Hitting the road: LCS to play first away game of 2023 on Friday
Published 8:30 am Friday, September 1, 2023
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The Lafayette Christian football team took care of business in week one at home and has eyes on making it two wins in a row when they travel to Fideles on Friday.
“They have some talented kids and a good program up there, so our guys are going to have to avoid the buslag,” Pike said. “This is the first away game for some of these guys, so we hope that they are ready to show up and play.”
Last year’s matchup between the two teams came right down to the wire as the Cougars prevailed at home 50-43 in an instant classic. Pike is hoping to avoid a shootout this season.
“It was a true shootout last year, it was crazy,” Pike said. “I’m hoping it doesn’t go that way this year.”
Fideles comes into the game 0-1 after dropping a nail-biter to Victory Baptist 44-39.
The Cougars dominated in week one, toppling Community Christian 40-6.
Ephraim Snyder continued to prove just how special he is, taking 18 carries and turning it into 165 yards and four touchdowns. He also added two receptions for 21 yards as he continues to expand his game.
“It was an other day in the office for him,” Pike said. “We expect that from him.
“I think at the beginning of the game he felt the weight on his shoulders a little bit, but he settled in and had a great game for us.”
He was far from the only offensive player that had a standout performance in week one.
Davide Karvelas made his debut at quarterback and threw 155 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.
Pike was extremely pleased with his quarterback’s first game: “I was real proud of David. He was a bit of a question mark for me coming into the game, but he looked like a real veteran quarterback and somebody that has played the position for years.”
Karvelas also added a 51 yards on the ground.
He got some help from his wide receivers, including senior Paul Batistini, who caught three passes for 97 yards and a touchdown. Jonathan Ross also had a big part to play, catching three passes for 28 yards and a touchdown.
Ross, a soccer player, is also looking to make a bigger impact on special teams, possibly as soon as this week.
“He can probably kick a 35 or 40-yard field goal, it’s just about getting his confidence up,” Pike said. “We have been working with him to get more comfortable kicking them in game.”
The Cougars defense was just as dominant as their offense in week one.
“We had great pursuit of the ball and great gang tackling,” Pike said. “Brandon (Davenport) and Matheus (Pittman) were really able to direct traffic as the two linebackers.”
Eli Carroll led the way, tallying six tackles and a sack.
“Eli shut down one side of the field at defensive end,” Pike said. “He is filling the role that Cal Evert left when he graduated.”
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 on Friday night.