Leopards Complete Revenge Tour & Undefeated Season

By Leopard Nation · Published November 2, 2013 · Updated December 11, 2013

Louisville Leopards Football 2013 Outright NBC Champions

Video Highlights

Louisville 42, Canton South 21

The Louisville Leopards scored six first half touchdowns en route to a 42-21 victory over the host Canton South Wildcats at Clyde Brechbuhler Stadium. With the victory, the Leopard finish the regular season a perfect 10-0 overall and are Outright NBC Champions. For Louisville, it is their 18th undefeated regular season and 11th NBC Title.

Quarterback Connor Zwick completed 8 of 11 for 145 yards and a touchdown through the air and also ran the ball 10 times for 63 yards and a touchdown in just one half of football. Runningback Walter Schrock was Louisville’s leading rusher with 14 carries for 72 yards and 2 touchdowns.

The Leopards showed their ability to beat teams multiple ways in the first quarter of Friday’s game. They amassed a 10 play, 64 yard drive that ended with Schrock plowing into the endzone from 4 yards out. However, the Wildcats would answer with a touchdown drive of their own to knot the game at 7-7. While Louisville’s score came after a long drive, the Leopards needed no plays from scrimmage at all to score their next touchdown. Andy Minster ran back the ensuing South kickoff 88 yards to the house to put the Leps up 14-7.

Minster’s kick return touchdown began a string of four straight Louisville touchdowns. Three of those scores came in a 4:50 span during the second quarter. The first score followed a 13 play, 77 yard drive that led to a 38 yard touchdown pass from Zwick to Bryce Mathie. Then the Leopards Dylan Kline came out of a loose ball pile up with the football on the ensuing kickoff. Two plays later, Zwick scampered into the endzone from 23 yards out. On the next Louisville drive, Zwick’s 38 yard completion to Alex Hollifield led to a 5 yard touchdown run by Dakota James. That made it 35-7 Leopards with 6:17 left in the second quarter.

Louisville gambled late in the second quarter on a 4th Down play in their own territory and failed to convert giving the ball to the Wildcats on the 40 yard line. Three plays later, Canton South Quarterback Josh Lyon hit Matt Shaffer on the right side of the endzone for his second touchdown pass of the game. Lyon had found D.J. Wilson to end South’s first quarter scoring drive. Lyon would finish the evening 17 of 30 for 207 yards through the air and would score on a 3 yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

The Leopards wasted no time in making up for their failed conversion. They traveled 62 yards in a 6-play drive that took just 1:35 before Schrock ran down the right side of the field for a 28 yard touchdown with 30 seconds left in the half. Louisville led 42-14 at the break.

In the second half, many starters were pulled from the game and the Leopards proceeded to run out the clock. James carried most of the load with 17 carries for 51 yards. Louisville did not score in the second half, but thanks to their defensive effort they did not need too. The Leopards held the Wildcats to just 14 carries for 5 yards all night long in the running game. Unofficially, Cory Neff & Cole McElroy had 1 sack each. Garrett Yoder also recovered a South fumble and Stephen Kerzan also recorded his first career interception for Louisville late in the fourth quarter. Louisville was on the Canton South 1 yard line when they went into victory formation.

With the victory, Louisville has now won their past seven meetings at Canton South and leads the all-time series over the Wildcats 50-18-3. The Leopards victory also earned them a home playoff game in the DIII Regional Semifinals next Friday. They will host either Marlington or Aurora depending on the result of the West Geauga at Beachwood game Saturday.

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UP NEXT: The Leopards host a DIII Regional Semifinal game at Louisville Leopards Stadium next Friday, November 8 at 7:30 PM.