MEQUON, Wis. – CUW football enjoyed the convincing 41-0 victory over Wisconsin Lutheran on Saturday to improve to 3-1 and keep the Luther Cup.
In Wisconsin Lutheran's first offensive possession, senior Evan Lischka (Manitowoc, Wis.) intercepted a pass for the second straight week to give CUW possession near midfield.
Later in the first quarter, it was the Falcons' defense that put the first six on the board, as Justice Kaneta (Brighton, Colo.) intercepted a Wisconsin Lutheran pass and returned it 10-yards with 2:48 remaining in the first quarter to give CUW the 6-0 lead. But in the two-point conversion attempt, the Falcons were stopped on the one-yard line.
CUW's defense continued to wreak havoc on the Wisconsin Lutheran offense. With 52 seconds remaining in the first quarter, senior Ben Kraft (Wauwatosa, Wis.) picked off the WLC quarterback and returned it seven yards.
The second quarter would see the Falcons extend their lead when senior Ashar Thomas (Punta Gorda Fla.) crossed the goal line to cap off a 48-yard, 2:05 drive to give CUW the 12-0 lead. The extra point following that touchdown was good from freshman Nick Klein (Rome City, Ind.) as the CUW lead grew to 13-0.
CUW would head into half, enjoying a 13-0 lead.
In Wisconsin Lutheran's opening third-quarter drive, senior Breven Palpallatoc (Las Vegas, Nev.) came up with a huge sack to stop the fourth and two try, earning CUW possession once again.
Later in the third quarter, CUW would take over at Wisconsin Lutheran's 37-yard line. In that drive, senior Michael Purkey (Woodstock, Ill.) and sophomore Jason Leonard (Tampa, Fla.) connected on a 25-yard pass to put the Falcons inside the red zone. On second and goal, junior Pierre Summers III (Columbus, Ga.) rushed up the middle to score the first CUW touchdown of the second half. CUW's drive consisted of six plays for 37 yards and took 2:35 off the clock.
With the extra-point attempt, the Falcons took the 20-0 lead.
After a Warriors' punt, the Falcons regained position near midfield. A couple of plays later, starting from WLC's 33-yard line, freshman quarterback Roman Funk (Scottsdale, Ariz.) handed the ball off to Ashar Thomas, who broke free and found his into the endzone, giving the Falcons the 26-0 lead.
After the successful extra point, the Falcons maintained a 27-0 lead over the Warriors with 1:30 remaining in the third quarter.
The CUW defense forced another turnover early on in the fourth quarter. Senior Chase Coots (Round Rock, Texas) forced the fumble with a big hit on the Wisconsin Lutheran quarter deep in their territory. Ben Kraft would pick up the ball on WLC's 10-yard line and return it seven yards before being dragged down by a Warrior.
The Blue and White would capitalize on the very next play as Ashar Thomas walked into the endzone. After the extra point, the Falcons held a 34-0 lead.
CUW would get the ball back a minute-and-a-half later as the Falcons' defense forced a three-and-out.
With 11:02 remaining in the game, the Falcons' went on a drive that lasted 8:21 and consisted of 13 plays. Junior Jordan Garcia (Lockhart, Texas) rushed on 11 of those 13 plays, including a three-yard touchdown to cap off the drive.
Following Klein's kick, CUW grew their lead to 41-0.
The outstanding performance of the Falcon's defense would last the rest of the fourth quarter, giving CUW the 41-0 victory over Wisconsin Lutheran.
With the win, the Falcons take home the Luther Cup for the second straight year.
Michael Purkey totaled 107 passing yards in the win and went 12 of 19 on the day. Pierre Summers III tallied 89 yards on 16 rushing attempts and scored one touchdown. Meanwhile, Ashar Thomas rushed for 62 yards and crossed the goal line on three occasions. Jason Leonard led the flock with five catches and 50 yards.
Nick Klein went five for five on extra point attempts, while freshman punter Luke Droegenmueller (Cumming, Ga.) had six of his seven punts drop inside the 20-yard line.
Breven Palpallatoc totaled seven tackles, five of which were solo. Justice Kaneta led the Falcons with two tackles for loss. Meanwhile, junior defensive back Gio Nowotarski (Reading, Pa.) broke up two passes.
The Falcons will look to carry their momentum over into next Saturday, Sept. 30, when they travel south to play Concordia Chicago.
