LaVille slays mighty Andrean to advance to sectional semis
LAKEVILLE – The final minute of LaVille’s sectional quarterfinal game against perennial powerhouse Andrean Friday night seemed to take an eternity.
In fact, it did take around a half hour or so as the officiating crew struggled mightily managing the game’s waning seconds, but eventually the game clock read all zeros and the fifth-ranked Lancers had exorcised its demons by toppling the mighty 59ers, 25-23.
LaVille’s win on muddy Lancer Field advanced the Blue and White to the semifinals of Sectional 33 and ended Andrean’s quest for another trip to the state finals in Indianapolis.
Each of LaVille’s previous two seasons ended with losses to Andrean. However, on this night history would not repeat itself.
The field conditions were challenging for both teams to say the least. Players had trouble getting consistent footing and several times players slipped and fell when trying to cut or pursue a play.
Nonetheless, this one was a classic certainly in the eyes of Big Blue Nation.
LaVille, which has a stellar 19-2 record over the last two seasons (28-5 since 2020), jumped out to an 11-0 lead thanks to Lucas Plummer’s 29-yard field goal and his 27-yard magnificent scramble where he beat all the Andrean defenders to the pylon.
The visitors got to within 11-8 before halftime.
The Lancers responded with the only score in the third quarter, which came on running back Cody Allen’s one-yard plunge. Plummer then connected with Michael Good to convert the two-point play to give the home team an 11-point lead yet again at 19-8.
Andrean, however, wouldn’t go quietly.
The 59ers got great field position thanks to a long kickoff return and got within three again after a passing touchdown and a good two-point conversion.
LaVille appeared to put the game on ice after Eli Platz somehow recovered the ensuing onside kick that was perfectly executed. Platz managed to rake the ball into his body with his right arm, battling two Andrean players in a mud scrum. Yes, it was as classic as it sounds.
On that drive, LaVille had a fourth-and-nine and elected to try a 31-yard field by Plummer. He missed it, but was roughed, giving the Lancers a first-and-goal from the 7-yard line. Ironically Plummer was violently roughed on his first-quarter made field goal, but no flag was thrown.
A few players later, Allen again dove in from a yard out. This time the two-point conversion was no good, but LaVille led 25-16.
Plummer tried to kick away from Andrean’s talented Jimmy Finley on the kickoff, but No. 15 managed to pick up the squib kick and delivered yet another huge return, setting his team up at the Lancer 23 with 2:42 remaining.
Just over a minute later, the 59ers scored on a 10-yard pass play. The extra point kick was good and LaVille led by just two points with 1:37 to go.
The LaVille faithful could exhale slightly when Xzavian LaFave recovered the ensuing onside kick with just over 90 seconds to play.
Andrean didn’t have its full compliment of timeouts remaining so LaVille was able to kneel down and eventually run out the clock.
There was so much confusion regarding the game clock and play clock in the final 60 seconds. There were several on-field officiating crew meetings and officials’ meetings with the coaches. To say the least, how the game was managed in the final moments was very unsettling for the many in attendance as well as the players and coaches.
The first half wasn’t quite as wild as the closing moments, but it, too, had its fair share of unpredictability.
There were four turnovers in the opening two quarters, three by Andrean.
The 59ers struggled throughout the game snapping the ball. One snap was air-mailed over the head of their quarterback in the first half which set LaVille up with great field position and eventually resulted in a touchdown. In the second half, an errant punt snap again would result in another LaVille touchdown drive.
Allen was a workhorse throughout and had daylight to run through thanks to the job his offensive line, led by 6-foot-3, 260-pound Erik Bedock, did on a much larger Andrean front.
Allen rushed 34 times for 136 yards and a pair of scores.
Plummer ran the ball (11 times) nearly twice as many times as he threw it (six).
LaVille’s Jonathan Neese led the defensive effort as he seemed to be everywhere. He finished with a team-high five tackles and two for losses.
The victory was significant in many ways for LaVille. The Lancers are now in excellent shape to win a second sectional championship in the last three years. In all honesty it should capture the school’s third sectional crown in the last seven seasons.
The 59ers, on the other hand, ended a disappointing season with a 3-7 record and lost for the first time in the opening round of sectional since 2011.
Last year Andrean, led by Indiana Mr. Football winner Drayk Bowen who is now playing at Notre Dame, advanced to the state finals before losing to Evansville Mater Dei. The year before Andrean won the state championship by defeating that same Mater Dei team.
LaVille’s sectional bracket is very advantageous now. The Lancers are the only ranked team in its sectional. If it advances to the regional, it likely would face a top-10 team in either Rochester or Lafayette Central Catholic. No. 7 Bluffton could be waiting in the semi-state round.
In case you are wondering, the top three teams ahead of LaVille in the coaches poll – Linton-Stockton, Triton Central and Brownstown Central are all in the other side of the bracket, meaning the Lancers wouldn’t face one of them until the state championship game in Lucas Oil Stadium.
Now that LaVille’s nemesis Andrean is eliminated who knows how far the Big Blue might go. One thing is certain; it’s certainly been an exciting 9-1 season thus far and who knows maybe it will be a historic one.
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