Lancers run past Pioneer for title
LAKEVILLE — Impressive.
The one word that describes how the Laville High School football team played in the Class 2A Sectional 34 championship game against Hoosier North Athletic Conference foe Pioneer.
Laville scored on six of its first eight possessions while holding the Panther to just over 100 yards of total offense in a 41-0 victory at Lancer Field.
It was the first football sectional championship since 2017 and second under coach Will Hostrawser.
“As a coach, you are always chasing that perfect game and tonight we came darn close,” Hostrawser said after his team hoisted the Indiana High School
Athletic Association trophy. “The boys were ready to play. The locker room was right. Just everything
that we have been working on at this point of the year was a process. You want to be playing your best
football now and that was probably our best game of the year.”
After each team was forced to punt on the first offensive possession of the game, Laville used great field position, starting at the Pioneer 40-yard line.
Four plays and 40 yards later Laville quarterback Lucas Plummer found Ross Wagoner in the back left corner of the end zone for a touchdown. Plummer added the point after and Laville led, 7-0.
After the Laville defense stuffed Pioneer’s Brock Robinson on a fourth-andone at their own 33-yard line, the Lancer offense went right to work.
LHS used a short field and speed of Paul Dewitt to hit pay dirt.
First Dewitt hustled for 13 yards and a first down at the 20. On the very next play, Dewitt made a house call from 20 yards out to give the Lakeville hosts a lot of momentum. Plummer added the point-after and it was 14-0.
The Laville defense forced one of five Pioneer turnovers on the night as Collin Czarnecki stepped in front of an errant pass to set the Laville offense up at the Pioneer 29. The Pioneer defense tightened up a bit, this time forcing Laville into a 35-yard field goal by Plummer and the first quarter closed at 17-0.
Hostrawser’s squad kept the pressure on in the second quarter, scoring a pair of touchdowns and a second 35-yard field goal.
Plummer’s boot closed off a 5-play drive as he split the uprights to make it 20-0, Laville.
Right before the half, Laville turned in a 5-play, 32-second drive into six points as Dewitt packed bags on a 5-yard run. Plummer added the PAT.
Then, just when it looked like Pioneer might take its possession and go into the locker room, Pioneer quarterback Caleb Sweet underthrew his intended receiver
ed receiver and Laville’s Ross Wagoner stepped in front of the pass and outran everyone to the end zone for a back-breaking interception for a touchdown. Plummer once again added the PAT and the Lancers were in control 34-0 at halftime.
The Panthers looked to start fresh in the third quarter, but a fumble recovery by Mason Stepp gave the ball and momentum right back to Laville.
The Lancers used a fine pitch-and-catch down the near sideline for a 22-yard gain to Pioneer 13.
After a holding penalty on Laville pushed the LHS offense back, Dewitt toted the next three carries, taking the final handoff from Plummer five yards to close the scoring.
“They are coachable,” Hostrawser said about his football team. “I beat it into everybody’s head that it is a process. It is a process through the season and you have to get better. Win, lose, whatever, you have got to get yourself better. In order to do that we have got to be critical and we have got to shore up loose ends. These kids understand that. They don’t care who gets the credit. It’s about winning football games.”
Laville improves to 9-2 overall and will face Andrean in the Class 2A Regional on Friday, November 12.
“These kids put the time in,” concluded Hostrawser.
“They take the coaching they are given. We are all one big family and that is something that is really very special. We always want to work to get better, so the nice thing is we have one more week to get better yet.”
LHS finished with 292 yards in total offense that had a running clock for most of the second half.
Plummer finished 7-of12 passing for 127 yards and the TD to Wagoner. Plummer also doubles as the Lancer punter and nailed two punts deep inside Pioneer territory to help flip the field for the Laville defense.
Ross Wagoner added two interceptions and Dewitt rushed for 140 yards on 22 carries and three TDS.
The offensive line was equally as impressive behind Collin Allen, Erik Bedock, Garrett Wagoner, AJ Bedock, and Hudson Doyle.
The Lancer defense held PHS the Panthers to 109 yards and forced five turnovers – three by interceptions and two fumble recoveries.