September 22, 2016 at 1:30 p.m.
Pointers rebound with win at Marshall
The Pointers wasted no time putting up their 35 points with 14 in the first quarter and 21 in the second. Lucas Sanchez took off on a long run on the first play of the night for the Pointers and the drive ended with a 22 yard pass to Bailey Riley for the score.
Sanches got the next talley on a three yard run then the rest of the night belonged to Isaac Lindsey and Riley Workman. The freshman-junior combo played some deju vu with a pair of 12 yard scoring pass plays. Workman then picked up a blocked kick and race in to score, again from the 12.
Mineral Point coach Andy Palzkill said having a back like Sanchez helps out in all facets of the game
"Lucas is no doubt our main weapon offensively," Palzkill said. "His ability to run the ball really sets up our passing game. "
Palzkill said that was shown from the start.
" The first play of the night really set the tone offensively for us as we were able to get to the perimeter for a big run that led our first score," the coach said. "I have been very impressed with Lucas and am happy with the way he has developed into a great running back."
Sanchez was responsible for 108 yards on the ground on 14 carries. Curtis Cox gained 23 yards on two carries and Lindsey picked up 12 yards in three tries. Six different Pointers carried the ball.
"Our focus was to establish a running game and then be able to use play-action pass to hit some big pass plays," Palzkill said. "The plan was to give Isaac a more clean read with those calls. Things ended up going as anticipated and we hit Riley Workman on four different play action passes."
Workman totaled 83 yards on his four catches, averaging just under 21 yards per grab.
"Riley has earned playing time and we also had an injury to Brandon Dolphin during the practice week," Palzkill said about the junior receiver. "Riley is a talented athlete and we need to find more ways to get the ball in his hands."
The passing game in the hands of freshman quarterback Lindsey has been working.
"We have focused on rotating receivers during practice as the season has progressed," Palzkill said. "Our goal is to give the athletes a chance to prove themselves during practice and it is working out well. We had a big catch from Bailey Riley, a nice game from Mason Dailey, and of course the big game from Riley Workman."
Lindsey was eight for 13 for 132 yards and Cox was one for one for five yards.
Besides Workman's total the Pointers also got one catch for five yards from Lance Steffes, two for 22 from Mason Dailey, one for five from Danny Pittz and one for 22 from Bailey Riley.
The receiving corps should be bolstered more this week, Palzkill feels.
"We are excited to have Brandon Dolphin return to play this week and Lance Steffes continues to give us good match ups with his size and strength," said the coach. "We are developing into a diverse passing attack with the ability to use multiple weapons in various passing concepts. It will be fun watching this relatively young group continue to improve as the season progresses."
Much of the focus the past week was on improving line technique.
"We were happy with our play up front and I felt that we did play an aggressive game with our offensive and defensive fronts," Palzkill said. "The focus leading up to this game was to get off the ball faster and be able to control the line of scrimmage. We were definitely able to do that against Marshall. Our focus will be to do the same this week as we get back into conference play."
The defense also did its part as Danny Pittz had an interception and Workman the touchdown on the blocked kick
"Coach (Justin) Leonard had a great game plan and the kids did a better job of combining aggressive play while using good technique," Palzkill said. "I thought our defensive line was solid and have been impressed with the play of Sawyer Wallace and Riley Workman at defensive end. Include the great play of our linebacking corp and Marshall really struggled to get anything going offensively. Lucas Sanchez, Boone Schmitz, Lance Steffes, and Grant Sporle have done a good job of playing good football at the linebacker position for us. We are excited to watch them continue to gain confidence and improve as we prepare for week 6.
"We were very pleased with this win as a coaching staff due to the fact that the things we teach within our program were very apparent last Friday. Our team is excited for the rest of the season and we are definitely gaining some momentum as we get back into conference play," Palzkill said. "I feel like we really did learn a few things from our two losses. In life, things don't always go the way you want and how you respond to adversity is really important. Our kids responded very well in practice and have shown a new focus on becoming a better football team."
It will be Iowa-Grant for the Pointers to tend with this week as they host the Panthers Friday.
"Iowa-Grant is the next team on the schedule and they are a great rivalry for us," said Palzkill. "IG has a good football team and we will need to play well to have a chance to defeat them. At this point in the season, we need to find ways to earn victories so we are in position to be playoff eligible. This game is very important for the Mineral Point Football Program."
