Lyndon makes enough plays to beat Troy, 24-22
By The Emporia Gazette (Contact)
Monday, November 5, 2007
Lyndon’s defense came up with the big play it needed, as Keene Niemack intercepted a pass with less than two minutes remaining to seal the Tigers’ 24-22 victory over Troy on Saturday in the second round of the 2-1A State playoffs.
The Tigers, trailing 22-17 after three quarters, picked up the go-ahead score with nine minutes remaining when Shea Kirsop found Jeremy Testerman for a 9-yard touchdown pass.
Troy had one last chance to win it late.
With less than two minutes left, Troy took it inside the Lyndon 30, but a Colin Greasor pass was deflected by Quinton Testerman.
Niemack then made an athletic play to pick it off, going into a dive for the game-deciding interception.
“This group of kids has found a way to win the close ones,” Lyndon coach Rod Stallbaumer said. “We’ve started to make a habit of it, and that’s good.”
The Tigers (10-1) have won five of their games this season by eight points or less.
“That experience (in close games) is starting to help us now that we’re starting to get kids healthy,” Stallbaumer said. “We know how to keep fighting and battling and how to make plays when we need to.”
Kade Neilson put Lyndon on the scoreboard first with a 51-yard touchdown run.
Niemack followed with a 50-yard TD run of his own to give the Tigers a 14-6 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Alex Walsh tacked on a 21-yard field goal to make it 17-6, but Troy (7-4) scored 16 unanswered points to take a lead into the fourth quarter.
Lyndon advances to play perennial power Pittsburg-Colgan (11-0) on Friday.
The Tigers — after playing only four of their 11 games this season at home — will take on the Panthers in Lyndon.
“We know it’s going to take our best game,” Stallbaumer said. “We’re going to come out and give them our best shot.”
Lyndon 24, Troy 22
Saturday at Troy
Lyndon 14 3 0 7 — 24
Troy 6 16 0 0 — 22
First Quarter
L — Kade Neilson 51 run (Alex Walsh kick)
T — Caylor Luther 4 run (run failed)
L — Keene Niemack 50 run (Walsh kick)
Second Quarter
L — Walsh 21 field goal
T — Luther 10 run (Luther run)
T — Brennan Wehner 22 pass from Colin Greasor (Luther pass from Greasor)
Fourth Quarter
L — Jeremy Testerman 9 pass from Shea Kirsop (Walsh kick)
TEAM STATISTICS
Lyn Troy
Rushes-yards 34-241 39-160
Passing yards 37 137
Total yards 278 297
Att.-comp.-int. 2-6-1 9-22-1
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing — Lyndon: Kade Neilson 19-130, Keene Niemack 10-89, Shea Kirsop 5-22.
Passing — Lyndon: Shea Kirsop 2-6-1 37; Troy: Colin Greasor 9-22-1 137.
Receiving — Lyndon: Keene Niemack 1-28, Jeremy Testerman 1-9.
Records — Lyndon 10-1, Troy 7-4.
Pittsburg-Colgan 35, Olpe 8
Olpe couldn’t come up with enough firepower in a 35-8 loss to Pittsburg-Colgan on Saturday in Pittsburg.
The Eagles still managed to stay in the game early.
On their first possession, the Eagles drove to the Colgan 35 before throwing an interception.
The Eagles defense stepped up to the challenge, forcing a fumble on Colgan’s first play to get the ball right back.
Again, Olpe moved it into Pittsburg territory, but an interception halted the team’s second drive as well.
“We weren’t in awe, and I was worried about that,” Olpe coach Chris Schmidt said. “I’m proud of the way we came out of the gate.
“We had a chance to score, and that could have been important. It definitely could have given us more confidence.”
Colgan (11-0) took control after that.
Tino King rushed for three touchdowns in the first half alone, helping the Panthers to a 28-0 halftime lead.
Olpe (7-4) put up its only touchdown in the fourth quarter on a Wade Schmidt 4-yard run.
The Eagles had difficulties rushing the ball, ending with 27 carries for negative-four yards.
Matt Redeker finished 12-of-29 for 118 yards passing, while Cole Krueger added seven catches for 72 yards.
Olpe, in Schmidt’s first year as coach, still was able to advance to the second round of the State playoffs after returning only a handful of kids with varsity playing experience.
The Eagles also bounced back after starting the year 1-2.
“I thought we had the potential, but I didn’t know how it would go,” Schmidt said. “To get where we got today is a good accomplishment for these kids.”
Pittsburg-Colgan 35, Olpe 8
Saturday at Pittsburg
Olpe 0 0 0 8 — 8
PC 7 21 7 0 — 35
First Quarter
PC — Tino King 10 run (Nick Whetzell kick)
Second Quarter
PC — Tino King 3 run (Whetzell kick)
PC — Stewart Jeck 56 pass from Chas Smith (Whetzell kick)
PC — Tino King 7 run (Whetzell kick)
Third Quarter
PC — Kenny Wachter 11 run (Whetzell kick)
Fourth Quarter
O — Wade Schmidt 4 run (Cole Krueger pass from Matt Redeker)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing — Olpe: Josh Lambert 10-10, Wade Schmidt 2-10, Cole Krueger 3-1, Matt Redeker 12-(-25).
Passing — Olpe: Redeker 12-29-2 118.
Receiving — Olpe: Cole Krueger 7-72, Alex Medenciy 2-36, Josh Klumpe 2-8, Bradley Argabright 1-2.
Records — Olpe 7-4, Pittsburg-Colgan 11-0.