Rochester Lourdes took an unusual circumstance -- namely, a two-touchdown deficit -- and made the most simple adjustment possible.
They played better.
The No. 1-ranked Eagles (13-0) refocused and rallied to beat Annandale 20-16 in the Class 3A semifinals Saturday. Quarterback Mark Pagel rushed for two touchdowns, including the game-winner on a 14-yard fourth-quarter burst.
The victory sends Lourdes to the Prep Bowl for the second time in three years. It won the championship in 2010.
"We haven't trailed, I don't think, ever," Lourdes coach Mike Kesler said. "We just stuck with what we do. We didn't make any adjustments. We just had to play better football"
Annandale (10-2) issued an early challenge to Lourdes, scoring touchdowns on back-to-back possessions in the second quarter. The second score, a 79-yard run by Brett Ahsenmacher, put Annandale up 14-0, The Cardinals had the Eagles reeling, putting up 230 yards of offense in the first half.
"That was definitely a wake-up call," Pagel said. "We had to pull ourselves together, dust ourselves off and get ready to play a full game."
Lourdes got its vaunted option running game rolling two possessions later, moving 50 yards in three plays, the last being a 24-yard cutback run by Pagel that sliced the deficit in half to 14-7.
