Lesko shines as Loboes roll past Lions

Paul Garcia II / The Jamestown Sun By Paul Garcia II Today at 8:22 PM Listen Comments Share Share this article News Reporting News Reporting Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. The Trust Project What is this? LAMOURE — Freshman Oliver Lesko scored three touchdowns and came away with a key defensive interception in LaMoure-Litchville/Marion’s 52-28 victory over Linton/Hazelton-Moffit-Braddock in the North Dakota 9-man football semifinals on Saturday, Nov. 7. The Loboes overcame an early deficit and pulled away in the second half to secure their third consecutive trip to the Dakota Bowl. ADVERTISEMENT Lesko finished with two rushing touchdowns, a receiving touchdown and an interception near the goal line, helping the Loboes overcome several challenges from the Lions. “I just can't tell you how proud I am of Oliver and our whole team,” head coach Andy DelaBarre said. “We battled; we handled adversity throughout the game, and a lot of credit to Linton. They played a heck of a game.” Linton/HMB struck first when senior Philip Schuetzle caught a touchdown pass from Justin Bosch on fourth-and-10 with 9:55 remaining in the opening quarter. The failed 2-point conversion left the Lions ahead 6-0. Paul Garcia II / The Jamestown Sun The Loboes answered less than four minutes later when Colby Thielges scored on a touchdown run. Mason Warcken added the 2-point conversion on the ground to give the Loboes an 8-6 lead. Lesko scored his first touchdown on a 24-yard run with nine seconds remaining in the quarter, extending L-L/M's advantage to 14-6. Lions' sophomore Paxton Mosset scored on a 2-yard run with 6:49 remaining, cutting the deficit to 14-12. The Loboes responded with 12 unanswered points before halftime. ADVERTISEMENT Warcken connected with Lesko on a 24-yard touchdown pass with 4:06 remaining. Lesko broke multiple tackles on the reception before diving into the end zone, pushing the Loboes' lead to 20-12. Paul Garcia II / The Jamestown Sun After a Linton/HMB turnover on downs, Warcken found Logan Potts for an 8-yard touchdown pass with 17 seconds remaining. The score marked Potts' first touchdown of the season after an injury kept him sidelined for much of the year. The Loboes entered halftime leading 26-12. The second half began with adversity when Thielges fumbled following a 15-yard run on the opening play. The Loboes recovered from the setback by forcing a punt. Warcken scored on the following drive with a 1-yard run with 8:14 remaining in the third quarter. A successful 2-point conversion extended the lead to 34-12. Linton/HMB answered when junior Carson Wagner caught a touchdown pass on fourth-and-6 from the L-L/M 6-yard line, trimming the deficit to 34-18. Lesko added his third touchdown on a 4-yard run with 4:39 remaining in the third quarter, restoring a 22-point advantage. ADVERTISEMENT The Lions threatened again after reaching first-and-goal at the LLM 8-yard line, but Lesko intercepted a pass with 2:23 remaining to end the scoring opportunity. DelaBarre credited his defense for adjusting to a Linton/HMB passing attack that had been used sparingly throughout the season. “I knew they had the passing game down,” DelaBarre said. “I felt like we were pretty good on the run defense and eventually it was going to get to a spread type of offense for them.” The Loboes continued to make defensive plays in the fourth quarter while adding to their lead. Thielges scored his second touchdown on a 4-yard run with 10:23 remaining, making it 46-18. Owen DelaBarre then recorded a sack and forced a fumble with 8:54 remaining, with the Loboes recovering the football. Warcken capped the scoring with a 39-yard touchdown pass to Joey Potts with 1:15 remaining, bringing the final score to 52-18. ADVERTISEMENT Paul Garcia II / The Jamestown Sun Despite his three-touchdown performance, Lesko credited the Loboes' senior leadership when asked whose playing style he tries to emulate. “Definitely model my game after Colby,” Lesko said. “I look up to him, Owen, and then all the seniors, really.” With another championship appearance secured, DelaBarre said the Loboes will approach their final game with the same preparation that carried them through the season. “We've built this foundation throughout the season to get to this,” DelaBarre said. “We're going to trust on everything we've done up until now.” LaMoure-Litchville/Marion will face two-time defending state champion New Rockford-Sheyenne/Maddock in the Dakota Bowl for the third consecutive season on Friday, Nov. 13. The Rockets advanced with a 46-14 semifinal victory over Napoleon/Gackle/Streeter on Saturday. Comments Share Share this article News Reporting News Reporting Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. The Trust Project What is this? Tags Tags LAMOURE-LITCHVILLE/MARION LOBOES PREP SPORTS FOOTBALL LINTON/HMB LIONS By Paul Garcia II Paul Garcia II is a sports reporter for The Jamestown Sun. Paul is an Air Force veteran where he was stationed at Minot Air Force Base. After finishing his contract with the Air Force, Paul obtained a bachelor's degree in Communication and Media Studies at University California of San Diego, and a Master's in Sports Journalism from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications at Arizona State University. 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