FORRESTON – If the desire to succeed breeds creativity, then Lena-Winslow must be desperate to win.

The Panthers used some creative play calling to top Forreston 35-6 Friday night.

“We have to get a little creative and use our speed because we won’t be able to rely on our size,” Lena-Winslow coach Ric Arand said. “We have to do those reverses and misdirection plays.”

The misdirection plays were working all evening, as the Panthers scored on a pair of end-arounds and picked up big yards on power sweeps.
“Just get the ball, get outside and follow the line,” Lena-Winslow running back Wes Ertmer said. “Jake Doyle does a great job pulling, so all I have to do is follow him.”

Ertmer followed Doyle around end three times for touchdown runs on the night, rushing for over 100 yards for the second time this season.

“I’m good in the trenches, but I’m a small guy,” Doyle said. “Pulling outside is my favorite thing to do, it’s what I do best.”

Doyle and the offensive line plowed the way for the Panthers to rush for over 200 yards.

“Our line does a good job,” Arand said. “They put it on those guys and the backs just follow them through the holes.”

But it wasn’t just the offensive line doing work for Lena-Winslow.

The big guys up front on the defensive line were in the Cardinal backfield all evening.

“That was the game plan,” Arand said. “We wanted to get after them and make them do things they didn’t feel comfortable doing. We were able to do that tonight.”

Leading the way again was Doyle, who along with his defensive unit, held the Cardinals without a second-half first down until four minutes, 17 seconds was left in the game.

“That’s how we play, that’s all I have to say about that,” Doyle said. “This was a statement game for us. We wanted to show we were better than we were last week. We don’t want to lose again.”

- Scott Holland, journalstandard.com