By Kevin Lozon

Lutheran North kept alive its hopes of making the state playoffs.

The Mustangs used their powerful rushing attack to their advantage in the first half, plowing out to a 26-6 halftime lead, coasting from there to a 26-12 Catholic League Intersectional 2 football win over visiting Riverview Gabriel Richard on Friday night.

“We were 2-3 and now we’ve won two league games,” North coach Garrett Wenzelburger said. “At 4-3 it puts us in a better position for the playoffs and gives us an opportunity to finish the season 3-1 in conference. This is a very big win for us.”

Riverview Gabriel Richard’s Nick Szczechowski looks for running room during a Catholic League Intersectional 2 game at Lutheran North on October 8, 2021. (KEVIN LOZON — MediaNews Group)

Lutheran North scored on its first three possessions of the first half, gaining a 20-0 lead midway through the second quarter.

Dom Kitto opened the scoring on a 23-yard run, before Alexander Kitto scored on a 1-yard burst and added a four-yard run after picking up a fumbled Mustangs pass reception.

“We’ve struggled with opening drives all year long,” Wenzelburger said. “The last two weeks we’ve run the ball for touchdowns and we’re creating an identity, which is we may spread it out, but we can still run the football.”

Gabriel Richard finally got on the board when Nick Szczechowski returned a kickoff 95 yards for a score, cutting the LHN lead to 20-6.

With just over 2:00 left before intermission, the Mustangs pulled off a double pass with Eddie Cesar catching a pass from Zack Selewski before finding a wide-open Carter Penn for a 75-yard TD strike.

“Lutheran North is a good football team and hats off to them,” Gabriel Richard coach Bill Miller said. “They are a physical team and played well. They beat us individually. Football is all about blocking and tackling and they did it.”

In the second half, LHN added a safety in the third quarter and a 2-yard scoring run by Dom Kitto early in the fourth quarter.

Gabriel Richard’s lone second-half score came on an 18-yard pass from Szczechowski to Aidan Chisek.

“We asked them at halftime to come out and play every play in the second half,” Miller said. “They did. We are happy with it but wish we would’ve started a little better.”

Dom Kitto led the Mustangs with 131 yards on 26 carries, while Selewski added 62 yards on six rushes.

“Dom is a junior who has really come on,” Wenzelburger said. “He didn’t get a lot of carries the few games, and there are people to blame for that. Now we’re feeding him the rock and he’s got heart and great balance. Our line is blocking well for him, and the edge blockers are doing well, too.”

The win improved the Mustangs’ record to 4-3 overall, 2-1 league. Wenzelburger said his team didn’t have the same focus in the second half, which included two turnovers, which is something they need to work on.

“The second half gives us something to clean up,” Wenzelburger said. “Turnovers have plagued us all year. I’ve told the guys the difference for us taking that next step to the playoffs and beyond is playing clean football.

“I like the way we’re running the ball right now and we’re playing tough defense,” Wenzelburger added. “I think we’ve seen progress week-to-week, and as a coach that’s what you want to see.”

Gabriel Richard was led by Szczechowski with 171 yards on 21 carries. The loss dropped its record to 1-5 overall, 0-3 league.

“He’s a great one,” Miller said. “He’s a leader and non-stop energy out there. He’s fast and he carries us.”

Go MUSTANGS!

Article originally posted by The Macomb Daily