NL_090717

46 | September 7, 2017 | The New Lenox Patriot Sports
newlenoxpatriot.com
Knights’ second-half adjustments down Warriors
Jason Maholy
Freelance Reporter
Lincoln-Way Central
coach Jeremy Cordell said
after the season-opening
shutout of Lake Central
(Indiana) that the Knights’
defense was going to win
games for the team this year.
Consider Central’s victory
on the road over district
rival Lincoln-Way West in
Week 2 one of those games.
The Knights’ defense held
the Warriors to three points
in the second half, and were
dominant in the fourth quarter
of a 27-17 victory on Friday,
Sept. 1.
The win was the Central’s
first over West in five
meetings between the New
Lenox schools. An estimated
4,500 fans attended the hardfought
contest.
The Knights limited the
Warriors’ offense to 46 yards
rushing and 206 overall in a
second straight impressive
performance to open the
2017 season. West roared
back from an early 14-0 deficit
to take a 17-14 lead on a
36-yard field goal by Patrick
Ayala with 7:39 remaining
in the third quarter; however,
they moved the ball past
midfield only once more
in the second half, and that
drive ended when Central
junior defensive back Gabe
Meyers intercepted Anthony
Senerchia deep in Knights
territory.
Senior linebacker Brett
Widule also picked off a
Senerchia pass.
“Our defense came up
with some key stops and a
couple key turnovers, and
they did a nice job of forcing
some throws,” Cordell
said. “We withstood some
punches, and that’s a football
game. When you have
two good teams, you have to
be able to take some punches
and keep moving on, and we
did that and our defense did
that, and we’re really proud
of those guys.”
The Knights’ prevention
corps did have some help,
including a rushing attack
that ground out 207 yards
against a solid West defense
that made Central work hard
for the bulk of that yardage.
Junior running back Justin
Ellis ran for a career-high 77
yards, with most of it coming
on a 57-yard sprint that
opened the scoring eight
minutes into the contest, and
senior quarterback Sam Pipiras
tossed a 17-yard touchdown
pass to Matt Pollack.
Central also scored on a
punt return for the second
straight week. Pollack followed
a caravan of blockers
54 yards to pay dirt to provide
the Knights a 10-point
cushion with 3:57 remaining
in the game. The play
silenced what had been a
raucous contingent of West
fans, and send Knights’ fans
into a frenzy. The Central
“D” did the rest from there.
West head coach Dave
Ernst was complimentary
of his opponent’s defensive
effort, particularly after the
Warriors took their first and
only lead of the night.
“They played really well
in the fourth quarter,” Ernst
said. “We were able to do
some things early, but by the
fourth quarter their D-line
was the difference – their D-
line and their [line]backers,
no doubt about it. We had a
hard time getting protection,
and by the middle of the
third quarter we couldn’t run
anymore.”
The Warriors didn’t help
their cause with numerous
penalties – including two for
unsportsmanlike conduct.
The penalties, combined with
some youthful mistakes and
Central’s strong defensive
showing, kept West pinned
Lincoln-Way West’s Greyson Grimm leaps to make a catch during the Warriors’ 27-17 loss to Lincoln-Way Central on
Friday, Sept. 1. Photos by Jason Maholy/22nd Century Media
on their half of the field for
most of the second half.
“In a tight game, you can’t
make mistakes in your own
end, and we did,” Ernst said.
“High school football’s such
a field position game, and
we killed ourselves with
dumb penalties. We had 30
yards in penalties on one
play when we had shot at
good field position, then another
unsportsmanlike conduct
penalty later.
“We had our chance to get
better field position, and we
ruined it ourselves.”
Ersnt was pleased with
his squad’s resilience after
they fell behind by two
touchdowns in the first half.
Senerchia completed 12-
of-32 passes for 167 yards,
two touchdowns – a 40-yard
catch-and-run by sophomore
running back Caleb Marconi,
and a 25-yard strike to
Alex Croft. Tight end Evan
Weygandt caught four passes
for 58 yards.
“They didn’t panic; they
fought back, and we had a
couple big plays,” Ernst said.
”They kept playing, and I
don’t think they ever didn’t
believe we weren’t going to
be able to score and win the
game. They kept fighting.”
West was down 20-17
when Pollock’s punt return
broke the Warriors’ back.
The senior running back
hadn’t fielded a punt all
night because of problems
seeing the ball in the lights,
but glimpsed an opening
down the left sideline – and
a blockade of teammates –
moments before he caught
the ball.
“I was actually thinking
about just letting it go, but
I looked up at it and looked
back down and saw I had a
Mike Morgan finds space while running with the ball
lot of space,” Pollock said.
“It was easy for me. I was
kind of able to just walk in
with all the blocks I got.
That was a big moment for
us. I think it kind of boosted
the defense, gave them momentum
to get a final stop.”
Pollack said the victory
was big for Central, which
has high expectations and
responded assertively to a
tough challenge on the road.
“West is a great team, so
if we can come in here and
beat a team like them we
can beat anybody,” he said.
“So I think it’s really good
for us and gives us a lot of
confidence.”