In a high-scoring offensive game, the Lancers got the one defensive stop they needed when it mattered most.
The Battle of 109 came down to a Hail-Mary attempt that fell just short, with Aaron Schnurbusch of Eureka getting stopped at the two-yard line by Lafayette senior Khahyil Moore to preserve a 35-28 win.
Senior quarterback Dominic Bisesi came out firing, going 21 for 34 with 355 yards while junior Deonte Robinson scored on a seven-yard run and a 94-yard kick return.
“Coach wanted to keep it simple and not show them much in the first quarter,” Robinson told the Post-Dispatch. “Just play it how it was supposed to be played.”
The Lancers converted on third and long twice to set up two separate scores in the first quarter. Both came courtesy of senior Will Dupont.
First, on third and 15, he caught a slant over the middle for 16 yards before Robinson scored his first touchdown. Dupont outdid himself the next time when he ran under a bomb that Bisesi threw from his own 20-yard line, caught it near midfield and bolted downfield for an 80-yard touchdown. That play came on third and 17.
The Wildcats responded to both ofLafayette’s first-quarter touchdowns with two short runs by Spencer Stein, who finished with three scores.
Both teams got help from a big play on kickoff returns. After Dupont’s long touchdown, Eureka’s Gino Greene fumbled straight to teammate Cam Carrol who took all the way into the opposing red zone. Stein converted a 1-yard run to make it 14-14.
Lafayette’s was even more exciting, as Robinson fielded a bouncing ball and appeared trapped before taking off down the sideline for a 94-yard touchdown to open the second half.
“They pooched it, and I went right and there were too many people, and I saw the wall and went on with it,” Robinson said.
That score combined with a 9-yard, one-handed touchdown catch by senior Brock Behrndt to give the Lancers their biggest lead at 28-14.
After Kevin Hampton gave the Lancers a 35-21 lead on an eight-yard run, Stein scored his third touchdown to make it 35-28 with 4:33 left in the game. The Wildcats would get the ball back with under a minute to go, when Schnurbusch was pushed out of bounds as time expired.
“It means a lot after last year’s disappointment. It was nice to get the win this year,” Dupont said. “It helps just from winning game one and having the confidence that we can do it again.”
The Lancers will travel to Lindbergh on Sept. 2 to take on the Flyers, who dominated Oakville42-0 in their opener.
