By Grant Davis
Mid-Indiana Conference Manager
WALTON – Nobody left Owens Memorial Field disappointed Aug. 29 after an incredibly hard-fought battle between victorious Class 3A fifth-ranked West Lafayette and 2A No. 3 Cass.
West Lafayette prevailed, 27-20, in a game in which quarterback Matt Lancaster did it all. Lancaster rushed for 154 yards on 22 carries with a touchdown and threw for 152 yards and three touchdowns.
Despite those impressive numbers, however, the Kings were still in it. A lot of new faces on the Cass side of the ball found out they could go toe-to-toe with some of the best athletes Class 3A has to offer.
The first strike came when Lancaster hit Andrew Pekny for a nine-yard touchdown late in the first quarter for a 6-0 lead. The second strike came after the Kings’ gamble on 4th and 1 on their own 32-yard line that failed to convert, the Red Devils taking a 13-0 lead after a 28-yard reception by Paul Schumann early in the second quarter.
At this point, it didn’t look good for the home team. Cass needed to respond, or it might have been lights out.
No such quit in the Kings. They promptly drove down the field and scored their first touchdown of the night as a pressured Damon Foreman found Brody Edgerly wide open in the end zone for a 15-yard touchdown midway through the second quarter.
The half would end 13-6, Red Devils.
The second half started out well for Cass. Edgerly did it on defense as well for the Kings as he intercepted Lancaster to give Cass an opportunity to tie the game. The Kings did just that by driving 65 yards, capped off by an 11-yard touchdown run by standout Colton Zeck (16 carries for 83 yards rushing, 40 yards receiving, two touchdowns).
But West Lafayette didn’t hesitate in answering as the Red Devils scored late in the third quarter on a five-yard run by Lancaster to regain the lead at 20-13.
That’s when things started to look shaky for the Kings. But a defense on its heels made a late stand, stopping the Red Devils on the 7-yard line. West Lafayette’s field goal attempt pushed left, and the Kings had a flicker of life.
It was quickly dashed when the very first play from scrimmage on the next drive resulted in a fumble and turnover. West Lafayette quickly punched it into the end zone on a four-yard pass from Lancaster to Pekny, and suddenly the Red Devils led 27-13.
The Kings hardly touched the ensuing kickoff, with West Lafayette freshman Brent Spack recovering at the Cass 19 and all hope appearing lost. But have no fear, Cass fan. The Kings’ defense rose up one more time, forcing a turnover on downs with 4:36 left on the clock.
The Cass offense then shifted into high gear, scoring in only 1:23 when Zeck tallied his second touchdown of the night on a 16-yard run.
Trailing by seven, everyone knew what was coming – an onside kick. A coach’s nightmare. A crazy bounce … bad hands … anything can go wrong. Unfortunately for the Kings, the big bounce on the quirky kick landed in West Lafayette hands, and Cass’ fate was sealed.
It was a battle royale that will go a long way in shaping this 2008 Cass team come conference time. And that time is next week as the Kings (1-1) travel to Northwestern (2-0) for the Mid-Indiana Conference opener Sept. 5.
West Lafayette (2-0), meanwhile, will hit the road again for its Hoosier Conference opener at Delphi (0-2) next Friday.
Click here to see Grant Davis’ full post-game interview with Cass coach Scott Mannering!
Processing your request, Please wait....
