Oldenburg Academy ends Edinburgh’s season

Derrick Ball’s first season as the head football coach at Edinburgh was a struggle at times on the field, but it’s something he wouldn’t change at all.

“That’s right, no regrets,” Ball said. “We got a late start to the season, and there’s a lot more we could have done, but it was good.”

Edinburgh’s season ended Friday night with a 47-12 host loss to Oldenburg Academy in a Class A sectional opener.

The loss was the second suffered at the hands of the Twisters in less than a month, and left the Lancers with a 2-8 overall mark.

Still, Ball saw enough to know that next year’s fortunes could change.

“We have a strong underclass that’s coming back,” Ball said. “We’re looking to do a lot in the offseason, and there’s a lot you can accomplish in the offseason.”

The Twisters did sputter on their first possession, thanks to some penalties and an impressive opening defensive stand by the Lancers, something they didn’t always exhibit this season.

Nevertheless, it was a highlight for the Lancers, especially as they recorded three sacks of quarterback Matt Moorman on that possession alone.

It turned out to be an aberration for the Twisters, as they scored on their next four possessions. Throw in a 41-yard interception return by Nick Bischoff, who eventually picked off two passes, and Oldenburg had more than enough for the win.

Twisters quarterback Matt Moorman threw for 242 first-half yards and three touchdowns.

Oldenburg (7-3) did ease up in the second half, scoring another touchdown on an interception, this time with Mike Wandstrat picking off an errant pass and running untouched 45-yards on the Lancers’ first possession of the second half.

Edinburgh got on the board when quarterback Jentry Lange hit fellow senior Marcus Ruch for an 11-yard touchdown pass. The pair connected for another scoring pass play, this time for 51 yards, which was the longest pass play this season for the Lancers.

That was all the offense the Lancers could muster. They had less than 25 rushing yards and committed seven turnovers.

Oldenburg wasn’t without error either, fumbling the ball away once and throwing a pick in the fourth quarter. But with Moorman passing for nearly 300 yards, the mistakes weren’t as harmful.

“I’m sad to see the seniors go, but I’m proud of the resiliency they had,” Ball said. “It wasn’t easy.”

Edinburgh will lose 10 seniors but expects to return at least 18 underclassmen.

“If we get everyone coming back, we can do well,” Ball said. “We also have some good middle school kids coming to join them. I’m looking forward to next year and beyond.”