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Lancers prevail over Carmel

New LaSalle Lancers Head Coach Jim Hilvert got a win in his first game as coach of the defending Ohio Division II state champions as the Lancers defeated the Carmel Greyhounds 35-28 in the Skyline Chili Crosstown Showdown at Nipper Stadium on Saturday night.

“To get that first win with that big turnout that we had with the community and with the team, seeing out team prove themselves that we are ready for a deep run, it was great,” Hilvert said.

Jim Hilvert-LaSalle

Hilvert was hired at LaSalle from Thomas More College after former coach Nate Moore left after last season for an athletic director and head football coach position in Massillon.

LaSalle’s offense didn’t see the field before the Lancers put points on the board in the first quarter. Jarrel White returned a Carmel punt 85 yards for a touchdown with a little over 10 minutes left in the first quarter to put the Lancers up 7-0 early.

Last year’s finalist for Mr. Football in Ohio Jeremy Larkin scored the second score for the Lancers on the offense’s first possession on a one-yard touchdown run with 6:35 left in the first quarter.

Carmel’s offense looked as though it was threatening on its third possession, but came up short after missing a 37-yard field goal to give the ball back to the Lancers.

The Lancers offense drove again in the middle of the second quarter when Larkin scored on a 57-yard run. However, a holding call wiped away that score and the Lancers were forced to kick a field goal.

After being forced to kick two field goals, the Lancers once again found the end zone when Christian Turner rushed for a 27-yard touchdown to give LaSalle a comfortable 27-7 lead near the end of the second half.

The Greyhounds refused to be shut out in the first half, however. After a long run by Carmel quarterback Michael Viktrup, the Greyhounds got on the board when Viktrup tossed a touchdown pass to Ethan Merriweather to send the halftime score to 27-7 in favor of the Lancers.

The beginning of the second half didn’t bode well for the Lancers. Turner fumbled the ball deep in Carmel territory, only for Carmel to pick up the fumble and return it to the LaSalle one-yard line. That was followed by a one-yard touchdown run by Tobias Watkins.

On its first possession in the fourth quarter, the Greyhounds offense looked as though it was struggling to get a critical first down.

Facing a risky fourth-and-ten deep in LaSalle territory, Viktrup decided to keep the ball, knock down Lancer defenders, and stroll into the end zone for a 23-yard touchdown run. All the sudden, the Lancer lead had diminished down to six, 27-21.

On their final possession of the game, LaSalle extended their lead, and ultimately scored the winning touchdown, on a two-yard run by White. Larkin converted the two-point conversion to give the Lancers a 35-21 lead with 5:18 left in the game.

Carmel would end up getting one more touchdown, but could not recover an onside kick as the Lancers won their sixth consecutive game in the Showdown.

Jarrel White won Player of the Game for LaSalle. White finished with a rushing touchdown and a punt return for a touchdown.

LaSalle (1-0) travels to East Central (ind.) next week, a team they defeated 40-0 in 2014.

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