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Sports

McCluer North Defense Holds Strong Against Lafayette

Stars' football hands the Lancers another defeat, 37-14, and will face CBC next week.

Updated Nov. 6 at 7 p.m.

The plot of a head coach not starting his quarterback that has led his club to eight consecutive wins took a backseat to a no-bend defense Saturday when hosted Lafayette in a Class 6 sectional playoff game.

, thanks to six sacks, which led North to a 37-14 win. North (10-1) faces the No. 1 team in Missouri, Christian Brothers College High School (11-0) Friday at 7 p.m.

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Senior Galen Brown, who started all but one game, was on the bench in favor of senior Bryan Herd. Herd led the Stars to one score before giving way to Brown at 5 minutes, 23 seconds of the second quarter.

North coach Jim Schottmueller started Herd in the second game of the season on Sept. 3 against McCluer. He had little comment on the switch Saturday. He said both practiced well during the week.

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"I thought Bryan did a pretty good job," Schottmueller said. "It was a game-time decision."

Quarterback questions aside, the Stars defense set up several scoring drives for North. On the third series of the game, Lafayette was driving and on the 22 yard line. On fourth and six, quarterback Matthew Goro was sacked by lineman Keith Jones. Antwaun Williams scored three plays later on a five yard run. He finished with 147 yards on 16 carries. Zach Schulz kicked the point after, and North led 7-0 with 1:58 left in the first quarter.

Lafayette was driving just inside the North 50 on the next possession. Goro was sacked, this time by linebacker Kyrton Kilgore. Goro, pressured again in the pocket by Kilgore, missed hitting Brock Behrndt in the corner of the end zone. Brown broke up a fourth and 19 attempt when Goro threw to William Dupont.

The Stars went up 14-0 late in the second quarter on a 12-play drive. Brown connected with Peter Jackson deep in the right corner of the end zone from 23 yards. 

"I thought our defense really played well again," Schottmueller said. "They (Lafayette) played a lot better from the first time we played them. I think that is the best defense we have faced all season. The quarterback had eight games under his belt. We knew it was going to be a tough game. They play great defense. I thought we did a good job."

Lafayette got quickly back into the game scoring on the first drive of the third when Markuice Savage recovered an on-side kick. Kaylen Wade scored two plays later from the nine with 10:48 remaining in the third.

The North defense came through again on the next possession. Armis Jones sacked Goro facing third and 18, and Kilgore batted down a Goro pass on the next play.

"When we started the season, the strongest part of our defense was our defensive line," North’s defensive lineman Keith Jones said. "We knew we had to dominate their offensive line some how. Everybody seemed to execute well today and we played good team football."

A poor punt gave the Stars great field position at the 35. Brown scored on a 15-yard draw making it 21-7 with 6:23 left.

Lafayette was moving the ball on the next possession, thanks to two personal foul penalties. But with the ball inside the 10, Goro's pitch to Savage was off, and the Stars recovered the fumble.

"We had to take care of the football, and we did that at times and at times we didn't," Lafayette coach Boyd Manne said. "You have to take care of the football against a good team like that."

A North drive next stalled at midfield but was given life when John Voit ran into punter Rodja Harvey. North got the ball back, and Brown hit Harvey from 35 yards to put the game out of reach at 28-7 with 10 minutes left in the game.

The North defense finally wilted in the fourth when Kevin Hampton scored from seven yards with 7:42 left making it 28-14.

Keith Jones sacked Goro for the third time on the next drive. He scored on the next play from 65 yards when he intercepted a tipped Goro pass.

"I saw a cheeseburger in the end zone and had to keep running," Jones said. "I like to run with the football."

He said the win over Lafayette might start to earn the defense some praise from area fans.

"I've read on the (Internet) forums about the offense, and people don't talk much about our defense," Jones said. "You have to earn the respect, and I think we're starting to earn it. I think our defense is awesome, and we've played well all year."

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