Battle-tested La Center opens Trico slate with win over King’s Way

LA CENTER – Not long after La Center’s 41-12 win over King’s Way Christian on Friday, junior lineman Sam Kitchel hatched a plan.

He brought his friend, Rachel, in front of five linemen their jerseys raised. H-O-C-O-? was painted on their bare bellies.

Rachel said ‘yes.’ Kitchel had a date to homecoming. And La Center had its first win of the season in their Class 1A Trico League opener.

La Center (1-4) hoped four tough non-league losses would bring them closer together. In a way, Kitchel’s homecoming proposal was evidence the Wildcats are.

“It’s nice being a lineman,” Kitchel said. “We’re all kind of a tight-knit family. Something embarrassing like that, they don’t care.”

La Center’s non-league schedule was a trying one for a team trying to replace 23 seniors. It included a 14-7 loss last week to reigning Class 2B state champion Kalama on a touchdown with eight seconds remaining.

“Last week against Kalama, we should have won that game, but we didn’t,” La Center coach John Lambert said. “But it gave the kids the confidence that we could play with anybody.”

The Wildcats haven’t lost a 1A Trico League game since 2015. They looked back in their element Friday.

Wyatt Dodson rushed for 150 yards and two touchdowns. That came behind an offensive line that imposed its will, especially a second half where the Wildcats wore down the Knights and outscored them 27-6.

“That’s one of our main tactics, we try to push every single play,” Kitchel said. “That’s what happens when you work. You get the W.”

Irving Alvarez, a sophomore who never played football before this season, had two interceptions. That included one he returned 42 yards for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter.

Sophomore quarterback Tom Lambert threw for 144 yards, 119 of them to Andrew Scott. The two hooked up for a 46-yard touchdown that put La Center up 14-0 in the second quarter.

But King’s Way (2-3) put up a fight. Freshman Bryson Metz is only 5-foot-7, but he outleaped two La Center defenders for a 23-yard touchdown catch with 26 seconds left in the first half. That cut La Center’s lead to 14-6 and gave Metz 122 receiving yards in the first half.

King’s Way had momentum going into halftime, but it was short-lived. After La Center’s defense got a stop, the Wildcats drove 65 yards in seven plays to take a 21-6 lead on Dodson’s 1-yard TD run, his second of the game.

La Center effectively wrapped up the game on its next drive, going 70 yards in seven plays with Jeremy Humphrey’s 10-yard touchdown run giving the Wildcats a 28-6 lead.

And with that, La Center was on its way to the season’s first win. Battle-bruised by the non-league schedule, the Wildcats believe they are seeing the benefits of those tough games.

“This was mainly coach’s part,” Kitchel said. “He’s put us against harder guys so we can build as a team, not just skill-wise but as a family.”

“We have a lot of work to do, a lot of things to clean up,” Lambert said. “But we’re getting better every week.”

LA CENTER 41, KING’S WAY CHRISTIAN 12

King’s Way   0          6          0          6—12

La Center     7          7          14       13—41

First quarter

LC – Wyatt Dodson 1 run (Sean Fox kick)

Second quarter

LC – Andrew Scott 46 pass from Tom Lambert (Fox kick)

KW – Bryson Metz 23 pass from Kemper Shrock (kick failed)

Third quarter

LC – Dodson 1 run (Fox kick)

LC – Jeremy Humphrey 10 run (Fox kick)

Fourth quarter

LC – Irving Alvarez 42 interception return (Fox kick)

LC – Andrew Kysar 19 run (kick failed)

KW – Mason Packer 12 pass from Shrock (run failed)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING – King’s Way: Gage Koenders 12-23, Kemper Shrock 5 (minus-19), Bryson Metz 2 (minus-7), Connor Delamarter 2-1. La Center: Wyatt Dodson 19-150, Jeremy Humphrey 2-16, Collin Nemanny 4-29, , Tom Lambert 8-45, Nic Budke 1-6, Andrew Kysar 2-28, Bryten Schmitz 1-17.

PASSING – King’s Way: Kemper Shrock 20-34-2-262. La Center: Tom Lambert 7-11-1-144.

RECEIVING – King’s Way: Bryson Metz 11-173, Bryce Dodge 1-20, Gage Koenders 4-27, Mason Packer 1-3, Ty Snider 2-9, Connor Delamarter 1-7, Mason Packer 2-34. La Center: Andrew Scott 5-119, Nic Budke 1-8, Irving Alvarez 1-17.