West Lafayette blanks Delphi
By Todd Swank

Delphi senior #42 Cory Smith hurdles the block of teammate #33 Chase Brummett in Friday night's loss to West Lafayette. Bill Stauffer photo

Despite the fact that the West Lafayette football team had only scored 10 points all season and had lost to Cass 35-0, a team which beat the Oracles 35-13, the visitors still managed to leave Berto Field with a 20-0 victory.

After forcing a WL punt to open the game the Oracles ran off two first downs before being forced to punt themselves. The Red Devils started their second drive at their own 14-yard line. They ran off the last 4:23 of that period while moving the ball down the field.

Two plays into the second quarter James Wodicka hit Will Hockema with an 18-yard touchdown pass. The extra point made the score 7-0. Delphi only managed to force WL into one third down situation in the 13-play drive and WL converted on that one.

Neither team could mount a drive on their next possessions. A good Michael Myers return of a WL punt gave the Oracles great field position at the Red Devil 42-yard line. Despite two fumbles (Delphi recovered both) and a dropped pass by a receiver, the Oracles moved the ball inside the 20-yard line and seemed to be ready to tie the game up. Cory Smith was wide open at the left side, five-yard line with no one near him on fourth down. Oracle QB Joe Little went back to pass, but never saw him and was, instead, picked off at the goal line by the Devils. This was the Oracles first chance to score points and get back into the ballgame, but came away emptyhanded. There would be more.

After the turnover WL had the ball at the 20 with 2:29 still to go in the half. It took the Devils four first downs while running off 13 plays in just over two minutes to take 13-0 lead on a 1-yard Wodicka plunge. The Ben McCartney extra point made it 14-0. That was the way the half ended.

The second half started with the Oracles at their own 20-yard line. On first down, Little pitched the ball to Matt Lewis, who started around the right end. Everyone on the WL side of the ball bit on the fake as Lewis pulled up and hit a wide open Myers with a pass at the Delphi 45. He was headed toward the end zone when a speedy Andy Dunscomb caught up with him and dragged him down at the WL 23. Two plays later the Oracles had a first and goal at the WL 9. Two runs by Smith and one by Little put the ball at the 1-yard line on fourth down. A penalty by Delphi pushed the ball back to the six, where a Little pass was incomplete in the end zone on fourth down. This was the second time Delphi had a scoring opportunity, but came away with no points.

WL, after getting the ball at the six-yard line, tried to run the ball. They fumbled and a pile of Oracles recovered the ball at the 5.

This would be the third time that Delphi was in the WL red zone. A Chase Brummett run got no yards on first down. On second down, the WL defense got good penetration and stuffed Smith for a 7-yard loss. A Little incompletion forced Delphi to try a field goal from 29 yards out. Myers' kick was wide left.

Delphi's next two possessions ended in turnovers. The Oracles' defense kept them in the game despite the turnovers by getting an interception of their own and forcing another on special teams.

Early in the final period they moved to the WL 30-yard line but could get no more as Little was intercepted for the fourth time.

West Lafayette added a meaningless TD with 32 seconds left to make the final score 20-0.

This was a game that the Oracles could have won. As a young team they need to learn to take advantage of the scoring opportunities given to them.

Delphi falls to 1-2 on the season, running their conference losing streak to 18. WL improves to 2-1.