CINCINNATI, Ohio- Anderson beat La Salle by a score of 35-28 on Friday night. The Raptors scored all 35 of their points in the second quarter. It was a complete team effort, with Anderson scoring on offense, defense, and special teams. The Lancers slowly chipped away in the second half, but ultimately fell short in the end. Quarterback Owen Scalf finished with 355 total yards (281 passing, 74 rushing) and two touchdowns (one passing, one rushing). Jordan Davis had 67 yards (36 receiving, 31 rushing) and a rushing touchdown, while wide receiver Tysin Weaver had a huge game with eight receptions for 140 yards and a touchdown. Cornerback Ke’Maury Tye had 10 tackles and a huge interception, while fellow defensive back Jerod Lindsey finished with six tackles and an interception returned for a touchdown.
It was a scoreless first quarter from both sides. La Salle got on the board first with a three-yard touchdown run by Colin Woolridge very early into the second quarter. La Salle got the ball back but was forced to punt, leading to a 50-yard punt return for a touchdown from Mark Madden to tie the game at 7. Jordan Davis scored on a four-yard run on Anderson’s next possession and then Scalf had a 47-yard touchdown run on the drive after that to give the Raptors a commanding 21-7 lead. The Lancers tried to stop the bleeding, but Jerod Lindsey would intercept a pass from Avier Carter and return it 43 yards for a touchdown. Anderson got the ball back quickly and Scalf would find Tysin Weaver for a 48-yard touchdown with 52 seconds remaining in the half. La Salle finally responded with an 11-yard touchdown run by Avier Carter as time expired in the second quarter. The Lancers found themselves in a 35-14 hole going into the locker room.
Carter found Jack McLaughlin for a three-yard touchdown pass with 3:13 left in the third quarter. It got even more interesting when Drew Dipzinski caught an 18-yard touchdown from Carter near the midway point of the fourth quarter to cut the lead to 7. La Salle had one last chance in the game. The Lancers were driving before Ke’Maury Tye came up with a huge interception with just 1:30 to go in regulation. The Raptors held on despite the Lancers giving great effort and battling back in the second half.
Quarterback Avier Carter finished with 168 yards (145 passing, 23 rushing) and three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing). Jack McLaughlin and Drew Dipzinski each caught a touchdown. Colin Woolridge finished with ten tackles, a rushing touchdown, a forced fumble, and a sack.
Anderson improves to 12-0 overall and will play Trotwood-Madison on Friday at 7 p.m. in the OHSAA Division 2 Regional Championship. La Salle ends their season with a 9-4 overall record and will be left questioning the small things that could have changed the outcome in this one-score loss.
Written by Eli Altherr