Lumen responds from early deficit, rolls to 35-7 victory over Vandercook
By Mike Moore
Staff Writer
Jackson – The underdogs came out swinging, a playoff team for the first time in nearly two decades, Vandercook Lake landed the first punch. And it was a staggering, direct hit that stung for more than a quarter.
But once off the mat, Lumen Christi flexed its playoff muscle, and experience, roaring back from an early deficit to roll to a 35-7 victory in Friday night’s Division 6 pre-district opener on the road.
“I thought they were really well prepared to start the ball game. They caught us flat footed a little bit,” Lumen coach Herb Brogan said of Vandercook, which led 7-0 until the final 90 seconds of the first half. “We got the ball for one series and didn’t do anything.”
After falling behind on the opening drive, Lumen scored the game’s final five touchdowns, including three in a span of 6:15 in the fourth quarter.
“We found a way to bounce back and had a great second half,” Brogan added.
“It’s very tough, (the season) being over,” a somber Vandercook coach Steve Wolvin said. “But if you’re going to lose, you lose to a better team. They were better tonight.”
The Jayhawks hadn’t been to the playoffs since 1996, but took control of the game right off the bat. Using nothing but a speedy and confusing running attack, Vandy took 5:07 off the clock on its first drive, covering 80 yards and taking a 7-0 lead on a 3-yard score by Zaithon Allen.
Lumen got the ball for the first time, ran three plays and promptly punted it right back.
Vandercook then marched right down the field again, with a certain amount of ease, before Devin Cheney had a 27-yard field goal blocked on fourth and four.
And then something changed.
“It gave our defense a little bit of confidence,” Brogan said. “They were moving the ball and moving the ball, they got it down there again, and we finally got a stop. I think that gave us some confidence. And I think over the course of the game we kind of wore them down a little bit.”
Lumen took the ensuing drive down to the Vandercook Lake 5-yard line before Bo Bell fumbled the ball. Vandercook failed to do anything with the turnover, though, punting it back, and Lumen’s dominance started to show itself.
The Titans tied the game when Bell scored on a 9-yard run, capping a 60-yard drive with just 1:29 to play in the first half. Momentum shifted for good. Lumen marched right down the field to start the second half, getting a 13-yard run from quarterback Liam Daly just 34 seconds in for a 14-7 lead. The Titans never looked back.
Bell, who also threw an interception on a halfback pass in the third, scored on a 77-yard run with 9:20 to play in the fourth. Josh Marsh scored on a 52-yard run less than three minutes later, and Kyle Minder capped the scoring with a 5-yard run with 3:05 to play in regulation.
Despite the early fumble, Bell finished the game with 178 yards on 20 carries and two touchdowns.
Brogan said there was never any hesitation about giving him the ball after the turnover. “He’s our horse. You have to ride him.” Brogan said. Bell ran for 283 yards and two scores last week against Jackson.
“In the end, it’s going to be the physicality and toughness of the interior lines that are going to take over, and they did just that,” Wolvin said of Lumen. “They took over, and we wore down.”
Allen led Vandercook with 66 yards rushing on 13 carries, though most of that came in the first half. Nolan Hancock completed 8-of-19 passes for 93 yards and was picked off twice.
Malik Wilks had 42 yards on eight carries in his first game in three weeks.
The loss ended the Jayhawks season with an 8-2 record, the best for the program since1971.
Daly completed four passes for Lumen for 56 yards. Marsh added 77 yards on seven carries.
The Titans (7-3) advance to next weekend’s district final at Manchester. The Flying Dutchmen (9-1) won a wild, back-and-forth affair over Grass Lake 43-40 Friday night.
“We’ve seen Manchester against Vandercook,” Brogan said. “We saw a 20-point win against a good football team. They’ve got our attention. … We just have to keep improving.”
Manchester beat Vandercook 29-7 in Week 7. Lumen Christi and Manchester have never met before.
Mike Moore is a play-by-play commentator and Sports Writer for JTV Sports. You can reach him at mjm12@albion.edu. He’s also the author of ‘Love, Defined; A Dedication to the Love, Sacrifice, and Magic of Motherhood.’ Love, Defined is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Tate Publishing or by contacting Mike directly.