The roar of the crowd was deafening as the clock ticked down minute-by-minute. On Friday night, under the bright lights of our very own stadium, the Knights secured a hard-fought victory against their cross town rivals, the Providence Celtics. The atmosphere was electric, charged with the energy for a pay-back win.
Before gameday we sat down to discuss the perspectives of our very own LWC football players, and teachers. Senior Caleb Sturm (Right Tackle) predicted: “We will score 2 touchdowns, before one from Provi, and that we would come out on top.” Next senior Nathan Maedar (Defensive End) confidently stated, ”Providence doesn’t stand a chance, we are the more disciplined and prepared team for this game.” Lastly, senior Dylan Wrobel (Cornerback) pointed out, “This will be a very competitive game, and this will be the most energetic game yet with your Knights coming out on top.”
In addition to the big game, Lincoln-Way Central also held Teacher Appreciation night. This night is to honor and appreciate all that our teachers do for the school and community. Caleb Sturm chose his band teacher, Mr. Mrozik, Nathan Maedar chose dedicated human performance gym teacher, Mr. Manns, and Dylan Wrobel chose English teacher, Mrs. Rauch. These teachers joined the crowd of other teachers on Friday night and supported our LWC Knights from their places of honor in the end zone as they took home the W.
Also worth mentioning is our amazing and state-winning student section led by “Mr. Knightmare” Ben Powers, along with Lucas Knezz, and Finley Hearne. Ben Powers said before the game, ”I am very confident in this team and school, our student section is going to be very influential to the game and help to support and provide the confidence to our seniors as they bring home the victory.” The Knightmares did their job that night – cheering the team all the way to a win.
From the first whistle, it was clear to us that this was going to be a close battle for the win. Both teams came prepared. In the first quarter, the Knights scored a touchdown with Luke Tingley as the ball carrier- pridefully striding into the end zone, securing the first score of the game! Tingley’s 70-yard run had the fans erupting. Shortly after, Providence responded with a touchdown as well. However, this did not stop the Knights. On the next drive, Woodburn connected with Andresen to make an amazing touchdown catch that put them back in the lead. Providence sought vengeance, however, and immediately came back to tie the game. Leaving the score 14-14 at the end of the first quarter. The game was scoreless for the entire second quarter.
Our Knights halftime show was presented by the Rhythm Knights, our cheerleaders, and your one and only Knightmares. Mr. Napier held a fun-filled halftime show that was nothing short of entertaining. It featured students and staff attempting to kick a field goal. Students won out thanks to Grace Welsh with a winning kick (even going against head soccer coach, Mr. Brown!) After halftime, the Knights came back out with a second wind. Scoring another touchdown during the third quarter, along with shutting down Providence’s offense, the score was 20-14 going in to the fourth quarter. Not long into the final quarter, Woodburn connected with Andresen for his third touchdown catch of the night. This had the fans on their feet. The Knights began to pull away with the win. The defense definitely held up their end of the battle, leaving Providence scoreless in the entire second half. The final score of the game was 26-14 in favor of the Knights. This game was hard-fought, and the Knights did not easily earn this win. Through weeks of preparation, and complete focus during the game, the Knights were able to get their pay-back win against Providence on their home field, giving the Route 30 bragging rights to Central.
