Oracles pull out big win against Bombers
By Todd Swank

Aggressive play Oracle Cory Smith, left, is seen breaking up a pass as the rain worsens in Friday night's football game against Rensselaer. The Oracles went on to defeat the Bombers 14-6. Bill Stauffer photo

The Delphi Oracles ended their 20-game losing streak in conference play Friday by beating the visiting Rensselaer Bombers 14-6. The win was the team's first in the Hoosier Conference since they beat West Lafayette in 2003.

Delphi forced Rensselaer to punt on their first drive. A high snap from center resulted in a very short kick and Michael Myers picked the ball up at the Rensselaer 40 and returned it to the 34 before being tackled. Delphi had great field position for its opening possession. Two running plays and a short completion and the Oracles still had a fourth and ten at the 34. An incomplete pass resulted in the first turnover of the game.

Delphi then took possession, after forcing another punt, at the 20 on their own end of the field. Josh Penn, in his first game back since injuring himself in the season opener, started the drive with two runs to set up a third and two. Joe Little completed a pass to Cory Smith for a first down.

A stingy Rensselaer defense stopped the Oracle advance to make the Delphi punting team come on the field. The punt went right through the hands of the Bomber receiver at the 24 and rolled free until Cory Smith recovered at the 11-yard line. Two plays later Little hit Michael Myers with an eight-yard TD pass to give Delphi a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter.

Rensselaer got its first down of the game on a Delphi penalty when the Bombers had to punt and the Oracles were called for roughing the kicker. That play kept the drive alive for Rensselaer that eventually reached the Delphi 33. Myers of Delphi picked off a fourth down pass by the Bombers at the 30 and returned it to the Bomber 6- yard line. A block in the back penalty on Delphi brought the ball all the way back to the Oracle 38.

The Oracles couldn't take advantage of the turnover and punted the ball. While the Delphi offense failed to move the ball, the defense did their job and prevented the Rensselaer team from scoring in the first half by causing two turnovers on downs. The first half ended 7-0 with the Oracles leading.

Delphi had the ball to open the second half and was forced to

punt. A high snap gave the ball to the Bombers at the 5-yard line. On fourth and goal from the two the Bombers scored a TD. A bad snap on the extra point preserved a 7-6 lead for Delphi. The Oracles made it to midfield on their next drive before punting.

Both of these teams have trouble moving the ball on offense in good weather. A steady rain in the third quarter prevented either team from mounting any kind of a drive for the remainder of the period.

After the rain stopped, Delphi sealed the game. They opened the final period by mounting a 12-play, 62-yard drive that resulted in a Penn TD and a 14-6 lead. The drive ate up six minutes. Only one pass was thrown during the drive and it was a completion.

After a Rensselaer kick the Oracles ran out the clock to end the game

Leading rushers for Delphi were Penn with 58 yards and a TD, Little, Kory Banes and Cory Smith each had 10 for the Oracles. Little also completed 9 of 20 passes for 93 yards and one TD with two interceptions. Myers caught four passes and and Cory Smith two. Kory Banes, Kyle Stonebraker and Matt Lewis each had one.

With this win Delphi is 2-5 for the year and 1-3 in conference play. The Oracles can make it two in a row when they travel to winless Benton Central Friday for a 7 p.m. kick-off.

There was an error in last week's game story. It was incorrectly reported that Tanner Cripe of Delphi was ejected from the game when it was actually Sheridan's Nick Zachary.