ST. JOSEPH -- Friday night at Dickinson Stadium gave St. Joseph fans a rollercoaster of emotions, as the Bears nearly erased a three-touchdown deficit before falling just short in a 40-37 loss to Edwardsburg. The defeat drops St. Joe to 0-2 on the season, while the visiting Eddies improved to 2-0. Despite the outcome, the Bears showed explosive offensive potential and a refusal to quit, turning what looked like a rout into one of the most dramatic finishes of the young season.

Edwardsburg dictated the pace early with its signature rushing attack. The Eddies piled up 369 yards on the ground, led by Giovanni Orue’s 171 yards and two touchdowns. His 51-yard sprint in the second quarter helped build a 20-7 halftime advantage. St. Joe’s lone score before the break came on a 70-yard strike from quarterback Hudson Corning to Caden LeClear, but costly turnovers and limited time of possession left the Bears fighting uphill. By the midway point of the third quarter, Edwardsburg’s lead had swelled to 29-7, and the game looked to be slipping away.

Instead, St. Joseph mounted a furious rally behind running back Ish Dixon. The senior bruised his way to 107 rushing yards and three touchdowns, sparking back-to-back scoring drives that trimmed the deficit. Corning finished with 258 passing yards and two long touchdowns — the 70-yard strike to LeClear and a 58-yard connection with Nate Schmitt. LeClear led the Bears with 94 receiving yards, while Schmitt added 74. As a team, St. Joseph tallied 395 total yards of offense compared to Edwardsburg’s 437, a testament to the Bears’ ability to go blow-for-blow with one of Division 4’s perennial powers.

In the end, the Bears’ onside kick attempt with under a minute to play was smothered by Edwardsburg, ending the rally and sealing a 40-37 final. While the early hole and inability to contain the Eddies’ ground game proved costly, St. Joe showed they have the firepower to hang with one of the state’s best. At 0-2, the Bears will now look to put together a complete four-quarter effort when they travel next Friday to Kalamazoo Loy Norrix in search of their first victory of the 2025 season.