Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: Bishop Garrigan teammates Sam Plathe (24) and Trayton Cink celebrate a touchdown earlier this season inside Dodger Stadium.

ALGONA — For the first time since 2016, the Bishop Garrigan football team is headed to the UNI-Dome.

The Golden Bears knocked off Anita-CAM here Thursday night at Conway Field in the eight-player quarterfinals, 26-16. Garrigan (10-1 overall) will play Wednesday in Cedar Falls at either 10 a.m. or 1 p.m.

Joining Bishop Garrigan will be Gladbrook-Reinbeck, Bedford and Winfield-Mount Union.

“Nobody picked us to do anything,” BGHS head coach Marty Wadle said. “But this is what our program is all about; kids like this who defy the odds. Nobody gave us a chance outside of these kids and our coaches.

“They’ve said all year it doesn’t matter who, where or how, they are going to go out and play hard for four quarters.”

In the second half, the Golden Bear defense kept CAM (10-1) out of the end zone, forcing three turnover on downs inside the 10 while picking off three passes. Sam Plathe had two of those picks and senior Caden Roethler had the final one to seal the win.

With just under five minutes to go, Tate Foertsch dove in from a yard out for the game-winning score to make it 20-16. The sophomore hit senior Drew Lappe on a big pass to take the ball down to the 13.

After a Plathe interception, Foertsch again found the end zone on a short QB keeper after sophomore Ethan Marso took it down to the 2 on third-and-long.

Roethler carried the ball 22 times on the night for 91 yards, Foertsch had 16 carries for 57 with three rushing TDs and Marso added 42 yards. Foertsch finished 11-for-15 for 173 yards with a 51-yard TD pass to Justin Bauer.

Lappe caught six passes for 86 and Bauer had three for 62.

On defense, Benjy Trainer recorded 13 tackles, Roethler had 11, Marso eight and Bauer seven.

“Just an incredible job by our defense and defensive coaches,” Wadle said. “That is a football team that scores a lot of points, so to hold them out of the end zone for an entire half says something about these kids.”

Bishop Garrigan won the Class 2A title in 1985 and made the finals in 2016, ’05 and 1999.

Collin Bower, who caught a touchdown pass in the first half for the Cougars, also blocked a punt in the second half. CAM, though, was unable to cash in on the short field after having a touchdown called back due to a penalty.

CAM won the state title in 2021 and had gone 30-3 entering the night over the last three seasons. Last week, Bishop Garrigan knocked off the defending state champion in Remsen St. Mary’s.

In the other quarterfinal games, Winfield-Mount Union topped Don Bosco, 34-29, Bedford downed Lenox, 36-24, and Gladbrook-Reinbeck handled Clarksville, 32-20.