Central Catholic Football vs West Lafayette

West Side offense sputters after strong start

Written by

SAM KING

West Lafayette senior quarterback Sean Busch sighed, looked to the ground, then came up with the only explanation he could as to why his team was on the losing end against Central Catholic Friday night.

"I don't know what else to say but that I blew it in the fourth quarter," said Busch, whose two interceptions late in the fourth quarter set up CC's tying touchdown and then provided Travis Smith's game-winning pick-six.

The heavily hyped game between unbeaten top-ranked teams in front of an estimated 4,000 fans couldn't have started any better for the Red Devils or any worse for the Knights.

The ending, however, was the complete opposite as CC's defense stopped penetration and ended the game with 15 tackles after a gain of one yard or less.

"We didn't make many adjustments," CC linebacker Matt Burks said. "We started playing harder, playing to the whistle. Only one first down (by WL) in the second half, that shows what a great coaching staff we have."

After opening on a 74-yard scoring drive, the West Lafayette offense never got in the end zone again. A blocked punt was returned for WL's only other points.

"We couldn't get yards on first and second down, leaving us with third and long," Busch said. "You can't build a drive like that, so we just never got a drive going. Turnovers killed us. I had four of them. That's all I need to say."

Amen Galley had a 48-yard run on the opening drive. Maurice Woodard had three straight first-quarter carries that went for a combined 38 yards and three first downs.

From there, the offense sputtered. The Red Devils turned the ball over five times and lost a 14-0 lead in the fourth quarter.

Busch finished 5 of 16 for 33 yards and three interceptions.

"CC's defense is obviously the best we've seen all year ..." senior Ben Thomas said. "With a team as good as CC, you can't be playing CC and playing against yourselves at the same time."

Other than Woodard's 38 yards on three straight carries, the sophomore had just 16 yards on 10 carries. Other than Galley's 48-yard run, he had just 24 rushing yards on 15 carries.

"They are very fast. We could not get outside," WL coach Marshall Overley said. "Every time we tossed it outside, they came up hard. It's not just Anthrop, there's a lot of speed on that team."

Early in the game, it was the Knights who could not move the ball. Because of CC's offensive woes, the Red Devils felt once Thomas scooped up a punt blocked by Tyler Beyer that the 14-0 lead would hold up.

"We definitely thought that was game," Busch said. "I think even some people on their team thought that was it. We gave them room to come back. They are a great fourth-quarter team and we couldn't give them an opportunity in the fourth quarter. I did and they capitalized."

While CC won its 39th game in a row, Friday's loss was just West Lafayette's fourth regular-season loss in the last five seasons.

Turnovers and offensive struggles led to the Red Devils' first loss of 2011, but they hope it will be their only setback.

"I'd rather not lose at all, but it was a great team to lose to," Beyer said. "If there is any team I'd want to lose to, it's CC. They had an all-around really good football team."