Lausen Flores of LCC attempts to hurdle over Will Sensabaugh of Spencerville on Friday night.
Jackelyn Johnson | The Lima News
SPENCERVILLE – LCC returned to Memorial Field for the first time since 2019 for a Northwest Conference battle against Spencerville and left as victors, using the second half to pull away for a 36-7 win on Friday night.
The final score might not indicate it as a close game, but for two quarters, Spencerville (4-4, 1-4 NWC) kept the T-Birds within striking distance.
“I thought the first half was a real battle,” said LCC coach Scott Palte. “I think we had a couple opportunities to take control of the game and penalties got us. We had a 15-0 lead and let them score right before the half to make it a really tight game. I am proud of our kids for coming out in the second half, recovering and playing really well.
“Spencerville is such an improved team. They get better each week. You can see it in the film. I knew they were going to come out and play hard and give us everything we could ask for.”
LCC (6-2, 4-1 NWC) marched right down the field on its opening possession when Brady Parker capped off a two-minute drive with a 1-yard touchdown run.
After forcing Spencerville into a three-and-out, it looked as if the T-Birds were heading for the end zone once again. Parker engineered the run-pass-option offense to near perfection before the drive stalled out at the Bearcat 27-yard line.
On the following possession, Parker bobbled the snap off of Lausen Flores’ foot and Trevor Whitney pounced on the loose ball to set Spencerville up at LCC’s 31-yard line.
Parker erased the fumble quickly once he stepped back onto the field when he scampered into the endzone for a second time, this time from eight yards out to push LCC’s lead to 15-0 with under five minutes left in the half.
Palte said, “Brady (Parker) did a great job tonight making reads. He’s coming along and he’s learning the game as he goes each week. He’s a very talented and hard-working player.”
Spencerville drew within one score late in the first half when Carder Orr connected with Grady Smith on a 4th down conversion.
The Bearcats received the second-half kickoff and found themselves facing a 4th and 2 from their own 38-yard line and Kyle Koenig made the decision to keep the offense on the field.
It was a choice that LCC’s defense proved to be a mistake.
“Our defense did a great job tonight of getting off the ball, getting through blocks and just attacking and making plays,” Palte said. “Gianni McKee did a real nice job tonight. He’s really tough to block and did a great job controlling the line of scrimmage.”
“Give their defense a lot of credit,” said Spencerville coach Kyle Koenig. “Caden Falke and Gianni McKee were flying all over the field tonight. They did a tremendous job making plays and we didn’t capitalize when we needed to.”
Falke terrorized Spencerville on the defensive side of the ball play after play Friday night. He also made one reception on offense and made it count on an 11-yard score.
The next time LCC touched the ball, it took them just one play to find the end zone once again when Lausen Flores broke free for a 72-yard touchdown run. With 5:15 left in the third quarter, the T-Birds led 29-7.
“Lausen Flores is quick. We try to find ways to get him into open space and when he does, he can show his speed,” Palte said. “He made some plays today, got a big run in the third quarter and then did it again late on a reverse counter play.”
LCC will make the trip to Clymer Stadium on Friday for a clash with Columbus Grove (8-0, NWC 5-0) for the first time since 2014.
“Columbus Grove is a really good football team, we know that we have our hands full with that one,” Palte said. “They are a very senior-led group with great coaches and players. I tell our kids all the time, this is why you play high school football. You want to play games that attract tremendous challenge and games that mean something. We are right here at the end of the season in contention, so let’s see what we can go out and do.”
Spencerville hosts Crestview on Friday night in its home finale.
Score by quarters
LCC 7 8 14 7 – 36
Spencerville 0 7 0 0 – 7
Scoring Summary
(LCC) 1-yard TD run Brady Parker (Brevan Stolly kick)
(LCC) 8-yard TD run Brady Parker (Brady Parker 2pt conversion Good)
(SV) 19-yard TD pass Carder Orr to Grady Smith (Carder Orr kick)
(LCC) 11-yard TD pass Brady Parker to Caden Falke (Brevan Stolly kick)
(LCC) 72-yard TD run Lausen Flores (Brevan Stolly kick)
(LCC) 11-yard TD run Lausen Flores (Brevan Stolly kick)
Nate Stidham wrote this story for LimaScores.com
