(Peru, Neb.) – On a cold, blustery day in Atchison, Kan., the 2018 season of the Peru State football team came to an end.
 
The NAIA's seventh-ranked Benedictine (BC) Ravens jumped to a 28-3 halftime before taking the contest 41-23 to capture their tenth win of the season against one loss. Benedictine also finished 5-0 in the Heart of America Athletic Conference (Heart) North Division and earned the automatic berth into the NAIA's football championship.
 
Peru State finished its season with a 3-8 overall mark and finished 1-4 in the Heart North.
 
First Quarter Action
 
The Bobcats won the toss and deferred to the second half. The Ravens would respond by moving the ball down the field 75 yards in eight plays to score the first touchdown of the contest. With 12:03 left in the first quarter, Benedictine led 7-0.
 
The 'Cats would start their first drive of the game on their 23-yard line. After two short carries by DeOndrae Mayo (Ocala, Fla.), quarterback Dan Boshart kept it and took it up the middle for eight yards and a first down. After Mayo then gained two yards, he went 13 yards into BC's territory at the 47-yard line. Two short rushes was followed by a 16-yard gain by Bryson Duncan (Hamburg, Iowa) for a first down to the 28-yard line of the Ravens. Mayo would later get another first down with a one-yard run and the 'Cats were in the Ravens' red zone at the 18-yard line. Peru State could not get the ball into the end zone, but did settle for a 31-yard field goal by John Brady (Hickman). The Bobcats now trailed 7-3 with 4:59 remaining in the first stanza.
 
Benedictine would respond with another 75-yard drive and after the PAT was good, the Ravens now led 14-3 with 17 seconds left in the first quarter.
 
Second Quarter Action
 
After running one play to finish the first quarter, the very first play of the second quarter was disastrous for the Bobcats as they lost the ball on the handoff which was recovered by the Ravens for a 21-yard touchdown. With 14:49 left in the first half, BC now led 21-3.
 
Peru State took over on their 25-yard line for their next drive. Despite picking up two first downs passing and two first downs rushing, the Bobcats came up short on a fourth and one on the Ravens' 11-yard line.
 
The Bobcats avoided a little disaster as the third play of the next Benedictine drive, the pass completion went 73 yards before Dylan King (Vancouver, Wash.) forced a fumble and recovered it on Peru State's nine-yard line.
 
However, on the third play of the next Bobcat drive, the Ravens intercepted a pass on the Peru State seven-yard line and took it into the end zone for a score. After the PAT was good, Benedictine now led 28-3 with 5:18 left in the first 30 minutes.
 
Peru State did move the ball into the Raven's territory on their next possession, but once again BC came up with an interception.
 
The first half would end with Benedictine leading 28-3.
 
Third Quarter Action
 
The Bobcats would start their first drive of the second half on their 16-yard line. After no gain on the first play, Peru State would cough up a fumble which the Ravens recovered on the 20-yard line.
 
It would take just two plays for Benedictine to score. The PAT was blocked by Vic Hubbard (Corinth, Texas), but with 13:38 left in the third, BC now led 34-3.
 
Peru State was forced into a three and out and the Ravens took over in the Bobcat territory at the 44-yard line. After a first down rushing, Benedictine fumbled and the ball was recovered by Jordan Willis (Denver) who took it all the way back for a touchdown. The PAT was no good. With 11:25 left in the third, the score was now 34-9 Benedictine.
 
On Benedictine's next possession, they went 64 yards in just five plays to score for what would be the final time in the game for the Ravens. At that point, they had a comfortable 41-9 lead with 9:27 left in the third quarter.
 
The teams would trade several series with neither team moving the ball to any extent.
 
The third quarter would end with the Ravens leading 41-9.
 
Fourth Quarter Action
 
Peru State would make a quarterback change near the end of the third quarter and continued with Noah Kasbohm (Nebraska City) in the fourth quarter.
 
On the Bobcats' first possession of the final period, after two incomplete passes, Kasbohm would find Jeremy Kaleikini (Brigham City, Utah) for a 27-yard gain moving the ball into Raven territory at their 26-yard line. After two more incomplete passes, Kasbohm found Ethan Ashworth for a 26-yard score. Brady's PAT was good and with 12:44 left in the game, it was now 41-16 Benedictine.
 
Benedictine could not move the ball on two possessions which were sandwiched around one Peru State possession.
 
The 'Cats would get the ball with 4:29 left in the game on their 29-yard line. After a short gain by Ashworth, a pass interference call on the Ravens gave the Bobcats a first down. After Ashworth went for four yards on his first carry, he came back with 29 yards and moved the ball down to the Benedictine 21-yard line. Two short carries brought up third and six. Kasbohm would find Austin Connot (Allen) for a 17-yard touchdown pass. Brady's PAT was good which brought the score to 41-23.
 
The Ravens would run out the clock for their tenth win.

BENEDICTINE GAME BOOK
 
Team Statistics
 
Both teams finished with 17 first downs, but the Ravens had the edge in total yardage as they finished with 404 yards with the 'Cats finishing with 286. Benedictine had 214 yards rushing and 190 yards passing while Peru State gained 168 yards on the ground and added 118 through the air.
 
Each team lost two fumbles, but Peru State gave up two interceptions.
 
The game featured the fewest penalties that Peru State had been a part of all season. Peru State only was penalized twice for seven yards while Benedictine was flagged six times for 40 yards.
 
Offensive Statistics
 
Ashworth finished as the Bobcats' leading rusher with 48 yards on nine carries. Mayo added 39 yards on ten carries while Tajh Eaddy (Spencerport, N.Y.) added 30 yards on eight carries.
 
Boshart finished his career going five of ten passing for 48 yards, but suffered two interceptions. Kasbohm only completed three of his ten passes for 70 yards, but both went for touchdowns.
 
Kalekini grabbed four passes for 55 yards. Ashworth and Connot each caught one pass for 26 and 17 yards respectively – each of which resulted in a touchdown. Colton Audsley (Prescott Valley, Ariz.) grabbed one pass for 11 yards while Joey Dominguez (Van Ormy, Texas) caught the other pass for nine yards.
 
Special Team Statistics
 
Brady punted five times for 124 yards averaging just 24.8 yards per punt.
 
Mitchell Orr (Smithville, Mo.) returned three kickoffs for 36 yards while Noah James (Cheyenne, Wyo.) had one punt return for 17 yards.
 
Brady had one field goal of 31 yards. In addition, he had five kickoffs for 282 yards averaging 56.4 yards per kick which included two touchbacks.
 
Defensive Statistics
 
Zach Taylor (Gillette, Wyo.) led the team with nine tackles – four of which were solo. Taylor added .5 tackles for a loss of 2.5 yards. Tommy Hope (Ridgecrest, Calif.) finished with five tackles – three solo – and also had .5 tackles for a loss of 2.5 yards.
 
Travis Reed (Hickman), Desmond Stirgus (Raytown, Mo.), Stephen Bowers (Papillion), and Ben Sode (Clermont, Fla.) each finished with four total tackles. Reed had three unassisted tackles as did Stirgus. Stirgus added one sack for a loss of two yards. Bowers had two unassisted tackles and added two sacks for losses of 11 yards. Sode had one unassisted tackle.
 
Mike Mitchell (Boys Town) and Austin Rosas (Red Bluff, Calif.) each finished with one tackle for a loss of one yard.
 
Departing Seniors
 
Peru State will be losing 14 seniors off of the team in addition to teammate Justin Haystrand (New Port Richey, Fla.) who was killed in a car accident in February.
 
Playing in their final game were Audsley, Bowers, King, Deshawn Phelps (Austin, Texas), Mayo, Boshart, Connot, Skylar O'Dowd (Omaha), Quentin King (Omaha), Rowdy Witt (Fort Worth, Texas), Lee Privett (Independence, Mo.), Erik Osborne (Pawnee City), Chase Latscha (Olathe, Kan.), and Myles Hicks (Independence, Mo.).