On a rainy and windy Friday night, the Luxemburg-Casco Spartans hung on for a thrilling 16-12 victory over the Wrightstown Tigers on the road. They clinched sole possession of the North Eastern Conference title.

The Spartans scored on a 48-yard opening drive after a Chris VanderWielen interception, with quarterback Max Ronsman scrambling for a touchdown.  Trace Schoenebeck added the extra point to make it 7-0 for the only scoring in the first quarter.

Wrightstown would come back on the opening play of the second quarter with a 54-yard touchdown run by quarterback Trevor Vande Hey to cut the Spartan lead to 7-6.  The Tigers tried a two-point play but came up short giving the Spartans the one-point lead.

The score stayed at 7-6 until early in the third quarter when the Spartans, sparked by a 60-yard kickoff return to open the half by Cameron Dorner, scored Ronsman’s second touchdown of the night on a 14-yard scamper.  Schoenebeck’s PAT made it 14-6, for the only scoring in the third quarter.

The Tigers got right back in the game on an 11-yard touchdown run by Aiden Humphreys on the first play of the fourth quarter to cut the Spartan lead to 14-12 but failed the two-point conversation again.

The Spartans added two points with 7:32 left in the fourth quarter when Tiger punter Daniel Buntin bobbled the snap and was tackled in the end zone for a safety to make it 16-12.

Wrightstown would have one final opportunity with under four minutes to play. Still, with just over a minute left in the game, Spartan defensive back Mason Trimberger intercepted a desperation fourth-down pass by Quade Thompson, who replaced an injured Vande Hey before halftime, to secure the win and conference title for Luxemburg-Casco.

 

Luxemburg-Casco (7-0, 8-1 overall) will now wait for the WIAA Division 4 playoff pairings which will be announced at 10 a.m. Saturday.

(photo courtesy of Ron LeCloux)