OXFORD − There were obvious concerns prior to what transpired Saturday evening at Mallory Field.
West Lafayette football players had been out late the night before watching Purdue’s home game against Wisconsin.
An undefeated Tippecanoe Valley team is visiting the Red Devils on Friday in a Class 3A top-10 showdown.
It would’ve been easy to overlook a one-win Benton Central team on Friday night.
Instead, the Red Devils scored on six straight possessions and led 42-0 by halftime and Class 3A No. 4 West Lafayette cruised to a 49-14 victory.
More: IHSAA football: Greater Lafayette area Week 6 scoreboard
“We had more energy pregame and leading up to the game and even at halftime than we’ve had maybe all season,” West Lafayette coach Shane Fry said. “I hope that’s trending in the right direction. The guys played hard and with a lot of energy and a lot of focus.”
West Lafayette Red Devils Cooper Kitchel (14) catches a pass during the IHSAA football game against the Benton Central Bison, Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, at Benton Central High School in Oxford, Ind.
Speaking of trending in the right direction, let’s talk about West Lafayette’s offense.
Some had written the Red Devils off after it took until the fourth quarter in the season opener to find the end zone, a 42-6 loss to Harrison.
A week later, the offense got off to another slow start against McCutcheon.
But now, four straight games scoring at least 37 points.
“Week 1 we had a ton of new guys getting their first start, including me,” quarterback Carson Kitchel said. “It was a little shaky at first and we had to push through that. Each week, we’re gaining confidence and we’re getting more comfortable with each other and I feel like our connections are very good now.”
Kitchel’s first half numbers on Saturday night read like this: 18-for-22, 222 yards, four touchdowns to three…
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