Danville blanks Lucas in muddy showdown
LUCAS – This time it wasn't No. 1 versus No. 2 in the state rankings, but the stakes were still mighty high.
With a Mid-Buckeye Conference title on the line and both teams fighting for their playoff lives, Danville scored a touchdown in the final minute of the first half, and that would be enough to hold off Lucas 14-0 at Bob Wine Field on Friday night.
The Cubs had a chance to take the lead in the fourth quarter when quarterback Jeb Grover picked up eight yards on fourth-and-four to the Danville 28. But on fourth-and-two from the 20, Jackson Hauger couldn't handle Grover's pass in the flat.
With mud caking the jersey numbers of both teams, Danville (6-3) then put the game away, driving 80 yards for an insurance score. Quarterback Skyler Durbin picked up 19 yards on third-and-one from his own 29 and eventually provided the capper from one yard out. He then tacked on a two-point conversion pass.
Lucas, a 2015 regional finalist bidding for its third straight playoff berth, entered the game holding down the eighth and final qualifying spot in its Division VII region.
"When you lose, you leave it up to the computers," Lucas coach Scott Spitler said. "The big thing is winning next week (against Kansas Lakota) for the seniors in their last home game. The most important thing is sending them out with a victory. If the computer points work out for us, that's great."
Last year, when both teams were one-two in the Division VII poll, Danville won 41-0 at home before a standing room-only crowd. But holding the Blue Devils in check this time around probably wasn't much consolation for the Cubs (6-3).
Lucas' wing-T attack features a pair of 1,000-yard backs in Grover and Hauger. But the Cubs couldn't muster much offense on their soggy field.
"Hats off to them," Spitler said of Danville. "They have a solid defense and we couldn't consistently put drives together. Our defense wasn't bad, but when you leave it out on the field as much as we did, that hurt us."
The game remained scoreless until the final minute of the first half, when Danville broke though on a five-yard pass from Durbin to slotback Tyler Mickley. Most of the half was played on the Lucas half of the field, but the Cubs' defense did a good job of minimizing the damage.
The Blue Devils got as close as the Lucas 41, 8 and 31 on earlier series, but came up empty. Twice they gave up on the ball on downs and after having first-and-goal from the 9, they were forced to try a field goal. Marshall Stahl's 25-yard attempt clunked off the left upright.
Lucas had scoring threats at the start and end of the first half. The Cubs recovered the opening kickoff, an onsides attempt, at their own 43, and would convert on third-and-four from midfield on a 14-yard run by Jackson Hauger. But on fourth-and-seven from the Danville 33, Hauger was stopped inches short at the 27.
After Danville broke on top, Lucas quickly moved into Danville territory and had a first down at the 30. The Cubs don't pass often, but a 24-yard connection between quarterback Jeb Grover and Hauger had them within striking distance.
A false start on first down pushed the ball back to the 35, where the Cubs ran out of time and momentum. Stahl picked off an intermediate pass in the middle of the field on the last play of the half.
The Cubs played opponents from higher divisions in all but four games this year and went 4-1 during a stretch of five straight road games. But they go into the final regular season game knowing their playoff fate is not entirely in their hands.
"Danville did a nice job of containing the line of scrimmage," Spitler said, "and we couldn't consistently sustain blocks."
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