Saginaw erases 27-point Paschal lead, scores game winner in overtime thriller
Leading 27-0 at the half, it seemed Paschal would cruise to an easy victory against Saginaw.
At that point, the Panthers were dominant in all three phases. But suddenly, even faster than they fell behind, the Rough Riders surged back into contention, powered by three pick-sixes.
Saginaw ended up forcing overtime, and freshman Elijah Irvin barrelled into the end zone for a game-winning 1-yard touchdown to seize a 41-38 come-from-behind victory for the Rough Riders on Thursday at Farrington Field.
“Our kids are gritty,” Saginaw head coach Mike DeWitt said. “And they just kept fighting. The whole season, its just one play at a time. It’s just a once play mentality. And these kids are buying into that, and I’m just super proud of them.”
Saginaw (5-2, 4-1) had to face adversity on and off the field. On the way to Farrington, the team’s bus broke down. But at the half, DeWitt’s message resonated in their hearts, and they looked like a new team against a Paschal (5-2, 3-2) squad that was firing on all cylinders.
“I told them, ‘We didn’t come out swinging tonight, and we need to come out swinging in the second half,’” DeWitt said. “I told them, ‘I don’t care what the score is. I just want to see guys fight.’ And I think we saw that.”
Saginaw’s victory creates a close race for the district title. Saginaw, Arlington Heights, and Wyatt are in contention. The Chaparrals are the frontrunners with zero district losses, but that can change in an instant on Friday, when they face Heights, a team Saginaw beat 50-47 in Week 7.
“When you have to play really tough opponents, I think the best comes out of you,” DeWitt said. “Proud of our kids.”
To start the comeback in the third quarter, Saginaw’s defense seized the momentum and gained confidence with consecutive scoring takeaways. The first was a 63-yard interception return from Rondell Thomas, and the next was a 38-yard pick-six from Jahirim Skinner.
“When we started the game, we came out selfish, and we weren’t as hyped as we usually are,” Rondell Thomas said. “When we came out in the second half after a long talk, we did our job, upped the juice, and came out and did what we had to do.”
After, Saginaw quarterback Joshua Greek found Kaiden Steward for a 16-yard TD, facing fourth-and-11 to cut the lead to 27-21 with 4:25 remaining. The TD gave Saginaw 21 unanswered points in less than eight minutes of play.
To make matters worse for Paschal, the offense couldn’t find a groove in the second half. The defense was able to add a score, as Neil Everitt retaliated with a pick-six of his own, returning it 42 yards for the score.
Saginaw then made it a one-score game with a 7-yard TD reception from Landon Martin, and tied the game at 35 with its third pick-six of the half, a 17-yard return by Isaiah Quinones with 4:54 remaining in the game.
Paschal tried to take the lead with a 23-yard field goal — it was blocked by Isaac Bukasa, but Paschal was able to take back possession with an interception from Brady Saarloos. That set up another field goal from 55 yards that fell just short off the post.
After Paschal took an overtime lead with a field goal, Irvin ended the game with the game-winning score. The freshman finished with 90 yards on 17 carries.
“We needed it real big,” Irvin said. “We couldn’t get the passing game going, so I wanted to be the one to step it up and take it home for us. I couldn’t have done that without my O-line.”
In the first half, Paschal starting its scoring spree with a circus play from Thomas, who dodged multiple defenders and somersaulted toward the pylon.
After a Paschal field goal, sophomore running back Truman Shelto extended the lead with an 8 yard rush.
Next, Paschal special teams contributed with a blocked Saginaw punt by Luke Jowers that was recovered by Matthias Hughes and returned 28 yards for a TD. After Paschal ended the first half with a field goal to seize a 27-0 lead that would eventually crumble.
“I don’t think we came out and played very well,” DeWitt said. “I think Paschal is a great football team. They got after us early.”
Up next, Paschal will attempt to bounce back against Fort Worth Wyatt Thursday, Oct. 23, at Farrington Field, and Saginaw will attempt to build momentum against North Side Saturday, Oct. 25, at Clark Stadium.
This story was originally published October 16, 2025 at 11:34 PM.
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