Raiders swat Flying Arrows after slow start
After a long first drive in which Arcadia’s defense failed to get stops on fourth down multiple times, the Raiders stepped up and shut Lancaster down for a 22-6 win.
In the first game since longtime coach John Hoch retired, Lancaster looked like the dynasty would continue as they marched 80 yards for a touchdown on the first possession of the game. But that would be nearly half the total yardage the Flying Arrows would manage as Arcadia’s defense held them in check the rest of the game while the offense took control in the second and third quarters.
The win put Arcadia at 1-0 to start the season before this week’s game at Whitehall — a team that impressed wit a 47-6 win over Colfax (see story elsewhere in Sports). Arcadia’s non-conference competition concludes next Friday when they head to Amery.
Arcadia 22 Lancaster 6
Arcadia’s defense just couldn’t get off the field to start the game, but that proved to be a fluke.
Lancaster picked up first downs on third-and-14, fourth-and-one and fourth-and-five before scoring a touchdown off of a halfback option pass on a fourth-and-four at the Arcadia five-yard line. The point after was wide left, but the Flying Arrows controlled most of the clock, using nearly eight minutes to take a 6-0 lead.
It would be all Arcadia from there.
The Raiders marched right down the field on their first drive, only facing one third down as they got to the Lancaster 29. Arcadia would’ve had a first down in the red zone, however a nine-yard pass caught by Egan Pauly was fumbled and Lancaster recovered.
Arcadia’s defense forced a three-and-out before the Raiders took the lead on the next drive.
Starting at their own 42, Arcadia faced a third-and-two before Kaden Updike passed to Cameron Boland for 31 yards. Two plays later, Updike kept it himself for a 10-yard run for a first down at the nine.
On second down at the five, Pauly made up for his fumble, catching a touchdown pass from Updike. The two hooked up again for the two-point conversion as Arcadia had an 8-6 lead with 7:33 left in the half.
That’s where the score stood at halftime, but Arcadia added to their lead early in the second half.
After receiving the opening kickoff, Updike and Pauly hooked up for 15 yards on first down. A 15-yard penalty gave Arcadia another first down before Ryan Sokup and Updike carried the Raiders down to the two. Updike finished the drive from there, keeping the ball himself for a two-yard touchdown run.
He then ran in the two-point conversion, putting Arcadia ahead 16-6 with eight minutes left in the third quarter.
With the way their defense was playing, the 10-point lead would’ve been enough, but the Raiders added to it on their next possession.
Sokup got the drive started with runs of 35 and 12 yards down to the Lancaster 17. The drive slowed from there as Arcadia faced a fourth-and-seven from the 14, but again Updike kept it himself, finding his way to the end zone to put Arcadia ahead 22-6. The two-point conversion was no good.
Lancaster drove to the Arcadia 35 on their next possession, but they were stopped there as a fourth-and-five run was stopped three yards short.
The Raiders then look nearly six minutes off the clock, driving down to the Lancaster five before penalties pushed them back and they eventually turned it back over on downs.
Lancaster picked up one first down on their next drive, but turned it back over to Arcadia on downs and the Raiders ran the clock out.
Updike was efficient on the ground and through the air. He completed nine-of-13 passes for 97 yards while running for 60 yards on 10 attempts.
Sokup provided an explosive element to Arcadia’s ground game, averaging more than 10 yards per carry as he gained 150 yards.
After gaining 80 yards on their first possession, Lancaster managed just 99 more the rest of the game. They were four-for-13 on third downs and didn’t convert another fourth down after their first drive, finishing three-for-five.
LHS AHS
Rushing 30/133 39/241
Passing 16/46 14/100
Total 46/179 53/341
First downs 11 18
Turnovers 1 1
Penalties 3/25 3/30
Arcadia
Passing (comp./att./yds.) — Updike 9/13/97 Pauly 1/1/3
Rushing (att./yds.) — Sokup 14/150 Rebhahn 13/25 Updike 10/60 Nelson 2/6
Receiving — Pauly 4/47 Rebhahn 2/14 Updike 1/3 Glenzinski 1/4 Boland 1/31 Sokup 1/1
Tackles (solo/total) — Pauly 0/1 Yarrington 1/2 Rebhahn 2/8 Updike 4/10 Rotering 0/1 Glenzinski 3/6 Boland 1/9 Nelson 2/5 Sokup 1/2 Fitzpatrick 0/1 Patzner 0/2 Gomez 3/4 Weltzien 0/3 Bremer 2/4