After a trade of touchdowns in the first half of Friday night’s crosstown showdown of unbeatens, it was Lincoln-Way West that pulled out a 17-12 win over Lincoln-Way Central thanks to a school-record 52-yard field goal by senior kicker Zach Hermanson.

Following a punt-filled third quarter, West got the ball on its own 18-yard line with 10 minutes, 25 seconds to play in the fourth quarter.

The Warriors (4-0) marched the ball down the field, but the drive stalled on the 35-yard line with 3:36 to play and West ahead 14-12.

Warriors’ coach Luke Lokanc got a thumbs-up from Hermanson, called a timeout and put faith in the right leg of his captain.

“It was an easy decision for me as a coach,” Lokanc said. “Zach is a four-year guy, and he gave me a thumbs-up in that situation, and we needed to be up by more than three to run the game out.

“He is an unbelievable player. I trust him in any situation. He is a captain, he is a leader, he is a man of faith – any positive characteristic of a player, it is him, and I will put him in that situation 10 out of 10 times.”

With that kick, Hermanson broke his own school record of 44 yards by 8 yards, a mark he set as a sophomore.

“This is the biggest kick of my life, and I wouldn’t choose to do it against anyone else,” Hermanson said. “We are two very good teams. I told Coach I could do it, and he believed in me.”

After holding Central (3-1) to a turnover on downs out of the gate, the home Warriors got on the board first with 5 minutes, 5 seconds left in the first quarter when senior quarterback Grant Tustin carried the ball in from 33 yards out. Zach Hermanson’s point-after gave West the early 7-0 lead.

On the game, Tustin was 11-of-12 passing for 90 yards and a touchdown. He carried the ball 11 times for 88 yards and a score.

Central got on the board on the first play of the second quarter, punching it in from the 2-yard line on a run by senior Lucas Andresen (four carries, 20 yards).

The point-after attempt was blocked by West, and it held onto the 7-6 lead.

The Warriors wasted no time scoring again, as Tustin found senior Chase Markowicz from 17 yards out. The PAT increased West’s lead to 14-6.

Central continued to ride the back of Justin Cobb (19 carries, 95 yards), who carried the ball 15 times in the first half.

It was senior quarterback Drew Woodburn, however, that capped the drive with a 15-yard run on third-and-goal with one minute left to play.

The Knights attempted to tie the game with a two-point conversion, but senior defensive back Drew Mansker made the stop, securing West’s 14-6 lead heading into the intermission.

Woodburn was 13-of-20 passing for 127 yards.

“We started slow defensively,” said Central coach Dave Woodburn. “Offensively, things were going, and we moved the ball well. We figured it out defensively, but stalled on offense.

“We didn’t play a complete football game, and we can’t do that against a really good opponent.”

The game was everything it was billed to be.

“We knew it would come down to field position and who would control the ball and that field goal was the only score of the second half, so both teams made their adjustments. This is a great win for the program,” Lokanc said. “It is a fun game, and the kids have great relationships, our staffs have great relationships.

“We knew we were going to battle tonight, but after four quarters, we are all moving on to Week 5.”

Coach Woodburn is confident his team will rebound.

“This will leave a sour taste in our mouths,” he said. “We have been here before. Being perfect is hard to do. If we let this loss define us, then that is how these seniors will go out, but I don’t think they will do that.

“I think we are going to respond as coaches and players and get it figured out.”

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