Athletics close out the Cards

By Herald staff (Contact) | Austin Daily Herald

Originally published 12:39 a.m., September 6, 2008
Updated 12:39 a.m., September 6, 2008

The Lyle/Pacelli football team got a boost from its defense in the second half in a 28-14 win at LeRoy/Ostrander Friday night.

The Athletics (2-0 overall, 2-0 SEC) held the Cardinals (0-2, 0-2 SEC) scoreless for the last 20 minutes of the game as Matt Buntje and Nate Williamson both scored TD runs to give L/P a late edge.

L/O took advantage of a fumble by L/P at in its own territory at the end of the first half and the Cardinals used the short field to score on a 20-yard toss from Michael Knight to Josh Rowe with just 21 seconds left in the first half.

“We were trying to run to generate a drive or just run off the clock to end the half, depending on what we got. It backfired on us,” L/P head coach Mark Buntje said. “I was really happy with our second half, but we had a letdown in that second quarter.”

To start the second half, the Athletics got an unexpected gift. They got the ball, even though they had the first possession of the first half — which they used it to convert a 13 play drive that led to 23-yard TD grab by Michael Lonnergan.

“I turned to my captains and the refs, and apparently L/O chose to kick instead of defer in the first half, so we got the ball in both halves,” Buntje said.

The Athletics made the Cardinals pay for the mistake as Cody Meyer returned that kickoff 85-yards to give L/P a 12-8 lead.

“Cody changed the momentum of the game with that return,” Buntje said.

L/O responded when Dylan Mackey hauled in a 56-yard TD from Knight to tie things up at 12.

But L/P responded with an 11 play, 57 yard drive that was capped by Buntje’s TD run with just over four minutes left in the third quarter.

The Athletics killed almost six minutes of clock on their final TD drive of the game as they finished off the Cardinals.

It was the first time L/P won in LeRoy since they joined the nine-man league. The Athletics are now 2-12 in their last 14 games against the Cardinals since 1993.

SCORING SUMMARY

L/P 8 0 14 6 — 28

L/O 0 8 6 0 — 14

First quarter

(L/P) Michael Lonnergan 23 pass from Matt Buntje (Stier from Buntje)

Second quarter

(L/O) Josh Rowe 20 pass from Michael Knight (Jacob Hamlin run)

Third quarter

(L/P) Cody Meyer 85-yard kickoff return for TD (pass failed)

(L/O) Dylan Mackey 56 pass from Knight (run failed)

(L/P) Buntje 1 run (Stier from Buntje)

Fourth quarter

(L/P) Nate Williamson 18 run (kick failed)

STATISTICS

L/P rushing: Nate Williamson, 18-for-85, TD

L/P passing: Buntje, 10-for-14, 84, TD

L/P receiving: Brady Stier, 5-for-34

L/P sacks: Williamson (2), Stier (2), Brett Kraemer

L/P INT: Lonnergan

L/O rushing: Jacob Hamlin, 13-for-50

L/O passing: Knight, 7-for-12, 117, 2 TD, INT