WILDWOOD — Eureka High junior running back Trevor Codak had a first half for the ages Friday night, but the heavy lifting came in the second half.
After starting quarterback Casey Hobelmann left the game with a leg injury early in the third quarter, and host Lafayette suddenly gaining momentum with its passing attack, Eureka’s best option to leave with a win was to play keepaway.
Enter Codak.
While the 6-foot running back amassed just 50 yards on 18 carries in the second half, Codak kept the chains moving as Eureka held the ball for more than 18 minutes in the second half.
“You can see what we got,†Codak said. “You can see how we run the ball, and I think that pretty much says it all.â€
Codak’s 6-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter, his second score of the game, sealed Eureka’s 30-15 win.
Codak finished with 237 yards on 32 carries for Eureka (7-0 overall, 4-0 in Suburban Conference Yellow play), No. 2 in the large school rankings.
“He gave you everything he had, and late the game there, I mean 250 on the ground and those were a hard 250,†Eureka coach Jacob Sumner said. “I mean, he took some shots and kept getting up and, you know, just real proud of him. And, man, he's an explosive player, and great to see him rise up in a game like this and do what he did.â€
The Wildcats needed every inch of that effort to hold off No. 9 Lafayette (6-1, 3-1).
Lancers quarterback Jack Behl went 24 of 32 passing for 280 yards and a pair of touchdowns, with most of that damage and both scores coming after the break.
Behl connected with Brady Micek for a 17-yard touchdown pass early in the third and he found Robby Preckel for a 39-yard score early in the fourth. The 2-point try after Preckel’s catch was good, cutting Eureka’s lead to 23-15.
“The focus was just to make sure that, you know, we had positive offensive possessions,†Lafayette coach Boyd Manne said. “They limited our possessions. They did a phenomenal job. They controlled the clock and made the most of their opportunities.â€
Eureka had two drives of eight-plus minutes in the second half, the last of which came after the Preckel score and was capped by the 6-yard run by Codak.
During that drive, the Lancers momentarily thought they had recovered a fumble at midfield, but referees ruled that Eureka’s Cade Gustafson was down before the ball came out.
“Our team's got grit,†Manne said. “They're tough kids. We had a tough time stopping their run game. They limited our possessions. We've got to be able to stop the run. We've got to do a better job with that. And, you know, I'll take all the ownership on that.â€
Sumner did not have an update on Hobelmann’s condition immediately after the game, but the quarterback was walking on his own power during the postgame handshakes.
“Eight-minute drives, that's who we are and that's how we're winning football games,†Sumner said. “And I'm just real proud of that offensive line.â€
Crazy start
Eureka took the game’s opening drive deep into Lafayette territory, but Jeremy Williams came up with an interception in the end zone that looked like it would keep the Wildcats off the board. But after a discussion, officials ruled Williams ran out of the end zone before retreating back into the end zone for a touchback, giving Eureka a safety.
Larry Reed ran the ensuing free kick all the way back to the Lafayette 4-yard line, setting up a 4-yard touchdown pass from Hobelmann to Jack McMillen to give Eureka a 9-0 lead before the Lancers’ offense had touched the ball.
Running wild
Codak couldn’t be stopped in the first half, running for 187 yards on 14 carries. His 29-yard touchdown run in the second quarter epitomized his half as Codak broke several tackles before turning on the speed.
Codak’s 51-yard run later in the second quarter set up Gustafson’s 3-yard touchdown run as Eureka took a 23-0 lead into halftime.
“It's amazing,†Codak said. “There's no better feeling, but we're on to the next week.â€
Up next
Eureka: Hosts McCluer at 7 p.m. Friday, October 18. It will be the first meeting between the programs.
Lafayette: Travels to Lindbergh on at 7 p.m. Friday, October 18. The Lancers beat the Flyers 34-24 last season.