Oracles bedeviled at West Side
By Todd Swank Contributing sportswriter

The Delphi Oracles football team went on the road for the third time in as many weeks, this time at West Lafayette. They limped home on the short side of a 45-21 score despite the workhorse effort of running back Cory Banes, who accounted for the bulk of Delphi's offense with over 30 carries.

On a beautiful Friday night, the combined bands of WL and Delphi started the show with the playing of the National Anthem. The Oracles received the opening kick and began their first possession on their 21-yard line. The Oracles could only manage one first down before punting the ball away. WL started their initial drive at their own 31. Three consecutive completed passes moved the ball to the Oracle 24. Three plays later a 7-yard run and extra point put the Devils out in front 7-0.

On the ensuing kickoff Michael Myers started up the middle when he was hit hard. This caused a fumble that WL recovered at the Delphi 38. Delphi held this time. A pair of illegal procedure penalties against WL and a pair of sacks by the Oracles - Cory Banes had one with Jarett Baird and Braden Atwood combining to get the other - gave WL a 4th and 32 at their own 40. After a Delphi punt, WL tried a backward pass that was dropped. The Oracles' Kyle Stonebraker picked up the ball and ran it in for a touchdown to tie the score at 7-7. On WL's next possession they moved the ball to the Delphi 16-yard line. Again the Oracles' defense stepped up. This time on a 4th and 2, Michael Myers and Matt Lewis stopped the WL runner for a 1-yard gain and forced a turnover to end the first period.

WL made it 10-7 on a 34- yard field goal, following a ten-play, 47-yard drive. After stopping the Oracles, WL again scored to make it 17-7. Once more, the WL defense forced a turnover. This time a blocked punt gave the ball to the Red Devils at the Delphi 17. A 17-yard pass pushed the score to 24-7. That was how the first half ended.

Both teams came out of the locker room fired up; each team on their first possession scored a TD. A WL 50-yard drive, highlighted by a 40- yard pass to open the second half stretched the lead to 31- 7. WL attempted to surprise the Oracles with a onside kick.

The Oracles' kick return team was ready to give the offense a short field to work with. Delphi had the ball at the WL 45 to start. Eight consecutive carries by Banes resulted in a TD to cut the lead to 31-14. It took less than two minutes for WL to get the score back, making it 38-14. A great punt return by WL to the Oracle 25 made it easy for the Red Devils to take a 45- 14 lead into the final quarter.

Delphi moved the ball from its 38 to the WL 6 before stalling on a fourth and nine pass that fell incomplete. Delphi's final score came with 1:45 left in the game on a Banes' run. The final score ended at 45-21.

The Oracles have one more road game before returning home. They travel to Twin Lakes Friday night for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.