KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Helias Crusaders battled to the end.
Helias stayed with Rockhurst for four quarters Friday night before falling 35-25 to the Hawklets.
Helias started the game with a solid opening drive, going 62 yards in 11 plays. A 32-yard field goal by Sam Heckart gave the Crusaders a 3-0 lead with 7:12 remaining in the first quarter.
Rockhurst missed a 45-yard field goal on its opening drive.
After a Helias punt, Rockhurst needed just two plays to take the lead. A 32-yard pass got the Hawklets into Crusader territory, then A.J. Taylor went 23 yards for the score on the next play. Jackson Terry booted the PAT and it was 7-3.
That score came with 1:42 remaining in the first quarter. Rockhurst wouldn't run another play on offense until there was 2:44 left in the half.
Helias tried to punt from its own end zone after failing to get a first down, but Nash Harvey of the Crusaders was roughed on the kick to give Helias a first down.
The Crusaders then drove to the Hawklet 19, where Heckart came on for a field-goal attempt. But Taylor blocked the kick and scooped the ball to return it 75 yards for a touchdown to make it 14-3 with 7:22 left in the second quarter.
Helias then ran 10 plays before punting. But the Hawklets fumbled on the return and the Crusaders took over at the Rockhurst 11. Two plays later, Kaleb Davis scored on a 4-yard run and Heckart's PAT made it 14-10 with 2:47 left in the half.
Rockhurst then went 73 yards on 10 plays to push its lead to 21-10. Quarterback Chance May took it over from a yard out to account for the touchdown.
The stats were almost even in the first half. Helias had 157 total yards and 11 first downs, while Rockhurst had 156 yards and seven first downs.
Both teams scored on their only drive of the third quarter.
Rockhurst needed just four plays to go 62 yards for a score, which came on a 42-yard run by May.
Helias then went 80 yards on eight plays. A 33-yard pass from Chandler Luebbert to Jacob Storms on a third-and-9 play sparked the drive. Storms then ran 31 yards to the Rockhurst 1 before scoring a play later. Heckart booted the PAT and it was 28-17.
Rockhurst extended its lead to 35-17 on the first play of the fourth quarter when May hit Jack Powell with an 8-yard touchdown pass. The score came after an incomplete pass deep in Rockhurst territory on a fake punt.
Helias got its score in the fourth quarter on a 9-yard run by Storms. Kale Gerstner hit Adam Bax for a 2-point conversion and it was 35-25 with 2:32 to play.
Helias finished with 331 total yards to 339 for Rockhurst.
Helias (2-6) will play Friday at Sullivan. Rockhurst (4-4) will play Jefferson City at Adkins Stadium on Friday.