After a scoreless first quarter against the Riverside Beavers on Oct. 10, Kenston showcased an explosive second-quarter offense featuring the passing of quarterback Lucas Kaltenbach and the receiving of wideout Dylan Krupp.
Game photos click here.
After a scoreless first quarter against the Riverside Beavers on Oct. 10, Kenston showcased an explosive second-quarter offense featuring the passing of quarterback Lucas Kaltenbach and the receiving of wideout Dylan Krupp.
This offensive chemistry between the two seniors helped lead the Bombers to 24 unanswered second-quarter points and a 24-7 halftime lead.
The team’s touchdown in the second half, and stout defense allowing only a late second-half touchdown from their opponents, ultimately defeated the Beavers, 31-14.
“We knew this was a must win game,” Kaltenbach said after the game. “We treat every WRC game like a conference championship, because it is. You can’t win if you drop one. And we knew how big this one was, we knew how good they are. This was the biggest game of our season.”
In order to keep the Bombers motivated and focused after trailing 7-0 at the end of the first quarter, Kenston Head Coach Jeff Grubich gave his team a message of encouragement between the first and second quarters.
“(I told them) we just got to keep fighting, we just got to keep clawing away,” Grubich said.
Not long thereafter, the Bombers got on the scoreboard with a 6-yard touchdown run by Kaltenbach, and kicker Grady Kucharson converted the extra point to tie the game, 7-7.
With 6:17 left in the first half, Kaltenbach scored his second touchdown of the quarter on a 4-yard touchdown run.
Kaltenbach then added his third touchdown of the second quarter, a two-yard touchdown run, with 2:03 left in the half to give the Bombers a 21-7 lead.
Not content on going into halftime with a 14-point lead, Kenston made a key fumble recovery with only 31 seconds left in the half.
After the Beavers turnover, Kaltenbach quickly drove the Bombers down the field and into field goal position with five seconds left in the half. Kucharson then split the uprights on a 37-yard field goal to give the Bombers a 24-7 lead heading into halftime.
After the game, Kaltenbach said he was very pleased with this portion of his Bombers’ performance.
“In the second quarter we played the most complete football we have all year,” Kaltenbach said. “We got out of our own way, everything was clicking.”
In particular, in the second quarter, the chemistry between Kaltenbach and Krupp was evident. Kaltenbach completed multiple passes to Krupp that were critical in moving the Bombers down the field and into the red zone.
Krupp said two of the long passes he caught during the second quarter to set up Bombers touchdowns came on a post route over the corner.
“The big route that I ran, I ran a post route over the top of the corner, used inside leverage,” he said.
The 12-yard comeback route was also highly effective against the Beavers, he added.
“I ran a 12-yard comeback route, and that’s kind of my and Lucas’s bread and butter,” he said. “We got a lot of chemistry, so he knows where I am going to be, I know where the ball is going to be — it’s just a great thing to see.”
Kaltenbach also completed four passes to receiver Charlie Thompson, including a 15-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter to make the score 31-7.
For the contest, Kaltenbach was 16-23 for 196 yards with three rushing touchdowns and one passing touchdown.
Leading the Bombers receivers were Krupp (eight receptions for 136 yards) and Thompson (four receptions for 41 yards).
The Bombers next take the field Oct. 18 when they travel to face the Willoughby South Rebels at home.
