BB) Spaulding 9-yard run (5:24) Eldridge kick
Game Stats
Passing Yards: Dayton 66, Brossart 77
Rushing Yards: Dayton 141, Brossart 128
Penalties: Dayton 6-38, Brossart 4-45
Turnovers: Dayton 4, Brossart 0
Records: Dayton 8-3, Bishop Brossart 7-4
