Box Score
Box score
MILWAUKEE - For the sixth consecutive season,
the Wisconsin Lutheran College football team won its Homecoming
game as they defeated Lakeland 27-17 in its Northern Athletics
Conference opener Saturday at Raabe Stadium.
The win moves the Warriors' record to 3-1 for just the third time
in program history. The 2010 and 2002 teams also started out with a
3-1 record.
The visiting Muskies got the ball to open the game, but Wisconsin
Lutheran forced a three-and-out and the offense went 39 yards in
nine plays to take an early 7-0 lead. Junior running back Donavin
Tucker (Brookfield, Wis./East) ran one in from three yards out to
put WLC on top with 8:21 remaining in the first quarter.
Lakeland answered with a 29-yard field goal making the score 7-3,
but the Warriors responded on their first play on the following
drive when Zach Shaw (Gurnee, Ill./Warren Township) found Josh
Stodola (Denmark, Wis./Denmark) for a 72-yard touchdown pass that
put WLC on top 14-3 with just over three minutes left in the first
quarter.
It was the visiting Muskies who went on the next run of the game as
they scored 14 straight points in a span of 2:03 to take a 17-14
lead with 11:12 remaining in the first half. The first Lakeland
touchdown was scored when Deron Thomas-Key returned a blocked punt
three yards for a score. LC would add another touchdown just over
two minutes later when Kendrick Burks ran one in from 10 yards out,
giving Lakeland its only lead of the game. The Burks touchdown was
set up by an LC interception.
The Warriors responded to Lakeland's lead by marching down the
field for 76 yards on just five plays as Stodola scored his second
touchdown of the game and seventh of the season, this time on a
44-yard pass from Shaw for a 20-17 WLC advantage. That three-point
lead would remain until halftime.
Not only would the 20-17 score remain until halftime, but the
scoreboard would not change until 42 seconds remaining in the game
as defense was the story of the second half. WLC, however, added
another touchdown when Shaw found John Klein (West Allis,
Wis./Wisconsin Lutheran) for an 11-yard touchdown on a
fourth-and-eight play for the 27-17 Warriors victory. The fourth
down catch was the second of the drive for Klein as he also was the
recipient of a key fourth-and-five play earlier in the drive.
Stodola was once again the offensive star of the day for Wisconsin
Lutheran as he hauled in seven passes for 170 yards and two
touchdowns. Shaw finished the game completing 11-of-21 passes for
203 yards and three scores, while Klein had two huge fourth-quarter
catches, resulting in 17 yards and a touchdown. Tucker ran for
team-high 56 yards, while Taylor Pelot (Fond du Lac,
Wis./Campbellsport) rushed for 46 yards, 24 of which came on the
Warriors' final scoring drive.
Lakeland (0-4, 0-1 NAC) was led by Burks as he averaged 6.2
yards per carry en route to a game-high 149 yards on the ground.
The WLC defense proved difficult to pass against as Dylan Van
Straten threw for just 43 yards for the Muskies.
Defensively, WLC was led by Eric Zeitler (Waukesha, Wis./Wisconsin
Lutheran) as the junior linebacker recorded a team-high eight
tackles, two for a loss and broke up a pass in the victory. Jason
Kramer (Oconomowoc, Wis./Wisconsin Lutheran) also tallied eight
tackles and intercepted a pass for Wisconsin Lutheran. Lakeland was
led by Cody Lemke who posted a game-high 11 tackles and intercepted
a pass.
Wisconsin Lutheran (3-1, 1-0 NAC) returns to action next
Saturday when it faces off against unbeaten Concordia Chicago (4-0,
1-0 NAC). Kickoff between the Warriors and Cougars is set for 1
p.m. at Concordia Stadium in River Forest, Ill.
