Daum’s Last-Second Field Goal Completes Leopard Comeback From 14 Down at Dover – Varsity Football

By Leopard Nation · Published September 4, 2026 · Updated September 13, 2026

Parker Daum Game-Winning Field Goal Louisville at Dover Football 2026 - Everhart

Louisville 15, Dover 14

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The Louisville Leopards Varsity Football Team erased a 14-point deficit and rallied past the host Dover Tornadoes 15-14 Friday night at Crater Stadium.

Junior placekicker Parker Daum connected on a 26-yard field goal with 10.6 seconds remaining to give Louisville its first lead of the night. Junior defensive back Logan Galbraith then intercepted Dover quarterback Dieter Weber on the Tornadoes’ final play to seal the comeback.

Junior quarterback Cody Zahler accounted for 203 yards of offense and scored both Louisville touchdowns. The Leopard defense held Dover scoreless over the final 32:16 and recorded five sacks for a loss of 40 yards, including three sacks during the fourth quarter.

Louisville scored the final 15 points after trailing 14-0 and improved to 2-1 on the season. Dover dropped to 1-2 with the loss.

Game Stats | Scoring Summary | Team Stats | Individual Stats

Leopard Defense Sets the Tone with Early Stops

Louisville’s defense made its presence felt from Dover’s first snap. Senior linebacker Colton Dougherty tackled a receiver for a 2-yard loss on the opening play of the game.

The Tornadoes still crossed midfield, but junior defensive lineman Zander McCrobie stopped the ball carrier for a 2-yard loss on 4th-and-1. The turnover on downs gave Louisville its first possession at its own 46.

Junior running back Caden Kortis carried on four of the Leopards’ first five plays and converted a pair of 3rd-and-2 situations. Louisville advanced to the Dover 22 before Zahler lost control of the football while looking to pass to his left. Junior Cohen Murray recovered the fumble for the Tornadoes at the Dover 26.

Dougherty answered the turnover with another drive-ending defensive play. Facing 3rd-and-5, he sacked Weber for an 8-yard loss to force Dover’s first punt.

Louisville moved into Tornado territory again on its next possession. Dougherty powered through contact for 7 yards on 3rd-and-7, and Zahler followed with a first-down completion to junior wide receiver Drake Wilson. Weber, who also plays defensive back, broke up a third-down pass before Dover stopped senior running back Lucas Neff one yard short of the marker on 4th-and-4.

Dover Builds 14-0 Lead

Dover broke the scoreless tie early in the second quarter after Weber connected with junior wide receiver Dante Clark for a 41-yard gain to the Louisville 22.

The Tornadoes overcame two holding penalties during the drive. Weber completed a 15-yard pass to junior Jacob Noretto on 2nd-and-11 and later found junior Cooper Connare for 6 yards on 3rd-and-6.

On 1st-and-10 from the Louisville 18, Weber faked a handoff and rolled to his right. The Leopard defense followed the running back, leaving Weber room to turn the corner. He broke a tackle at the goal line and scored on an 18-yard run.

Noretto added the extra point to finish the six-play, 66-yard drive and give Dover a 7-0 lead with 10:36 remaining in the second quarter.

Louisville crossed midfield on its next possession when Zahler found Wilson for 17 yards. After a Leopard facemask penalty, Dougherty ran up the middle, but the ball was jarred loose and senior defensive lineman Gavin Pringle recovered it at the Louisville 38.

Dover converted the takeaway into another touchdown. Weber found Clark for 7 yards on 4th-and-5 to keep the drive alive and connected with him again two plays later for a 26-yard touchdown over the middle.

Noretto’s extra point extended the Tornado advantage to 14-0 with 8:16 remaining before halftime.

Louisville Keeps Dover from Adding to Its Lead

Dover threatened to make it a three-score game during its next possession. The Tornadoes picked up four first downs while driving from their own 24 to the Louisville 11.

Weber converted two third downs through the air, finding Noretto for 13 yards on 3rd-and-2 and Clark for 7 yards on 3rd-and-6. Murray later broke free for a 17-yard run to the Leopard 12.

On 3rd-and-9 from the 11, Weber rolled right and threw to Clark in the end zone, but the pass went just off the receiver’s fingertips. Noretto then pushed a 28-yard field-goal attempt wide left, keeping the score at 14-0.

The miss gave Louisville an opportunity to change the complexion of the game before halftime, and Zahler and the offense took advantage.

Zahler Leads 80-Yard Touchdown Drive Before Halftime

Zahler opened Louisville’s final possession of the half by rolling left for a 12-yard run. A Dover pass-interference penalty then moved the Leopards to their own 47.

With pressure closing in, Zahler delivered a 15-yard pass to Kortis for another first down. On the following play, he scrambled left for 22 yards, lowering his shoulder and knocking down a defender before being forced out of bounds at the Dover 16.

Zahler rolled right and found junior Xavier Berdella for an 11-yard completion to set up 1st-and-goal from the 5. He kept the ball on the next play and ran untouched up the middle behind a lead block from senior Aden Norris, with senior Max Murari and McCrobie also opening the path to the end zone.

The extra-point attempt missed, but the five-play, 80-yard touchdown drive cut Louisville’s deficit to 14-6 with 16 seconds remaining before halftime. Zahler accounted for 65 yards on the possession, rushing for 39 yards and completing both of his passes for 26 yards.

Louisville Defense Shuts Out Dover in Second Half

Louisville punted on its opening possession of the third quarter, but Kortis stopped Murray for no gain on 3rd-and-1 to force Dover to punt the ball back.

The Leopards punted again after senior defensive lineman Jackson Criner sacked Zahler for a 2-yard loss. Dover regained possession, but Louisville’s defense continued to attack.

Junior Haiden Reynolds immediately closed on a short pass to hold the play to 2 yards near the right sideline. Wilson then delivered a hard hit on an airborne receiver to jar the ball free and force an incompletion.

A pass-interference penalty extended the possession, but junior linebacker Dom Collier stormed into the backfield on the next play and sacked Weber for an 8-yard loss. Dover responded with a 19-yard completion from Weber to Noretto and later benefited from a Louisville encroachment penalty to keep the drive alive.

The Tornadoes continued into Leopard territory before a wayward snap sailed past Weber for a 14-yard loss. Junior Xavier Pollard ensured Weber could only fall on the loose ball, receiving credit for the tackle for loss as Louisville ultimately kept Dover off the scoreboard.

The Tornadoes mounted another threat early in the fourth quarter. Junior Owen Gotschall blew up a screen pass for no gain on the first play before Murray broke loose for a 30-yard run down the left sideline.

Neff later sacked Weber for an 8-yard loss to put Dover in a 3rd-and-23 hole. On 4th-and-13 from the Louisville 24, junior Jake Baker and Dougherty applied pressure and forced Weber to throw incomplete, turning the ball over on downs.

Zahler’s 29-Yard Touchdown Pulls Leopards Within Two

Louisville responded with a nine-play, 76-yard touchdown drive that featured contributions from several different playmakers.

Kortis converted a 3rd-and-2 on the ground before Zahler connected with senior Ryan Rush for 13 yards and another first down. Criner then sacked Zahler for an 8-yard loss, but the Leopards recovered to face 4th-and-2 at the Dover 43.

Zahler rolled left and kept the drive alive by finding Berdella open for a 14-yard completion to the Tornado 29.

On the next play, Zahler rolled left again and broke into the open field behind a downfield block from Rush. He raced 29 yards for his second touchdown of the night, drawing Louisville within 14-12 with 5:08 remaining.

The exchange on the two-point conversion attempt was fumbled and recovered by Pringle, allowing Dover to maintain its two-point lead.

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Three Fourth-Quarter Sacks Give Louisville One Last Chance

Dover gained one first down on its ensuing possession, but Louisville’s defense delivered back-to-back sacks to force the Tornadoes to punt.

Baker wrapped up Weber on second down, and the 6-foot-8 Norris helped finish the play for a shared 6-yard sack. Facing 3rd-and-16, junior Caison Grimm charged in from the left side and dropped Weber for a 10-yard loss while Baker supplied pressure from the right.

The consecutive sacks left Dover facing 4th-and-26 from its own 23. Noretto punted 36 yards to the Louisville 41, where Wilson fielded the ball and returned it 19 yards into Tornado territory.

Louisville took over at the Dover 40 with 2:53 remaining and a chance to complete the comeback.

Daum Wins It with 10.6 Seconds Remaining

A Dover encroachment penalty moved Louisville to the 35 before Kortis helped the Leopards advance with three carries for 13 yards. The junior moved the chains twice as Louisville drained the clock and inched closer to scoring range.

A holding penalty pushed the Leopards backward and eventually left them facing 3rd-and-17 from the Dover 25. Zahler rolled left and raced out of bounds at the 9 after a 16-yard gain, falling just short of the first-down marker.

The scramble turned what would have been a 42-yard field-goal attempt into a 26-yard try for Daum. Dover called timeout in an attempt to freeze the junior kicker, but Daum calmly split the uprights to put Louisville ahead 15-14 with only 10.6 seconds remaining.

The kick gave Daum redemption after the missed extra point following Louisville’s first touchdown. His teammates mobbed him in celebration following the go-ahead field goal.

Dover received one final opportunity after the kickoff, but Galbraith intercepted Weber’s last pass to finish the comeback and send the Leopards home with a victory.

Zahler Accounts for 203 Yards and Two Touchdowns

Zahler led Louisville with 86 yards and two touchdowns on 12 rushing attempts. He also completed 12 of 20 passes for 117 yards, finishing with 203 yards of total offense.

Kortis carried 12 times for 51 yards and caught a 15-yard pass. Dougherty added 31 yards on five attempts as Louisville out-rushed Dover 185-79.

Wilson caught four passes for a team-high 45 yards and totaled 25 yards on two punt returns. Berdella hauled in a game-high five passes for 43 yards, including the pivotal fourth-down reception during Louisville’s fourth-quarter touchdown drive.

Louisville finished with 302 total yards and 20 first downs. The Leopards converted 6 of 11 third downs, and their only successful fourth-down conversion led directly to Zahler’s touchdown run that pulled them within two.

Weber and Clark Lead Dover Offense

Weber completed 25 of 31 passes for 237 yards and a touchdown. He also scored Dover’s first touchdown on an 18-yard run, but Louisville’s five sacks held him to minus-3 net rushing yards and Galbraith intercepted his final pass.

Clark led all receivers with 10 catches for 123 yards and a touchdown. His 41-yard reception helped set up Dover’s first score before his 26-yard touchdown catch extended the Tornado advantage to 14-0.

Murray led Dover on the ground with 63 yards on 11 carries and added seven receptions for 29 yards. Noretto caught three passes for 47 yards, while Connare made two catches for 15 yards.

Dover out-gained Louisville 316-302 and completed more than 80 percent of its passes, but the Tornadoes were held scoreless throughout the second half. They converted 6 of 14 third downs and only 1 of 3 fourth-down attempts.

Louisville Takes Lead in All-Time Series

Louisville’s victory broke a 3-3 tie and gave the Leopards a 4-3 advantage in their all-time series with Dover.

The Leopards are now 3-2 at Dover and 1-1 at home against the Tornadoes. Friday’s win was Louisville’s first in the series since a 28-12 victory at Crater Stadium on October 16, 1992, and came in the schools’ first meeting since Dover won 19-10 at home in 2020.

The one-point finish was the closest game in series history, surpassing Louisville’s 14-12 victory at Dover in the first meeting in 1988. The Leopards now lead the all-time scoring total 129-105.

<<< Previous 2020 | Dover All-Time Series

UP NEXT: The Louisville Leopards will remain on the road to take on the Boardman Spartans Friday, September 11. Game time is scheduled for 7:00 PM at Spartan Stadium.

Cover Photo By: Rick Everhart Photography

Leopard Opponent Schedule and Scoreboard – Week 3

Friday, September 4
Indian Valley 37, at New Philadelphia 14
at Liberty 27, Boardman 14
Garfield Heights 22, at North Canton Hoover 15
at Rocky River 20, Lake 16
at Cardinal Mooney 19, Canfield 7
at Green 42, North Olmsted 14
at Steubenville 48, Linsly (WV) 7

Saturday, September 5
Bishop Watterson 41, at Youngstown Ursuline 10
GlenOak 20, Cleveland Heights 6

15-14 Louisville Football Scorigami?

No, Louisville lost at North Canton Hoover 15-14 on October 24, 1980 in the only other game that featured this score. This is the first time Louisville has won with this score making it the 510th distinct scoring combination when counting wins and losses by a score separately.

View Louisville Football Scorigami Chart

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Louisville at Dover Football Game Statistics

Scoring Summary

LEOPARDS 15, TORNADOES 14

Team 1-2-3-4–TOTAL

Louisville 0-6-0-9–15

Dover 0-14-0-0–14

1st Quarter

NO SCORING

2nd Quarter

DOVER – Dieter Weber 18-Yard Run (Jacob Noretto Kick) | LHS 0, DHS 7, 10:36
6 Plays, 66 Yards

DOVER – Dante Clark 26-Yard Pass from Dieter Weber (Jacob Noretto Kick) | LHS 0, DHS 14, 8:16
6 Plays, 39 Yards

LOUISVILLE – Cody Zahler 5-Yard Run (Kick Failed) | LHS 6, DHS 14, 0:16
5 Plays, 80 Yards

3rd Quarter

NO SCORING

4th Quarter

LOUISVILLE – Cody Zahler 29-Yard Run (Run Failed) | LHS 12, DHS 14, 5:08
9 Plays, 76 Yards

LOUISVILLE – Parker Daum 26-Yard Field Goal | LHS 15, DHS 14, 0:10
8 Plays, 40 Yards

Records: Louisville 2-1, Dover 1-2

Team Stats

First Downs
Louisville: 20 (11 Rushing, 6 Passing, 3 Penalty)
Dover: 17 (4 Rushing, 12 Passing, 1 Penalty)

Total Offense
Louisville: 54 Plays, 302 Yards, 2 Touchdowns (5.6 Yards Per Play)
Dover: 64 Plays, 316 Yards, 2 Touchdowns (4.9 Yards Per Play)

Rushing
Louisville: 34 Carries, 185 Yards, 2 Touchdowns (5.4 Average)
Dover: 33 Carries, 79 Yards, 1 Touchdown (2.4 Average)

Passing
Louisville: 12 of 20 for 117 Yards
Dover: 25 of 31 for 237 Yards, 1 Touchdown, 1 Interception

Fumbles/Lost
Louisville: 2/2
Dover: 1/0

Penalties/Yards
Louisville: 8 for 70 Yards
Dover: 10 for 82 Yards

3rd Down Conversions
Louisville: 4 for 11 (36%)
Dover: 6 for 14 (43%)

4th Down Conversions
Louisville: 1 for 2 (50%)
Dover: 1 for 3 (33%)

Punt Yards
Louisville: 4 Punts, 172 Yards (43.0 Average)
Dover: 4 Punts, 148 Yards (37.0 Average)

Kick Return Yards
Louisville: 1 Return, 26 Yards
Dover: 3 Returns, 24 Yards (8.0 Average)

Punt Return Yards
Louisville: 2 Returns, 25 Yards (12.5 Average)
Dover: None

Field Goal Attempts
Louisville: 1 of 1 (Made 26)
Dover: None

Sacks Against
Louisville: 2 for 8 Yards
Dover: 5 for 40 Yards

Individual Stats

Rushing

Louisville
Cody Zahler 12 Carries, 86 Yards, 2 Touchdowns
Caden Kortis 12 Carries, 51 Yards
Colton Dougherty 5 Carries, 31 Yards
Lucas Neff 3 Carries, 9 Yards
Haiden Reynolds 1 Carry, 5 Yards
Drake Wilson 1 Carry, 3 Yards

Dover
Cohen Murray 11 Carries, 63 Yards
Carson McGarry 6 Carries, 18 Yards
Dante Clark 1 Carry, 1 Yard
Dieter Weber 15 Carries, -3 Yards, 1 Touchdown

Passing

Louisville
Cody Zahler 12 of 20 for 117 Yards, Sacked 2 Times for 8 Yards

Dover
Dieter Weber 25 of 31 for 237 Yards, 1 Touchdown, 1 Interception, Sacked 5 Times for 40 Yards

Receiving

Louisville
Drake Wilson 4 Catches, 45 Yards
Xavier Berdella 5 Catches, 43 Yards
Caden Kortis 1 Catch, 15 Yards
Ryan Rush 1 Catch, 13 Yards
Lucas Neff 1 Catch, 1 Yard

Dover
Dante Clark 10 Catches, 123 Yards, 1 Touchdown
Jacob Noretto 3 Catches, 47 Yards
Cohen Murray 7 Catches, 29 Yards
Cooper Connare 2 Catches, 15 Yards
Brody Hale 2 Catches, 13 Yards
Carson McGarry 1 Catch, 10 Yards

Kick Returns

Louisville
Haiden Reynolds 1 Return, 26 Yards

Dover
Juma Herman 1 Return, 14 Yards
Maverick Miller 1 Return, 7 Yards
Brody Hale 1 Return, 3 Yards

Punt Returns

Louisville
Drake Wilson 2 Returns, 25 Yards, 19 Long (12.5 Average)

Dover
None

Punts

Louisville
Hunter Fetrow 4 Punts, 172 Yards, 50 Long (43.0 Average), 2 Inside 20

Dover
Jacob Noretto 4 Punts, 148 Yards, 45 Long (37.0 Average)

Sacks

Louisville
Colton Dougherty 1 Sack for 8 Yards
Dom Collier 1 Sack for 8 Yards
Lucas Neff 1 Sack for 8 Yards
Jake Baker and Aden Norris 0.5 Sack Each on a Shared 6-Yard Loss
Caison Grimm 1 Sack for 10 Yards

Dover
Jackson Criner 2 Sacks for 10 Yards

Interceptions

Louisville
Logan Galbraith 1