IHSAA football: Lutheran stays perfect, defeats Scecina 28-19
It's been nearly two years since reigning Class A champion Lutheran has tasted defeat, and Friday's matchup against Indiana Crossroads Conference foe Scecina represented its toughest test since last year's championship game.
Gone is dual-threat quarterback Montasi Clay. Enter sophomore Jackson Willis, an accurate pocket-passing lefty. Clay's ability to create with his feet gave the Saints explosiveness on the ground whenever they needed it. Against Scecina and its relentless defensive line, the Saints struggled to maintain a consistent rushing attack after having success early.
Scecina also struggled to generate much of a rushing attack, and the game transformed into a shootout between two talented signal callers ‒ Willis and Scecina junior David Mendez. Both quarterbacks showed a mastery of their respective offenses, throwing pinpoint passes for touchdowns and scrambling to gain yards when needed.
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Mendez did his best to keep the Crusaders in the game, but the Lutheran offense proved too powerful, giving the Saints a 28-19 win at Roncalli.
"We had a couple of mistakes. They gave us some things defensively that we hadn't prepared for. (We) didn't have some very good answers down there quite frankly," Lutheran coach Dave Pasch said. "But we never got rattled. They've got a lot of really good players, really well coached. ... As we told them, big games like this, championship type games, it's turnovers penalties and field position.
"We always preach poise. It was just composure. I never at any point thought our kids got rattled."
The game featured four lead changes and several highlight-reel plays. Lutheran struck first, turning a Scecina fumble into seven points on a Joe Davis 7-yard touchdown run. Lutheran's defense generated another turnover with a LJ Ward interception, but that miscue did not turn into points for the Saints. Mendez got Scecina back in the game, connecting with Tamir Woods for a 20-yard score. The extra point kick was no good, the first of two missed extra points that proved costly for Scecina.
Scecina turned a Willis interception by Madden Beriault into a scoring drive capped by a 10-yard pass from Mendez to Jaylen Long with 15 seconds left in the second quarter. Scecina led at the half, and midway through the third quarter, the Crusaders answered a 99-yard kickoff return touchdown from De'Vuan Jones with a 10-play scoring drive. Mendez showcased his touch, dropping a seam route perfectly between two defenders for a 20-yard touchdown to Mason Beriault, putting the Crusaders back in the lead.
The Saints went three-and-out on their ensuing drive and the Crusaders went back to the air, using a 50-yard pass from Mendez to Beriault to move back into Saints territory. After Mendez caught fire, completing 10 passes in a row and 12 of 14, but the next pass after the long completion was deflected, leading to an interception by CJ Ervin.
On Lutheran's next possession, Willis' 4-yard touchdown pass to Micah Mackay put the Saints up for good. Willis showed off his accuracy on his final score of the night, double clutching in the pocket and letting go a laser over a trailing defender's head for a 35-yard touchdown to Cur'Brian Shelby.
Willis finished 14-of-24 for 168 yards two touchdowns and one interception. Mendez went 15-for-24 for 190 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. Mendez added 44 yards on the ground, but he left the game in the fourth quarter after making a tackle on defense. He did not return.
"Just persistence and being able to trust your teammates and your coaches," Willis said of the team's ability to comeback and regain the lead. "There's obviously some things we need to work on, but I believe that we can be something really special this year."
Lutheran (6-0) has outscored its opponents by 201 points, but its margin against Scecina (5-1) was its tightest all year. Pasch said as a Class A school playing a schedule filled with larger ICC schools, every game is an opportunity to show his Saints can punch above their weight as they prepare for the IHSAA tournament.
"We play big time football," Pasch said. "It does more for us as the 1A school to prepare us for the tournament then certainly than any other in our league. What a great opportunity, because (Scecina) is as good a football team as we're gonna see all year long."
Lutheran 28, Scecina 19
Lutheran 7 0 14 7 --- 28
Scecina 0 13 6 0 --- 19
Scoring Plays
L --- Joe Davis 7 run (Nick Miller kick)
S --- Tamir Woods 20 pass from DJ Mendez (kick failed)
S --- Jaylen Long 10 pass from Mendez (Carter Nolan kick)
L --- De'Vuan Jones 99 kick return (Miller kick)
S --- Mason Beriault 20 pass from Mendez (kick failed)
L --- Micah Mackay 4 pass from Willis (Miller kick)
L --- Cur'Brian 35 pass from Willis (Miller kick)
Individual Stats
Rushing --- Lutheran: Joe Davis 26-109, De'Vuan Jones 3-8, Jackson Willis 7-(minus 4), Cur'Brian Shelby 2-12. Scecina: Brandon Fitts-Ramsey 10-14, Marcus Greathouse 4-16, David Mendez 10-44, Wil Battles 3-(minus 7).
Passing --- Lutheran: Willis 14-24-1 168. Scecina: Mendez 15-24-2 190.
Receiving --- Lutheran: Jones 3-8, Shelby 4-67, Josiah King 2-27, Davis 1-1, LJ Ward 3-61, Micah Mackay 1-4. Scecina: Jacob Martin 4-36, Tamir Woods 2-26, Mason Beriault 5-95, Jaylen Long 3-29, Fitts-Ramsey 1-4.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana high school football: Lutheran defeats Scecina 28-19
