DARLINGTON — The No. 3 Redbirds faced their toughest opponent yet in a showdown against Division 4 opponent, No. 9 Lodi (5-2), on Oct. 3. Fortunately, Darlington (8-0, 5-0 SWAL) out-gained its opponent in every offensive category on its way to a homecoming shutout, 38-0, earning most of that in the first half.
“We know they were a very good team, that is twice our enrollment, who was coming off a big win versus the No. 4 ranked team in D4 [in Lake Mills],” Redbirds head coach Travis Winkers said. “We felt like it may be close early as each team felt each other out; however, we truly felt we would stretch it out over the course of the game. I don’t know if we thought it would be 31-0 at half, but we were confident in our kids and what they could do.”
Darlington had its hand on the ball after just two sets of downs following a net gain of two yards for the Blue Devils thanks in large part to a holding penalty against the traveling team. In a bid for the Redbirds to one-up each other, a drive-starting Zeke Zuberbuhler 3-yard rush to his team’s 48 was followed by a Calum Crist 10-yard trip spinning out of several tackle attempts. Ryder Fitzsimons was the rusher on the next play, carrying the ball 31 yards on a jet sweep, breaking four tackles in the process. The gains started to slow, but the Redbirds remained in the positive over the next few plays, and Fitzsimons got the nod on his team’s remaining three rushes ahead of a 3-yard score. Yasser Andino-Andino’s first of five PAT’s soared between the uprights to put a 7-0 lead on the scoreboard with 5:14 left in the first quarter.
The drive underscored the importance of the ground game against Lodi, where the Redbirds out-gained their opponent 212 yards to 122, and four touchdowns to none, across 30 attempts to the Blue Devils’ 25.
Darlington got the ball back before the end of the first, and needed just 13 yards to earn their second score of the night. That very result was gained on the next play as Fitzsimons was the recipient of a jet sweep counter rush that hoodwinked Lodi. Dante Glendenning bulldozed his way into the end zone six minutes later for his team’s third score, and the Redbirds’ fourth came from the defense.
Broker Buschor contested a first down pass by Lodi as it was just starting to find real gains on the night with 1:09 left in the half, and Zuberbuhler swooped in to pick the ball out of the sky at his team’s 27-yard line. He avoided being touched during the 73-yard dead sprint for a touchdown.
The 28-0 lead was almost the split going into the break, but Maximo Xolo was in the right place at the right time to stretch for an interception that he brought back to the Blue Devils’ 39 with 18 seconds on the clock. Andino-Andino’s leg earned a 24-yard field goal moments later as the half ended.
The Redbirds wouldn’t be denied a running clock. They opened with the ball in the second half, and needed just three minutes over a 40-yard drive to score their final points of the night courtesy of a Glendenning rush up the gut from 10 yards out.
A running clock to the final whistle ensured a speedy delivery of a win for Darlington.
“I know we scored on every possession with our starters, but I felt like offensively, we were not the most crisp,” Winkers said. “Too many false start penalties that we have to figure out what is going on. We also had some breakdowns when communicating perimeter blocking assignments from our condensed sets. I know that may make me sound like a scrooge based on the result, but I felt like it was not up to our standards. Defensively, we continue to improve each week. Coaches McGranahan, Green, Bryson, Wolfe, and Schwartz have done such a great job. Our defense is starting to play at a high level. All credit goes to them and our kids for continuing to want to get better each day.”
Zuberbuhler didn’t see the end zone on the offensive end of the ball, despite passing for 77 yards (2-of-5) and rushing for 56 yards (4 car). Fitzsimons (36 yds) and Buschor (41 yds) were the only receivers with receptions on the night. The ground game was more diversified. Eight players had at least one rush, with Crist’s number being called a team-high 10 times, on which he totaled 71 yards — also a team-high. Fitzsimons (7 car, 64 yds, 2 TD), wasn’t far behind him, though Glendenning’s 12 yards on two carries, with each going for a touchdown, was arguably more efficient for the offense.
“Our game plan going into the game on offense was to take what they were giving us,” Winkers said. “We knew they would move their front and Zeke did a good job of checking into plays. Defensively, we wanted to stop their run and take their tight end, Kyle Kurt, out of the game. Our front stopped the run while Dante held him scoreless.”
All eyes are looking forward to next week’s likely SWAL-defining matchup at Belleville (5-3, 5-0) on Oct. 17 for the Redbirds. For now, they prepare for their final regular season home game against Cuba City (2-5, 2-3) on Oct. 10.
“As I mentioned earlier, our defense is getting better each week,” Winkers said. “With that being said, we have a lot of football left in the year, and we need to take all three phases to the next level.”
