The Lisbon Lions varsity football team eked out a 30-27 nailbiter Friday in the first round of 1A playoffs with a win over the visiting Bellevue Comets.
The Comets, said Lions head coach Phil Whitman, were “really good,” but the coach knew what gave his team the edge.
“Our two-point conversions” were the key, Whitman said.
“We didn’t score a one against Starmont, and I said that was going to be our point of emphasis, and we got three out of four, which was the difference in the game.”
Whitman offered up a few more factors.
“Max Kohl ran possessed. Max had a big night,” he said.
“I thought Gavin played really well at quarterback, made some good reads. He pulled when he needed to, and he ran hard, too. And we needed him to run as hard as he did to get some big plays,” said Whitman.
Still, the game was down to the wire, and Whitman pointed out one more big play.
“Kaden Caspers knocked the ball down with zero seconds remaining, and after that I just looked at the other coaches and said, ‘I need to sit down’,” the coach said.
Bellevue chalked up the first score of the game, with a 27-yard touchdown from a handoff. The team’s extra point cleared the goalposts, and the visiting Comets had a 7-0 lead with 5:13 remaining in the first quarter.
The Lions struck back later in the quarter, with Wollum handing off to Kohl for a 45-yard touchdown run. The two paired up for a successful two-point conversion attempt, with a pitch from Wollum to Kohl for a three-yard run across the goal line. With 2:36 remaining in the quarter, the Lions now had a 8-7 lead.
The Comets would have the last word in the first period, scoring a goal from a 65-yard touchdown, and adding an extra point. Bellevue led at the end of the first 14-8.
Wollum and Kohl were instrumental in the next touchdown for Lisbon, with a handoff from Wollum to Kohl leading to a 24-yard goal. The pair teamed up again for the two-point conversion, with Wollum again handing it to Kohl for the same result. The Lions led 16-14 with 8:58 to go in the second.
Wollum and Kohl paired up for the remaining two Lions scores in the third and fourth quarters, with a Bellevue touchdown in between, with 5:55 to go in the third period.
On Bellevue’s final drive, Kaden Caspers swatted down a pass in the remaining seconds to keep the Lions on top and alive in the playoffs, and the team winning 30-27.
The Lions would next face off with East Buchanan at home on Friday in the second round of the playoffs. The winner would advance to the quarterfinals.

Gallery • 1 Photos

Margaret Stevens | Staff photo

Kaden Caspers and Will Bennett just miss recovering a Bellevue fumble.