Mistakes foil Pats

The North Vermilion Patriots playoff run ends at game one with a loss to the Loranger Wolves by the final score of 28-7.

For most of the night it was North Vermilion stopping North Vermilion and not Loranger. It was a fourth goal on the one that couldn’t be converted or a fumbled punt that could have changed the outcome of the game.

“We just couldn’t get out of our own way,” North Vermilion head coach Tommy Byler said. “We didn’t capitalize on offense and we made some mistakes. We still could have made it a ball game, but we just couldn’t get anything going and when we did we would shoot ourselves in the foot.”

The Patriots took an early 7-0 lead, and thats where all the mistakes started happening. The defense held the Loranger offense to a three-and-out. The subsequent punt was fumbled and recovered by the Wolves.

The Wolves would go on to score 28 unanswered points from that point on.

Late in the first half it was 14-7 Loranger, North Vermilion had the ball inside the five yard line with four downs to score.

On three downs they were able to move the ball to the one yard line, and on fourth down went for it and failed to score.

“We played well on the defensive side of the ball,” Coach Byler said. “Our offense just couldn’t get out of its own way. When ever you have so many mistakes in a playoff game its hard to win.”

Another of those mistakes by the Patriots was a pick-six. That lead the score to 21-7.

The final touchdown that pushed the score to 28-7 was late in the fourth quarter.

“This was a much closer game than the score would indicate,” Byler said. “It was a tough ride home, especially since we knew we had a real shot at winning that one.”

Just like most teams in the playoffs, the seniors will take these kind of losses the hardest.

“I think reality is starting to set in for the seniors that they are done,” Byler siad. “Everyone knows that the reality is everyone will have a loss except the champions, but that doesn’t help. I am really proud of our seniors especially after we started 0-3. I think it was the seniors that pulled us through the first part of the year and I’m really proud of that.”

The Patriots didn’t make to week 12 of the season but they have a lot to hang their hat on. They started the season 1-4 and was able to wrangle a playoff spot.

Written by Andy Bullard, Sports Editor