PATRICK BLAIR PREVIEW:  Bishop Brossart Mustangs (7-4) at Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds (6-5)

Friday, November 13, 2026 – 7:00 PM at Ciafardini Family Athletic Complex / Robert Schneider Field

The postseason road runs straight into familiar territory this Friday as Bishop Brossart travels to Newport Central Catholic for round two of the Class 1A playoffs.

Fresh off an opening-round 35-14 victory over Dayton—fueled by 27 unanswered points and a +4 turnover margin—the Mustangs face a double dose of motivation: snapping a two-year postseason hex against the Thoroughbreds and making their playoff debut on the brand-new turf at Robert Schneider Field.

Here are the key storylines to watch on The Hill:

Contrasting Offensive Identities

Expect an old-school clash of styles. Brossart commands one of Class 1A’s most productive aerial attacks behind senior quarterback Landon Spaulding (1,689 passing yards, 14 TDs; 662 rushing yards, 13 TDs). Spaulding’s go-to target is the division’s leading receiver, Brady Boruske (63 catches, 861 yards, 8 TDs), with Quinten Tischner (34 catches, 373 yards) working underneath. The Mustangs average over 155 yards per game through the air.

NewCath counters with ground-and-pound power under first-year head coach Terry Brown. The Thoroughbreds generate nearly 75% of their total offense on the ground, averaging roughly 170 rushing yards per game. Workhorse Vander Hundemer carries the freight with 1,063 yards and 10 touchdowns, flanked by Garry Rowland (517 yards, 6 TDs; 7.5 YPC). If NewCath is moving the chains, it will be between the tackles.

Havoc in the Trenches

Both defenses thrive on disrupting plays behind the line of scrimmage:

• The NewCath Front: Anchored by Colton Ewing (4.0 sacks, 8 TFLs) and Liam Horan (5.0 sacks), supplemented by Will Meyer (4.0 sacks, 10 TFLs). Their primary objective is collapsing the pocket before Spaulding can set his feet.
• The Mustang Pass Rush: Brossart counters with four strong defenders: Charlie Rauch (5.5 sacks), Beckett Meersman (4.5 sacks, 4 forced fumbles), Jaxon Miller (2.5 sacks), and Ethan Tiemeier (1.5 sacks). Patrolling behind them is linebacker Quinten Tischner, 118 total tackles and 13 tackles for loss.

Turnovers and Field Position

Extra possessions decide tight playoff games. Brossart capitalized on four Dayton turnovers last week—converting them into 21 points while playing turnover-free football. Defensive backs Brady Boruske (4 INTs) and Landen Ketron (3 INTs) will look to bait NewCath’s modest passing game (57.7 YPG, 8 INTs), while the Mustangs must protect the football against ‘Breds defensive back William Stevie (3 INTs, 4 fumble recoveries).

Special Teams Edge

Ryan Eldridge provides Brossart with a proven weapon in field-position battles, ranking among 1A regional leaders in field goals, PAT kicking (26-of-33), and punt average. Paired with Boruske’s return ability (31.6 yards per kickoff return), the Mustangs have a distinct advantage in manufacturing short fields.

SCHABS THOUGHTS:  This Mustangs team is in a unique position of actually being mentioned in the same breath, and having a big chance to actually beat NCC at football.  In the past we have been that team that could not go 48 minutes with them.  The Breds have always had a superior athlete or two, and possessed bench depth, that we have not been able to overcome.  Such does not seem to be the case this season.  While it has taken us 20 years to get to this point, our Colts have always had success against the Baby Breds over the years and our JV teams have pretty much played even up.  The time certainly seems right for us to be competitive with them at the varsity level.  We have good athletes and should be reasonably healthy.  My wish for us is that we take our best shot, and don’t come away with Woulda, Coulda, and Shouldas.  We have earned this opportunity.  Play reasonably error-free football and let the chips fall.