NILES – St. Joseph opened its 2025 football season on the road at Niles in a game that saw plenty of momentum swings before the Bears ultimately came up short, falling 28-18. The night began on a high note for St. Joe, as Hudson Corning capped a 14-play, 73-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter to give the Bears an early 6-0 lead. Niles answered just before halftime with a 1-yard scoring plunge to move in front 7-6, and the teams went into the locker room separated by a single point. In the third quarter, the Bears showed their resilience, driving 71 yards on 15 plays with Ish Dixon powering across the goal line from a yard out to reclaim a 12-7 advantage. But the Vikings countered again, this time with a 67-yard march capped by an Elijah Norris touchdown run, nudging ahead 13-12 as the game entered the final period.

In the fourth quarter, the game slipped away from St. Joseph. Niles hit on its biggest play of the night, a 43-yard touchdown pass, and added another rushing score just minutes later to surge ahead 28-12. Refusing to fold, the Bears mounted one last rally when Caden LeClear, who stepped in at quarterback, engineered an 11-play, 72-yard drive capped by a 9-yard touchdown pass to Nate Schmitt. That cut the deficit to 10, but with time running out, St. Joe’s comeback fell short. Despite the loss, the Bears displayed balance and toughness on both sides of the ball. Offensively, they leaned on their ground game, rushing for 206 yards on 50 carries. Corning finished with 55 yards and a score, Dixon added 53 yards and a touchdown, and Brayden Malone chipped in 43 yards. Through the air, LeClear connected for a touchdown and Schmitt led the receivers with three catches for 40 yards. Defensively, Isaac Codde delivered a standout performance with 18 total tackles, while Dominick Lignel added two tackles for loss to help contain a Niles rushing attack that still managed 250 yards.

Although the Bears matched the Vikings in total yardage (284 to 293) and were a perfect three-for-three in the red zone, turnovers and two costly interceptions swung momentum in Niles’ favor. The loss drops St. Joe to 0-1, but the effort showcased the team’s ability to grind out long drives and fight to the final whistle. Next up is a marquee home matchup at Dickinson Stadium against Edwardsburg, a perennial Division 4 power that opened its season with a dramatic 28-21 win at McBain, scoring the go-ahead touchdown in the final minute. The Eddies come in 1-0 and will be making their first trip to Dickinson since the 2015 playoffs, setting the stage for an early-season showdown between two programs with rich tradition and plenty of motivation