West Lafayette Jr-Sr High School

On September 5, West Lafayette traveled to face the Lebanon Tigers in a thrilling showdown. Despite Lebanon leading throughout, the Red Devils fought relentlessly, resulting in a narrow 37-34 victory for the Tigers. Lebanon struck first with a lengthy scoring drive, taking a 7-0 lead with 9:41 remaining in the first quarter. Their strategy of sustained drives capitalized on West Lafayette’s quick offensive series, dominating possession early. In the second quarter, Lebanon capitalized on a first-and-goal, scoring on the first play to extend their lead to 14-0 with 11:52 left in the half. West Lafayette responded with an eight-play drive, capped by a Blake Biddle keeper for a touchdown, narrowing the score to 14-7. Lebanon answered with another touchdown, but the Red Devils countered with a swift two-minute drive, closing the gap to 27-13 at halftime. The Red Devils opened the second half with a balanced drive, mixing runs and passes, culminating in a Kojo Steffey touchdown run, bringing the score to 27-20. The West Lafayette defense stepped up in the third quarter, significantly slowing Lebanon’s offense. After forcing a field goal following a first-and-goal stand, the score moved to 30- 20. Another strong defensive effort allowed Steffey to score his second touchdown run with 48.6 seconds left in the third, making it 30-27 heading into the fourth. The final quarter saw both teams trading blows. Lebanon extended their lead to 37-27 with a shifty pass-and-catch touchdown with 10:08 remaining. West Lafayette responded quickly, with Biddle scoring his second rushing touchdown, closing the gap to 37-34 with 8:28 left. Unfortunately, both defenses tightened, and no further scoring occurred, sealing Lebanon’s 37-34 victory. West Lafayette’s resilience and balanced attack kept them in the game, showcasing their determination against a tough opponent. Key Performers Dylan Salazar spearheaded the defense with an impressive 19 tackles, followed by Martin Gozo (14 tackles) and Samuel Steffey (10 tackles). Quarterback Blake Biddle completed 19 passes for 147 yards and scored two rushing touchdowns. Kojo Steffey powered the ground game with 126 rushing yards and three touchdowns, while Fielder Melchi led the receiving corps with nine receptions.