by Independence, Ohio – Behind a very potent rushing attack, the visiting Lutheran West Longhorns defeated host Independence, 37-14.
Lutheran West came into Friday’s contest 9th in Division IV, Region 14, according to JoeEitel.com.
Independence came into Friday’s contest ranked 3rd in Division VII, Region 25, according to JoeEitel.com.
Even with the lingering threat of weather in the area, the game started without delay.
Lutheran West went on a lengthy drive, looking to put points on the board early on. They utilized nothing but the run, and move the ball with precision. But despite getting into the red zone, the Independence defense turned them away.
After a scoreless first quarter, Independence jumped ahead, when sophomore Kyle Zigmunt took a handoff ten yards to the house. The ensuing point-after was good, and Independence led, 7-0.
Later in the second quarter, Lutheran West responded.
They capped off their scoring drive when Eddie Lewis took it in from a yard out. The ensuing two-point try was no good, and Independence held the lead, 7-6.
The Longhorns would drive down the field, looking to take the lead going into the half, but time ran out before they could do so.
The second half featured quite a bit of scoring.
Sophomore Bryce Groppe converted a 35-yard field goal, putting the Longhorns up, 9-7, with 4:34 left in the third.
Freshman running back Jamarion Banks, another key piece in the Lutheran West running game, took a handoff 26 yards to the house. This increased the lead to 16-7 with 1:59 left in the third.
The Blue Devils responded shortly after.
Independence senior quarterback Michael Tommer completed a pair of passes. The first went to Evan Beacher for a 26-yard gain. The second went to Kyle Zigmunt, and he took it 40 yards to the house. This cut the Independence deficit to 16-14.
The fourth quarter was when the Lutheran West offense really took off.
Senior quarterback Jack Lapointe took it in from a yard out to increase the lead to 23-14.
After a stop on defense, Damarious Bradley made an impressive punt return inside the Blue Devil 5. Jamarion Banks did the rest one play later, taking it in to increase the lead to 30-14 with 7:30 left.
But the Longhorn offense called Eddie Lewis’ number once more, as he took it in from five yards out to increase the lead to 37-14.
Several games in and around the Cleveland area were affected in some way by the weather Friday night. However, the rain showers did not hit Independence until around five minutes remaining. By then, the game was out of reach.
And the Lutheran West sideline celebrated their first conference championship since 2001.
The Longhorn offense ran roughshod Friday evening, with over 400 yards on the ground in total. Eddie Lewis had 33 carries for 229 yards and two scores. Jamarrion Banks had 14 rushes for 72 yards and two scores.
With such an effective running game, the Longhorns did not need to pass very much. Jack Lapointe had two completions, one to Greg Fuentes late in the first half.
Lutheran West improves to 8-1 overall and 5-0 in the CVC Metro. They host Harvey to conclude the regular season.
Independence drops to 7-2 overall and 4-1 in the CVC Metro. They travel to Brooklyn to conclude regular season play.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Lutheran West RB Eddie Lewis (Sr.)
He had 32 carries, 229 yards and two scores. To say he played a key role on offense was an understatement.
Check out extended highlights below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VScNMpVrvLQ
