The 2025 football season started off with a bang at Columbia High School, with the host Eagles hanging on for a thrilling 23-22 victory Friday night over Mater Dei. 

The Eagles led 7-6 in what was a low-scoring affair after three quarters, but both squads lit up the scoreboard in the final frame.

Mater Dei took a 6-0 lead into halftime, only to see Eagles running back Jase Nelson score at the 5:33 mark of the third quarter on a 27-yard run.

Mater Dei started the fourth quarter scoring with a field goal to go up 9-7 with 11:58 remaining in regulation. 

A couple of minutes later, Columbia quarterback Xavier Voegele found Jackson Lawal for a 35-yard TD pass. Nelson ran in the two-point try to make it a 15-9 lead for the Eagles.

Back and forth the teams went, as Mater Dei scored just more than a minute later on a 32-yard TD pass.

Columbia answered again – this time on a 32-yard TD pass from Voegele to Nelson. Another two-point run by Nelson put the Eagles up 23-16.

Trailing by seven points in the game’s waning moments, Mater Dei scored on a short run with 51 seconds remaining. However, the Knights opted to go for a two-point conversion and the lead rather than kicking an extra point to tie the score. 

Fortunately for the Eagles, Mater Dei’s pass attempt for two was batted away by the Columbia secondary to preserve an exciting one-point victory for the Eagles. 

Nelson rushed for 153 yards and two TDs (one rushing, one receiving) to pace Columbia’s offense. Voegele – the younger brother of recent Columbia quarterbacks Dom and Mason Voegele – was 8-for-11 passing for 110 yards and two TD passes. 

Keegan Thompson led Columbia’s defense with eight tackles and three assists.

While Mater Dei QB Hunter Hochbaum threw for 268 yards on the night, the Knights were limited to just 39 rushing yards on 25 attempts.

This year’s match was much closer than last year’s 35-0 win at Mater Dei.

Up next for Columbia is the annual Route 3 Rivalry showdown against Waterloo on the Bulldogs’ home turf this Friday at 7 p.m. 

Waterloo has won the last two rivalry clashes and three of the past four meetings with the Eagles.