Leopards Start Off 1-3
Originally Published In: THE SPOTLIGHT Volume 83, Issue 1 (October 2006)
By Jared Heller
The Louisville Leopards started off the season 1-3 after playing some real tough opponents. The Leps fought hard but fell short against two Federal League teams and a tough former Federal League team in Alliance. The Leps did beat Poland in the season opener though, and will look to repeat that performance in the rest of their games.
In the season opener, the Leps played the Poland Seminary Bulldogs. Louisville jumped on the Bulldogs early to take a 14-0 first quarter lead. Ben Schmucker threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Falk and also ran in a touchdown from a yard out. Falk ended up with 8 catches for 94 yards, while Schmucker passed threw for 154 yards through the air. Poland answered with a touchdown, but the Leopards fought right back as Brandon Hostetler plunged into the endzone for a one yard score just as the first half expired. Hostetler finished the game with 85 yards rushing. Schmucker ripped the game wide open with a 30-yard touchdown scrample to make it 28-6 Leps at the end of three quarters. Poland scored another touchdown, but Hostetler answered again with a 6-yard touchdown run to put the nail in the coffin. The Leopards won 35-13 and hoped to ride the momentum into Lake.
The Leopards renewed a rivalry with the Lake Blue Streaks in Week 2. Louisville fell behind 17-0 in the first quarter, but rallied with 12 straight points in the third. The Leopards look poised to take the lead after they recovered a bad snap by the Blue Streaks, but Louisville failed to score after a controversial spot held the Leps out of the endzone on a fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard-line. Three plays later Lake scored on a 92-yard run. The Leopards tried to put together a late rally, but came up short. Louisville lost 31-18 and snapped a 14-game regular season winning streak.
The Leopards then went on the road again to play the heavily favored Hoover Vikings. The Leopards, for the most part, stopped the Vikings in the first three quarters. Louisville was poised for an upset when Brand Hostetler scored on a 4-yard run late in the third quarter to give the Leps a 7-6 advantage. But Hoover erupted in the fourth quarter for 19 points to squash the Leps chances of an upset. The Vikings won 25-7.
Next, the Leopards were upset by the Aviators 13-7. Alliance’s Charles Babb netted 273 yards and stole a touchdown from Ben Schmucker early. The Leopards did take the lead in the first quarter though, as Schmucker connected with Falk for a 20-yard touchdown pass. However, Alliance put up thirteen points in the second and both defenses held the oppossing offenses off the scoreboard in the second half.
The 1-3 start has left many people thinking the Leps will not make the playoffs. However, the 2003 Leopards started the season off 0-3 and ended up squeaking in to the playoffs at 6-4. The Leopards play their remaining games against NBC foes and will attempt to bounce back and win the conference.
