Batavia rallies late to beat Lincoln-Way Central 39-10
A sluggish first half gave way to 25 unanswered points as the Bulldogs secured their 15th straight postseason win.
By Rafael Bailey ·
Batavia trailed by three points at the end of the first quarter, but the Bulldogs erased that deficit and more in the final 30 minutes. The home team outscored Lincoln-Way Central 25-7 in the second half to close out a 39-10 victory on Friday night. The result keeps Batavia alive in the Class 7A bracket and extends a streak of 15 consecutive postseason appearances.
The start of the game was not what the coaching staff wanted to see. Batavia went three-and-out on its second possession of the first quarter. Quarterback Michael Vander Luitgaren punted the ball, pinning the Knights at their own seven-yard line. It was a good defensive play, but it highlighted the offensive stall. The Bulldogs had a bye week last week, and coach Dennis Piron admitted the break disrupted the team's rhythm.
“It was kind of weird having a bye,” Piron said. “I’m not really used to that. We tried to be safe and not over practice and not under practice, and not work too hard, not hit too much. You don’t know what’s right because you’ve never done it before.”
Lincoln-Way Central capitalized on the early confusion. Parker Hovanec rushed for 29 yards on the Knights' opening drive of the second half. That score put the visitors ahead 10-7. Batavia responded immediately on the next possession. Wide receiver Darin Ashiru ran a route that left him open in the flat. He caught a seven-yard touchdown pass to take the lead back.
That catch started a 25-point run. Ashiru, a senior who has committed to Western Michigan, finished the night with seven receptions for 70 yards. His teammate Brennon Zeng added six catches for 74 yards. Piron described Ashiru as a dynamic player who plays everywhere on the field. The offense found its footing after that initial spark.
Running back Charlie Rosengren provided the momentum on the ground. He was held to no yards on his first three carries. On his fourth, he broke free for a 31-yard touchdown run. The score put Batavia ahead 7-0 at one point before Lincoln-Way Central cut the gap. Vander Luitgaren added a 13-yard run to make it 14-3 at the halftime break. The two backs combined for all but three of Batavia's 125 rushing yards.
The defense also stepped up in the second half. The Bulldogs forced three fourth-down stops. They limited Lincoln-Way Central to just two plays of more than 20 yards. Piron noted that the Knights run a power scheme that had given Batavia trouble earlier in the season. The defense prepared well for that specific style.
“Power football, which was something we struggled with this year, didn’t struggle with tonight,” Piron said. “I was really, really proud of how our defense prepared.”
Batavia extended the lead late in the game. Vander Luitgaren rolled left on a 36-yard run, using a block from tight end Thomas Prescott to reach the end zone untouched. The score made it 27-10. Rosengren finished the night with two more touchdowns in less than a minute. He ran in from 17 yards out. After Jabari Buckley recovered the next kickoff, Rosengren caught a 32-yard pass for the final score. He said he got lost in the lights for a second before finding the ball.
Vander Luitgaren completed 16 of his passes for 215 yards. Batavia improves its record to 8-2. The team will play the winner of the match between St. Charles North and Brother Rice in the second round. Lincoln-Way Central finishes its season with a 6-5 record.
