Lake Country Lutheran football fell in a stunner to Lakeside Lutheran in their second game of the season, with a last-minute field goal by kicker Karsten Grundahl securing the Warriors’ first win over LCL in program history.
LCL entered looking to rebound from an uncharacteristic 27-0 loss to St. Mary’s Springs, a perennial juggernaut whom the Lightning had taken the last three games against going in. Lakeside Lutheran, on the other hand, had been coming off of a dramatically different week 1, that being a 51-0 triumph over Division 3 Jefferson.
The 10-7 contest proved to be a back-and-forth defensive battle, with five combined turnovers and a blocked punt as opposed to just over 430 yards of total offense. Senior quarterback Levi Birkholz led the charge for Lakeside, both rushing and passing for over 100 yards, accounting for nearly 90% of the offense.
Neither team managed to get on the scoreboard in the first half, but both squads came extremely close, with the Warriors missing a field goal in each of the beginning two quarters, from 33 and 32 yards, respectively. The Lightning came even closer, having converted on multiple fourth downs on a drive that began on their own 12-yard line. However, linebacker Trey Lauber forced a fumble from LCL quarterback Blake Thelen on the 5-yard line, shutting the door on what was LCL’s best drive of the young season.
LCL continued their defensive dominance into the second half, albeit with an even stronger presence. Maddux Kiley broke up a deep pass downfield before Nate Brazgel reeled it in, returning the interception to the Warriors’ 15-yard line. Having failed to reach the end zone until a 3rd and goal from the 5, a Lakeside blitz sent Thelen backpedaling, with a desperation heave that was placed right into the hands of senior tight end John Thoni, finally putting points on the scoreboard.
Both teams would continue their defensive prowess, preventing further points until halfway through the fourth, with Birkholz connecting with Lauber for a 59-yard completion. The Warriors’ drive concluded with a rushing touchdown from Birkholz that knotted the score a short while later.
With the clock winding down in the fourth, LCL seemed poised to put itself back in front until a fumble flipped the script, setting up Lakeside Lutheran at their own 39. The Warriors clawed their way down the field with an efficient drive of their own, highlighted by a fourth down conversion near midfield and a 25-yard scramble from Birkholz to put the Warriors in field goal position. They would cash in a few plays later, as Grundahl put Lakeside ahead via a 27-yard field goal with 18 ticks remaining, a deficit and clock that LCL was unable to overcome.
LCL enters this coming week preparing for its first conference matchup in the form of a showdown with Brown Deer, who enters with an 0-2 record of their own. Both schools will look to get their seasons back on track, recovering from undesirable scoring margins through their first two contests: the Lightning sitting at 7-37 and Falcons at 18-128.
Last year’s matchup resulted in a 38-0 victory for the Lightning, which Brown Deer will look to avenge, while LCL seeks to avoid its first 0-3 start since 2007.