On Oct. 22, Rockwood ground crews did what they could to cover up the damage done to Lafayette’s field by vandals. But the football team couldn’t hide the mistakes that led to a 35-24 loss against Marquette later that night.

After 18 minutes of football, the Lancers appeared one step closer to capturing a District championship. A 19-yard touchdown pass to junior Will Dupont and a 20-yard interception return by senior Al Nesbitt, along with a field goal by senior Max Zaun, had given them a 17-0 lead midway through the second quarter.

But with a pair of touchdowns by Dante McKinney, the Mustangs quickly cut the lead to 17-14 just before halftime. They would take a 24-17 lead in the third quarter on Matt Seevers’s 20-yard touchdown to Anthony Dudley and a field goal by Colin Hoy.

The Lancers tied the game on senior Thomas Swoboda’s four-yard touchdown to open the fourth quarter. After the Mustangs pulled ahead by three on Hoy’s second field goal, the Lancers put together a promising drive before a fumble by Dupont gave Marquette possession near midfield. They finished things off with a 57-yard touchdown by Ryan Schaefer.

With the loss, Lafayette is 1-1 in Districts and will need a win against CBC on Oct. 29 to advance. Kickoff for that game is scheduled for 7 p.m at CBC.