Disappointed. Deflated. Overwhemlmed.
Those were the emotions felt by Lafayette fans who watched the Lancers open the season against Eureka on Aug. 27. They were disappointed by their team being shut out 28-0 in a rivalry game; deflated by seeing scoring chances wasted by two turnovers and a blocked field goal; and overwhelmed just like junior Will Dupont, who was pressured from start to finish in his first game as a starting quarterback.
Eureka’s defense dominated the game, sacking Dupont three times and forcing two interceptions. With good field position throughout the game, the Wildcat offense worked the middle of the field often with long runs between the tackles and short passes. Senior EHS quarterback Sean Strehl led the way with 201 total yards and two touchdowns.
Eureka’s first score came on the game’s opening drive when Strehl found senior Chase Bollinger on a 24-yard touchdown pass. On the next drive, the Lancers moved the ball deep into Eureka territory after two personal foul penalties and a pass over the middle to senior Al Nesbitt. But with a chance to cut into the lead, the offense stalled in the redzone and senior Max Zaun’s field goal attempt was blocked.
The turning point came in the third quarter with the score still just 7-0 and Lafayette holding possession. While deep in his own territory, Dupont threw his first interception, setting up a short rushing touchdown by Wildcat junior Spencer Steins. Halfway through the third, the Wildcats extended their lead to 21-0 when Strehl’s 33 yard pass completion to Bollonger led shortly after to a 10 yard rushing score by Steins.
It wasn’t until late in the fourth that the Lancers finally showed signs of life, after senior Thomas Swoboda took a kickoff to Eureka’s 40- yard line. But the drive was stopped by Dupont’s second interception. The final blow came when Strehl crossed the goal line on a four yard run, making it 28-0 and giving the Wildcats their third rushing touchdown of the night.
It was a shocking result from a game that was supposed to showcase the Suburban West’s best squad against its newest member, after Eureka joined the Conference this year. For the second straight year, Lafayette fans came dressed in black and an estimated 6,000 fans packed Eureka’s Stadium for the game.
The Lancers came in as the Post-Dispatch’s 10th ranked team in St. Louis, with a defense returning seven starters and an offense revamped by Dupont’s athletic ability. They will look to rebound on Sept. 3, in their home opener against Lindbergh.
“We were all sad. We know we can play better from how we were trained and taught. And we have a tough opponent with Lindbergh next week, so we’re going to have to get to work on Monday,” senior lineman Nico D’Antonio said.
