For the second week in a row, the Ell-Saline Cardinals cruised to a big win.  This time the opponent were the Leopards in a game played at Lincoln.

It took the Cards only a minute and 47 seconds to get on the board on a drive capped by a 22 yard touchdown run by senior quarterback Kade Wilson.  Wilson also converted the two point PAT to make the score 8-0.  Lincoln would answer that score with a drive that took over seven minutes before Leopard junior QB Logan Meier threw a short 5-yard pass to senior Trey Simms.  Lincoln’s conversion attempt failed and Ell-Saline remained in the lead 8-6.  With :22 to go in the opening stanza, Wilson hit senior Mason Ellerman on a scoring pass play that also covered 22 yards and Ell-Saline led 16-6 at the end of one quarter of play.

The Cardinals had two second quarter scores.  The first on a 25-yard TD pass from Wilson to freshman Kas Kramer and the latter on a 55-yard touchdown gallop by sophomore Melvin Lutes.  Sandwiched in between those scores was a 37-yard scoring pass from Meier to Leopard junior Braden Sinclair and Ell-Saline led at intermission 30-12

The Cards would extend their lead to 24 points at the 8:41 mark of quarter number 3 on an 18-yard run by Wilson.  Lincoln got their final score of the game with 2:27 left in the third quarter on a 1-yard run by senior Noah Esposito.  However, Ell-Saline and Lutes weren’t finished.  Melvin scored in the final minute of the quarter on a 38-yard TD run to make the score 44-18 going into the final period.  Lutes finished off the scoring racing 47 yards for the final touchdown of the game with 3:20 left in the contest.

In all Lutes had over five runs that covered at least 30 yards each and afterwards was named the Nex-Tech Wireless Player of the Game.  The H& R block of the game went to junior Dillon Moore who got his first start of the season.

It was the second time this year the Cardinals notched 50 points.  They also scored 50 in a Week 2 win over Hanover 50-14.

The defense also had a great game forcing four turnovers on downs and not allowing Lincoln any extra points.

With the win the Cardinals ended the regular season with a record of 6-2.  The win also ensured Ell-Saline a second seed in the District and a home game in the first round of the play-off next week.  Lincoln ended their regular season 3-5.  Scoring by quarters:

TEAM                            1                 2                 3                 4                 FINAL

Ell-Saline                        16               14               14               6                 50

Lincoln                           6                6                6                 0                    18