The Lisbon Lions varsity football squad wrapped their regular season with a 36-21 win on the road with the Starmont Stars.
“Our kids played hard and physical,” said Lions coach Phil Whitman.
The team had taken it a little bit easy during the practices leading up to the game, said Whitman, to preserve the field for the game.
As a result, “We didn’t tackle the greatest at times,” Whitman said.
Lions star Gavin Wollum scored the first two touchdowns of the game, the first a five-yard carry, the second a quick poke from three yards out. Both runs were as long as they needed to be, though their accompanying two-point efforts did not materialize.
Early in the second quarter, Jamien Moore blocked a Starmont punt, leading to Aiden Hanson recovering the ball at the eight, and running it in for a touchdown. Another two-point conversion effort came up short, but the Lions had an 18-0 lead with more than 11 minutes to play until the half.
The Stars got in on the action next, with a 22-yard touchdown run and an extra point tacked on. The lead was now cut to 18-7.
The Lions responded in the form of a pass from Cohen Kamaus from the 26-yard line to Kaden Caspers, who carried the ball to the zone from where he caught it. Another two-point conversion fell apart, but Lisbon now enjoyed a 24-7 lead going into halftime.
Starmont proved hard to shake. A two-yard touchdown run from the Stars in the third quarter led to another Starmont touchdown, and it was followed by another Starmont extra point, cutting the lead down to 24-14.
Wollum returned to the quarterback spot and fired off a pass from the 22 to receiver Will Bennett, who then ran 19 yards for a touchdown. The two-point conversion did not materialize, and the Lions now led 30-14, which lasted through the end of the third period.
Wollum was at it again in the fourth, dropping back to the 36 yard line and connecting with Hanson at the eight, who ran past the goal line for a 33-yard touchdown. The two-point conversion failed, but the Lions now enjoyed a 36-14 lead.
Starmont pulled off one more offensive feat, with a complete pass for an 18 yard touchdown in the game’s final minutes. The extra point was successful as well, and the score was cut down to its final score of 36-21.
The win improved Lisbon’s record to 7-1, while the Stars dropped to 3-5.
The Lions host 5-3 Bellevue Friday for the first round of playoffs.
Coach Whitman said he had been watching game film of the team, and praised several of their athletes.
“We’ll have to play hard, and we’ll see how it goes,” he said.
Kickoff for the game is 7 p.m.
Lions win last regular season gridiron game
Trent Bowman
October 21, 2021