No. 4 Lisbon thumped Van Buren County 49-0 on Friday, Oct. 18, in Keosauqua.
The win clinched the outright Class A, District 5 crown and the Lions finished the regular season undefeated (8-0).
“It was a test,” Lisbon coach Dylan Hastings said. “It is a long bus ride down there, but the boys came out ready to play.”
It was a blue-collar win, with the Lions doing a little bit of everything.
Lisbon had three interceptions, including two picksixes – one by Dakota Clark and one by Tiernan Boots. Ben Kelley had the third pick.
The Warriors managed just 83 yards of offense. Their quarterback, sophomore Will Cocherell, was 6-of-26 passing (23.1 percent) for 56 yards.
“What is special about our defense is we get tons of pressure on the quarterback,” Hastings said. “We don’t track that stat, quarterback pressures, but if we did, we’d be one of the top teams in the state. We make the ball come out quick. And our defensive backs can lock down on the back end and break on the ball.”
Sophomore Ryder Meeks had the lone sack, but the Lions did have 6.5 tackles for loss (two for Gage Holub). Because of great defense, the offense didn’t have to do too much. Clark finished with 118 yards passing and 83 yards rushing. Eight different players caught at least one pass, led by Holub with three catches for 55 yards.
Boots, one of the top rushers in Class A, was limited to 25 yards on seven carries.
“You could really tell Van Buren was trying to take him away,” Hastings said. “That’s what is special about our offense. Sometimes Boots has to be the sacrificial lamb. But that opens it up for Dakota to run and throw.”
“If a team keys on Boots, it opens it up for all of our other athletes to make plays.”
Lisbon now begins the playoffs with Starmont (5-3), the fourth-place team from District 4, on Friday, Oct. 25 at Walmer Field.
“Our first goal was to win district and be able to host in the first round,” Hastings said. “We love playing at home. We have great fans and our band does great things. It is a fun atmosphere.”
Starmont is a team from the Tri-Rivers Conference and a team the Lions have played in the past. They lead with a strong rushing attack, led by senior Avery Vaske (827 yards, 14 TDs).
“They have a big, solid offensive line and can move you up front,” Hastings said. “We’re excited for the challenge to stop the run and make them do something they don’t want to have to do.”
The Class A playoffs are reshuffled after the first round, but the Lions could host again the following Friday.
“We’re focused on one game at a time,” Hastings said. “That’s the biggest thing for us.”