Neither Providence nor North Judson-San Pierre had ever won a state championship in their schools’ histories. That was bound to change as they met in the Class 1A final on Nov. 30.
The Bluejays had been one of the state’s most dominant teams this season, outscoring opponents by an average of 54-7.
Despite North Judson’s dominance, the Pioneers were equally hungry for their first state title and came out swinging to start the game.
North Judson opened with possession and got an early big run from senior quarterback Jesiah McDaniel; however, the drive stalled quickly, forcing the Bluejays to punt for just the seventh time all season.
“Everyone on defense had to do our jobs,” senior linebacker Lucas Thomas said. “We needed to break down on [the ball carriers], and they just weren’t able to get much going.”
A fumble recovery in the end zone by Grason McDaniel gave the Bluejays an early 6-0 lead, but from that point on, it was all Providence.
The Pioneers stormed down the field, led by big plays from senior quarterback Preston Kempf, who gave his team a 7-6 lead with a 10-yard touchdown run.
Throughout the first half, the Bluejays punted two more times as Kempf added two more scores — another on the ground and a two-yard pass to sophomore Kalen Sipes.
In the blink of an eye, North Judson found themselves trailing 21-6 at halftime, giving up more points in one half than they had all season.
Coming out of the half, the Bluejays showed a greater sense of urgency, forcing a Providence three-and-out before driving down the field, where McDaniel punched it in from 12 yards out to make it a 21-12 game.
After both teams exchanged punts, it was time for Kempf — nicknamed “Johnny Football” for his electric play style — to take over. He broke loose for touchdowns of 44 and 46 yards in the fourth quarter, finishing the day with 200 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground, paired with another score through the air.
“I couldn’t have done it without my offensive line and defense,” Kempf said. “Defense especially — they held them to 20, so all I had to do was score 21.”
Kempf’s fourth-quarter effort sealed a triumphant 35-20 victory, giving Providence its first state title in school history.
“It’s such an honor to be the first team to bring our school a state championship,” Thomas said. “It’s great for the community — [we have] a real tight community. We’ve got a lot of people in Southern Indiana cheering for us and rooting us on. We knew we couldn’t lose with this crowd at our backs.”
While the Pioneers had faced a handful of close calls on their way to an undefeated season, they achieved something no other team had done to North Judson all year — scoring over 21 points.
Finishing with 35 points, Providence out-hustled and outworked North Judson throughout the game.
“We felt like they hadn’t been hit all season,” Kempf said. “We [thought] if we brought it to them in the first half — which we did — they would roll over, and we would win.”