The Lisbon Lions varsity football squad defeated the Alburnett Pirates by a score of 18-6 last Friday at Alburnett.
After a quiet first quarter, the Lions began a drive with 2:01 remaining in the period that would pay off in a touchdown about two minutes into the second quarter.
Quarterback Gavin Wollum ran the ball from the Alburnett 4-yard line through to the end zone to put the visiting Lions up 6-0 with 9:25 to go in quarter two. A two-point attempt was unsuccessful.
When possession of the ball was back to Lisbon with 7:41 left in the half, the Lions made their way down the field for 48 yards over the next four minutes, with Wollum ultimately again running the ball into the end zone from nine yards back for the score. Another unsuccessful two-point campaign put Lisbon up 12-0.
The Pirates punted on fourth to give the ball back to the Lions with 1:32 remaining in the half. Lisbon proceeded to move the ball down the field with Cohen Kamaus in the quarterback slot. A successful pass on second and 15 to Will Bennett advanced the ball 12 yards to the Pirates 45.
With nine seconds to go in the half, Kamaus dropped back to the 48 and connected with Kaden Caspers on fourth and third. Caspers caught the ball at the 14, and carried it home for another six points for the Lions and after another missed point-after attempt, Lisbon rode an 18-0 lead into halftime.
The Pirates responded with their sole touchdown for the night with 10:11 to go in the fourth quarter. The team scored on third and goal with a one-yard carry. An incomplete pass doomed their conversion attempt, and with most of the final quarter to play, the score would remain 18-6 until the end.
“I thought our kids played hard again,” said Lions head coach Phil Whitman, while noting he thought the Pirates had come out “with a good game plan.”
“Our defense played awesome,” the coach emphasized.
“We had a few missed opportunities on offense that we’ve just got to execute. We hampered ourselves with penalties again. That falls on my shoulders, and we’ve got to clean that stuff up,” Whitman said.
That included challenging his team to get back into the fundamentals of the game.
The Lions coach pointed out he thought senior Jamien Moore had performed well on the night, and that “Will Bennett has been a pretty good bright spot for us on both offense and defense.”
Friday, when Lisbon plays host to Columbus, Whitman said “a lot of outside things that happen” during the school’s homecoming week could be a distraction from the game.
“We’ve got to keep our focus, and respect our opponent, and take care of the business that we need to take care of,” he said.
Lions deflect challenge from Pirates
Trent Bowman
September 16, 2021
Lisbon sophomore Matthias Kohl shakes off one would-be tackler and stiff arms another en route to a touchdown in earlier action this season.