SULLY — There were questions to be answered for the 2014 edition of Lynnville-Sully High Hawk football.
“We answered questions in the right way. We just didn’t get the win in a close game on a wet, sloppy field,” said Mike Parkinson, Lynnville-Sully head coach. “I feel really good about where we are at this point. We’re disappointed in the loss, but I’m encouraged with what I saw from our players.”
The Hawks lost 19-13 to a visiting Van Buren Warrior team Friday night. All the scoring was done in the first half of the contest.
Lynnville-Sully had the football, down by a touchdown with two minutes left in the game. Parkinson said the team was driving but got stop at the end on a fourth-down play.
The Hawks led 6-0 on a 48-yard touchdown run by Sage Ehresman, their junior quarterback. The Warriors countered with 19 unanswered points. Lynnville-Sully’s Noah Engle caught a touchdown pass from Tyler Van Zante and the play covered 34 yards.
“That was it,” Parkinson said. “It was a night when both teams had players cramping up. Our kids kept playing hard and we will build on this.”
Ehresman rushed for 147 yards on 21 carries for the Hawks. He completed 2-of-4 passes for 33 yards. Van Zante was 5-of-8 passing for 59 yards and two interceptions.
Engle caught three passes for 80 yards and Caden Dunsbergen made three receptions for 10 yards.
Parkinson pointed to an outstanding defensive performance by his team, holding Van Buren to 95 yards rushing. He said the Hawks had a couple of breakdowns on defense leading to Van Buren’s scores.
Ehresman and Noah Zylstra, the Hawks’ linebackers, led the charge defensively. Ehresman recorded 14 solo tackles and four assisted tackles while Zylstra had three unassisted tackles and eight assisted tackles. Caden Dunsbergen had six solo stops and one assisted tackles.
Kobe Fisk made four solo tackles and an interception. Colten Arment made an interception and Ehresman recovered a Warrior fumble. Ross Van Wyk sacked the quarterback twice.
Engle punted four times for 155 yards, which was a 39-yard average.
Lynnville-Sully travels to Pella Friday to play Pella Christian.
Contact Sports Editor Jocelyn Sheets at (641) 792-3121 Ext. 6535 or jsheets@newtondailynews.com.