Raiders seize control early vs. 'Dogs

By Richard Torres, Herald Bulletin Sports Writer

September 20, 2008 12:22 am

— LAPEL — After three weeks of trying to get his feet back under him, Shenandoah quarterback Zack York used Friday night to stand his ground.
Finally deemed 100 percent after suffering a sprained foot in Week 1 against Tri, York completed 8 of 14 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns while adding a rushing score as Shenandoah bullied rival Lapel 38-7 at the new Bone Yard.
York missed the Class A Raiders’ Week 2 matchup against Alexandria, and since has slowly regained his health, grinding it through the past two games.
“I was back 100 percent tonight; I’m all the way healed,” the sophomore said after he netted 190 yards of total offense. “It feels amazing, especially to (win) with all these guys. They’re a great group of guys.”
Shenandoah (4-1, 2-0) propelled to victory behind an all-around effort, defeating the Class A Bulldogs (3-2, 1-1) for the first time since 2004.
Before losing three in a row to Lapel, the Raiders had won seven consecutive meetings.
“This is a huge rivalry,” Shenandoah junior linebacker Kyle Johns said. “It goes back decades. It was intensity tonight. That’s what we were working on, setting the tone.”
The Raiders’ defense, which limited the Bulldogs to seven first downs and 54 total yards of offense through the first half, imposed its will in the game’s initial series.
With Lapel facing a fourth-and-8 at the Raiders 39, the defense stymied the Bulldogs’ running game, stuffing a Brandon Freeland rush for a one-yard loss.
Through four games this season, Lapel’s offense had averaged 26.3 points per game. Shenandoah carried 11.8 points-per-game-surrendered average.
Against the Raiders, Lapel mustered 126 yards rushing and committed three turnovers, including a lost fumble and two interceptions.
Johns recovered a fumble in the second quarter and grabbed a pick in the fourth. Jacob Chapman snatched an interception in the first quarter.
“It was teamwork all the way,” said Johns, whose team sits tied with Knightstown for first place in the White River Athletic Conference. “That’s all we did all week. We focused on our shifts and setting up in whatever defense we needed to counteract their offense.”
Controlling the line of scrimmage from the opening minute, Shenandoah forced the Bulldogs out of their comfort zone — the running game — as quarterback Ryan Scott went to the air often after Lapel fell behind 26-0 by halftime.
“We challenged that defensive line this week,” Shenandoah coach Scott Widner said. “It was a good defensive effort. With these kids, it’s always good to get that stop early, and then it goes from there sometimes.”
Tyler Pugsley established the Raiders’ ground attack, scoring two rushing touchdowns in the first half. Pugsley’s second score came off a 19-yard dash to the end zone.
York’s rushing score was measured at 29 yards with his second-longest run at 22 yards. Luke Hamm led all Shenandoah rushers with 67 yards.
Cory Criswell and Zach Cole both hauled in scoring strikes from York at 44 and 38 yards, respectively.
York’s ability to hit his receivers in stride partnered with the Raiders’ potent running game plan, helped Shenandoah convert 8 of 11 third-down conversions.
“Zack really came together tonight. He had a heck of a football game,” Widner said. “He did some things that we’ve really been on him to do, and he did them well. He came back after that Centerville game, and he’s gotten better each week.”
Jared Bromegem logged the Raiders’ final score off a 2-yard run, increasing the lead 38-0.
Lapel erased the shutout with 2:06 remaining in the game as Shelby Weeks scored on a 6-yard run against several Raiders’ backups.
“They took away our run game, and a lot of that was due to us playing catch-up,” Lapel coach Nate Andrews said. “We didn’t stop their offense, and we didn’t adjust. When we didn’t, they hurt us where we weren’t.
“They beat us up front on both sides of the ball, and that’s where it starts and finishes.”

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