After a competitive, back-and-forth first half, Aurora Christian made key second-half adjustments to pull away from Marquette Academy on Friday, earning a 43-22 win in a Week 1 nonconference showdown between two 2024 playoff teams.

Aurora Christian opened the game with back-to-back touchdown passes from senior quarterback Asa Johnson – a screen to sophomore running back Jalen Callaway and a beautiful back-shoulder fade to senior receiver Dom Klimpke – to take a 14-0 lead.

However, the game was far from over. The Crusaders responded with their best stretch of the night.

Senior running back Jaxon Higgins punched in a 5-yard touchdown run, with junior back Jacoby Gooden breaking free for a 25-yard score on their next drive to tie it.

Things got really interesting after junior defensive end Brayden Cassel picked off a screen inside the Aurora 10, setting up another Crusaders touchdown and two-point conversion.

In a span of minutes, the Crusaders had turned a two-score deficit into a 22-14 lead.

But the momentum didn’t last.

On the ensuing drive, Aurora Christian tied the game, then stunningly recovered an onside-kick attempt with just over a minute to go in the first half.

Johnson capped that possession by hitting senior Eli Anderson for a 15-yard touchdown with just five seconds left, sending the Eagles into halftime ahead 29-22. From there the Eagles’ defense took over, blanking Marquette the rest of the way while Johnson and Co. added two more scores to finish off a 43-22 victory.

Aurora Christian coach David Beebe said Marquette’s new scheme under first-year head coach Ken Carlson gave his defense some early challenges.

After getting a feel for the new scheme that features a lot of run-pass options (RPOs), Beebe praised his defense for the adjustments they made.

“Our defense really stepped up in the second half,” Beebe said. “That offense is challenging with all the RPOs they run. We made some key adjustments at halftime, and our guys executed perfectly - they understood what they had to do and shut them down. ...

“At halftime I told our defense, ‘If they don’t score again, we can’t lose.’ And they shut them out in the second half, so I’m very proud of them.”

Beebe also praised his offense, highlighting not just senior quarterback Asa Johnson but the team as a whole, with seven different Eagles recording a touch during the game.

Johnson completed 16 of 24 passes for 249 yards and four touchdowns, while also rushing 11 times for 71 yards and a score.

The veteran signal-caller credited his cast for helping him feel comfortable in the opener.

“Sometimes last year, I was kind of singled up with my receiver, but this year we’re so spread out,” Johnson said. “Our run game was on point, and the five boys in front of me have my back every snap. It makes me stress-free, and my confidence level goes so high.”

Echoing Beebe’s sentiment, Johnson gave credit to his team’s defensive adjustments after the first half.

“They absolutely balled out,” Johnson said. “Our defensive coordinator is a football guy through and through - he treats us like family. The defense understood what they had to do after the first half and shut them down.”

In his head coaching debut, Marquette’s Ken Carlson knew this wouldn’t be an easy game.

“They spread the ball around well to a lot of guys, and that quarterback is a great athlete,” Carlson said. “We hung in there, but we just didn’t make the plays when we needed to. Hopefully, we learn from it and move on.”

Despite the loss, Carlson was proud of the way his team played.

“I feel really proud of our kids. They fought their tails off and did a great job,” he said. “We’ve got some things to fix and get better at, but I can’t be disheartened with their effort.”

Marquette’s leading rusher was senior Grant Dose, who carried 17 times for 86 yards and added three receptions for 21 yards. Senior quarterback Anthony Couch also had a solid game, completing 12 of 16 passes for 73 yards while rushing 10 times for 37 yards.