Photo Credit: David Smith/Special to PrepsKC 
Ethan Hansen was gut-wrenched as he watched Bishop Miege celebrate beating his Rockhurst Hawlets team a year ago. This rivalry has extra meaning for him, considering he began high school at Miege his freshman year before transferring to Rockhurst.
“I know a ton of those guys,” Hansen said. “I know Coach Holmes. He’s a great coach, they’re a great program, but change was good for me. It was what I needed.”
The Hawklets and Hansen were on the goal line last year with a chance to tie the game against Miege and lost on the final play. So, it felt even more special for Hansen leading Rockhurst to a 21-14 win over Bishop Miege on Friday.
“It’s a great feeling,” Hansen said after. “Definitely relieving. It was a hyped-up week for sure.”
He returned the feeling this year as a senior, leading Rockhurst to a 21-14 win over the Stags, managing a final drive that drained more than seven minutes off the clock.
“To take seven minutes off the clock, especially when they know we’re going to have to run it,” said Rockhurst coach Kelly Donohoe.
Hansen worked the zone-read to perfection throughout the night, gashing the Miege defense as he seemed to make the correct decision each time. In the third quarter, with Miege having just scored its first touchdown of the game and Rockhurst leading by a touchdown, Hansen kept it, catching the defense and running for a 17-yard touchdown off the edge.
“His read game was perfect. They were starting to pinch hard on the edges. We practice it every day. He just did what he practices. Just pull it and go,” Donohoe said.
Hansen showed the Stags on the game's first drive that they needed to respect the passing attack and the rushing attack from Rockhurst. The Hawklets set up the drive with three significant gains on the ground with running back Aidan Ryan, who also started his freshman year at Miege. After the running plays, Rockhurst caught the Miege defense with wide receiver Maeson Thunley for a 32-yard touchdown.
The Rockhurst defense kept Miege scoreless in the first half. Miege’s typically explosive passing game was quiet, with just two passes completed to receivers. Senior running back Danny Garcia was the only resort for Miege to gain yards on the ground.
In the third quarter, once Miege began finding gaps in the defense, Garcia threw for a 22-yard touchdown to tight end Peter Gibson from a flea-flicker.
The other touchdown for Miege was on a 4th and short in the third quarter. It appeared Miege would run the ball, tight end Hollis Moeller was disguised as a blocker before quarterback Marco Rodriguez pulled up and found him open for the first down. Moeller made his way in for the 31-yard touchdown with no safety up top.
“It’s funny. We held them to 14 points, and we’re still disappointed because we had some mistakes that led to those,” Donohoe said.
There was some sloppiness at times in the win, but regardless, Hansen will take the revenge over his former school. Rockhurst was 1-4 after that loss to Miege last season. They are now 4-1 after the rivalry win heading into the rest of the season.
