Lund sets Elgin rushing mark in 70-6 victory

Sometimes even the best-laid plans can fall apart in an instant when your favorite football team comes up against a substantial hurdle.

Noble might have been excited to have the advantage of a 30-mile-an-hour wind from the south, however, when your offense can’t sustain any consistency and you are playing an unbeaten powerhouse, it doesn’t take long to establish command of the game and erase any doubts about the outcome.

No. 4-ranked Elgin drove right into the heart of that wind for two quick touchdowns in the first 3:20 of the first quarter and the Owls never looked back in earning a convincing 70-6 victory over the Bears, one of the three teams that beat the Owls last season.

The Owls marched 67 yards on five plays—all runs—with Matthew Lund getting the last 38 yards on an inside zone play that was blocked to perfection. Gabe Dittmeyer tacked on the first of 10 perfect PAT kicks with 10:16 remaining in the first quarter.

Noble took the ensuing kickoff at its own 29 but was unable to get much going again, picking up just two yards and punting the ball back to the Owls who started their second drive 75 yards from the end zone.

That drive took just four plays and all four were runs. Lund got 15 on the first play and six on second down. Ritson Meyer came on for the next two plays, the first moving the ball to the Noble 25 as Meyer had a strong run and the officials moved the ball 15 yards closer on a face-mask penalty that set up the scoring play from the Noble 25.

Meyer took a quick pitch around left end and when Keith Ferguson blocked the last defender it was an easy touchdown with 8:40 still left in the first quarter.

Noble still was unable to pick up a first down on its second series but the Owls failed on a 3rd-and-3 pass that was tipped, forcing the Owls’ only punt of the game.

Once again the Bears failed to pick up a first down and after a punt the Owls started their third drive from the 20-yard-line. Seven plays put another TD on the board, this time with Lund going the final 18 yards on an outside zone run.

Elgin’s defense got the next score when Shay Spencer batted a Noble pass in the air near the 5-yard-line. The big senior was able to jump and grab the interception and bulled his way into the end zone with 1:12 still left in the long first quarter. Dittmeyer was accurate again and it was 28-0.

The Bears finally earned their initial first down but that was the end of that short drive.

Then came the final hoorah for the first offense, starting 85 yards from the end zone but with the wind now behind the Owls. Lund started the drive with a 3-yard loss but set up a 3rd-and-2 after catching a pass from quarterback Tres Lorah. Lund moved the sticks with a 9-yard run.

On the next play Lund raced 33 yards around the left end and after the chains were moved again the game was stopped momentarily to take that ball out of play as the senior back had just broken the school rushing record with 4,300 yards.

“Matt really ran well tonight,” Wyatt said. “He has probably made more improvement from last season to this one with both his physical strength and mental toughness. And the offensive line really played well tonight. All the linemen wanted him to get the record tonight at home. He is so elusive and tonight he ran over tacklers several times.”

Lund finished with 177 yards on 15 rushes which pushed his season total to 1,102 yards on 78 carries. He broke the record that was held by Quayme Tate who played for two seasons with Coach Wyatt.

Once the Owls got the wind in the second quarter Lorah went upstairs, throwing three TD passes, the first on a 44-yard toss to Lunc. Treyvon Crabtree caught one from 37 yards out and Colyn Donnelly added a 3-yarder with 0:01 left in the first half.

The starters stayed on the bench after halftime, giving Braxton Antuna, Joe Bear and Cayden Belletto to join the TD parade.

Elgin climbed to 7-0 on the season with a road game against Duncan coming up next Friday.