Will Brady

CULVER – Turnovers, punting woes and lightning-quick Culver quarterback Nevin Lewis wreaked havoc on the Prospector football team Sept. 7 as they fell to the top-ranked 2A Bulldogs, 44-13.

“From the very beginning, even on the bus ride over, something felt out of the norm,” said Prospector Head Coach Monty Nash. “And that falls back on myself for getting our kids better prepared for games.”

In the locker room before the game, Culver Head Coach Kurt Davis urged his team to come out aggressively, as he drew up a game plan to slow-down the Pros’ heralded running attack.

“They can run the ball, and they really stuck it to us,” said Davis. “But I told my team that if we can force them to pass, then they’ll be playing left-handed. We had to force them to do things they don’t like doing. We had to make them uncomfortable.”

After exchanging punts on each team’s opening drive, the Bulldogs nickled and dimed their way down to the Pros’ 6-yard line, only to be undone by an untimely offsides penalty and a touchdown-saving tackle put on Bulldogs tailback Paul Krueger by defensive back Zach Gagnon.

“They (Culver) are really good at running screens and I picked it up before the play started and put the hit on him,” said Gagnon. “

The Bulldogs would take a 3-0 lead on Lewis’ 24-yard field goal with 3:26 remaining in the first quarter.

The Pros couldn’t get anything going on their next possession as Krueger broke up Pros quarterback Austin Ranfts third-and-7 pass intended for Sam Rawlins, forcing the Pros into another punt.

And that’s when the real trouble began.

A Bulldog defender penetrated the Pros’ defensive line, blocking Jimmy Cook’s kick and recovering the ball inside their own 15-yard line.

“I’m not sure if we took too much time or we just didn’t have the field spread,” said Nash. “These things are a tough learning situation, and you have to give Culver some credit. I was impressed with their aggressiveness.”

Krueger scored two plays later, increasing the Bulldogs’ lead to 9-0 where it stayed after the Pros blocked their extra point attempt.

The Pros moved the ball downfield at will on their next possession anchored by runs by Zane Murray, Keldon Martin and Cody Williams, only to end when Ranft overthrew Cash Wenick in the endzone on 4th and goal, ending the drive and giving the ball back to the Bulldogs.

However, three plays later, Martin recovered a crucial third-down fumble by Krueger on the Bulldogs’ own 20-yard line. Feeling a slight shift in momentum, Williams was able to cross the goal line two plays later, cutting the lead to 9-7 and James Webb converted the extra point.

But the Bulldogs answered. With 2:34 remaining the first half, Lewis rolled out past the Pros’ line, cut left up field, and tip-toed down the sideline untouched for another Culver touchdown.

“He was just really quick on his feet,” said Gagnon. “Their offense was based around him and he was really hard for us to contain.”

However, Nash said his team was better able to contain Lewis in the second half, thanks to heads up play by Zane Murray.

“Zane (Murray) did an excellent job of making helping to make sure he (Lewis) didn’t get to the outside,” said Nash.

After Culver blocked another Prospector punt, Lewis hit receiver Austin Alley in the end zone for touchdown, increasing the lead to 23-7, where it stayed until halftime.

“They (the Pros) stuck with us pretty well throughout the game,” said Lewis. “But we didn’t really have much trouble with them. We were a lot quicker.”

The Pros started the second half with an 80-yard (# of plays) touchdown drive, ending when Ranft found Brandon Witty in the endzone for an easy six points. The score stayed at 23-13 after a failed two-point conversion.

But the Bulldogs responded in the fourth quarter when a Ranft pass was intercepted by and run back for a touchdown.

“You can’t just put this on one player,” said Nash. “Austin made some great throws and our line gave him time, but a couple of his interceptions bounced off his receivers’ hands before they were picked off. That’s not his fault.”

On the Pros’ next drive, a Ranft pass was intercepted by outside linebacker Brandon Senn, who ran it back inside the Pros’ 5-yard line, where Krueger punched it in two plays later, making it 37-13.

After a Prospector punt, Lewis threw another touchdown pass with 1:33 left in the game, and the scored stayed at 44-13.

“I knew ahead of time that Culver was a good time and they are very aggressive for the size of players they have,” said Nash. “We competed midway into the fourth quarter, but again, this falls back on us and better preparing our kids for games.”

“I think our team speed made is pretty effective. We have some nasty, hard hitting kids who can really stick it to you, and we pride ourselves on that.” said Davis. “Grant Union is a good team, and if we were to play them again, who knows, we could lose. We wish them luck the rest of the way.”

Next up, the Pros will host 2A Lakeview at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 14, at Three Flags Field.