After defeating a ranked Cass team last week in Lucas Oil Stadium the defending 3A champion West Lafayette team visited Berto Field with a 2-0 record. The Red Devils may have been thinking they could just show up and leave with an easy win but they went home with a victory in the Hoosier Conference battle that was much harder to get that the final 40-7 score would indicate.

Not in awe of the Devils’ record, Delphi advanced to the WL 30-yard line on the first possession of the game before turning the ball over on downs. The perception that it would be easy wasn’t diminished any when Devil Aaron Woodard, who rushed for 144 yards on 15 carries, ran around the left end and a 54-yard touchdown run 20 seconds later.

On their second touchdown the Devils needed to work harder. Maurice Woodard capped an eight-play drive by diving through the line with a five-yard score.

Delphi, losers to WL for seven consecutive games, warmed up the crowd on a cool evening when QB Matt Brown threw to Karson Bender at the 50. Bender was surrounded by numerous WL defenders. Bender caught the ball in stride and broke away for an 83-yard TD pass. Trailing 14- 7 the Oracles were gaining momentum when Devil Sean Busch was unable to complete a pass on third and 15 at the WL 46. Delphi was called on a dead ball unsportsmanlike penalty when there was some shoving after the play. After the penalty was walked off the Devils had a first down at the Oracle 40. Six plays later Busch hit Ben Thomas for a 16-yard TD and the Devils led 21-7 early in the second period.

Trailing 26-7, Delphi advanced the ball deep into WL territory in an attempt to get back into the game late in the second quarter. They ran out of time when a Brown pass was intercepted at the 10-yard line with less than a second before halftime.

WL sealed the deal when they opened the third period grounding out a 16-play drive that ate up all but two minutes of the clock and gave them a lead of 33-7.

The Oracles, who finished with 157 yards passing, could not make up for the lack of a running game (19 carries for minus three yards) against the Devils. They could not get past midfield in the final period.

What might have happened had the Oracles not been called for the penalty that gave the Devils a second chance in the first half? We will never know, but Oracle boosters would like to think that without that momentum shift the game may have played out differently.

The Oracles are playing good ball against some of the state’s best football teams and will win some games they are not supposed to win as the season progresses.

WL improves to 3-0 while the Oracles fall to 1-2 (0-1 conference) heading into this week’s game at Twin Lakes (0-3). For those who are going to the game, remember that it is a 7:30 p.m. start.