Batavia football: Second-half surge seals 39-10 playoff victory

Batavia defeated Lincoln-Way Central 39-10 on Friday night in the first round of the Class 7A playoffs, snapping a first-quarter struggle with a 25-point second-half outburst. The win extends the Bulldogs' postseason streak to 15 consecutive appearances and improves their season record to 8-2. Lincoln-Way Central finishes the year with a 6-5 record.

The teams met in the 2024 playoffs, where Batavia won by four points. Friday’s contest started with similar tightness but diverged quickly in the second half. Parker Hovanec ran for a 29-yard touchdown on the Knights' first drive of the second half, making the score 10-7. Batavia answered immediately on the kickoff return. Senior wide receiver Darin Ashiru returned the ball past midfield to secure favorable field position.

Ashiru said the team trusted its blocking and ran with confidence. That return set the stage for a scoring run that gave Batavia 25 points in the final two quarters. The Bulldogs had been inefficient earlier, going three-and-out on two of their first four drives. Coach Dennis Piron noted the team was on a bye week the previous Friday, which left players unsure of their physical readiness.

Piron said the coaching staff tried to balance practice intensity without overworking or underworking the squad. He admitted the team was not used to the schedule. The offensive line found its rhythm in the second half, allowing the passing game to open up. Ashiru caught seven passes for 70 yards, while Brennon Zeng added six catches for 74 yards. Piron called Ashiru a dynamic player who plays multiple positions.

The ground game also found success late in the game. Senior running back Charlie Rosengren had no yards on his first three carries before breaking free for a 31-yard touchdown to take a 7-0 lead in the first half. Quarterback Michael Vander Luitgaren added a 13-yard run to make it 14-3 at halftime. The two players combined for 122 of the team's 125 total rushing yards.

Vander Luitgaren completed 16 of his passes for 215 yards. His biggest run came on a 36-yard score that extended the lead to 27-10. He rolled left after a block from tight end Thomas Prescott and ran untouched into the end zone. Rosengren scored twice in less than a minute during the second-half surge. He first ran in from 17 yards out. Then, after Jabari Buckley recovered the ensuing kickoff, Rosengren caught a 32-yard touchdown pass on the first play.

Rosengren said he got momentarily dazzled by the lights but found the ball. The defense held Lincoln-Way Central to two plays of more than 20 yards and forced three fourth-down stops. Piron was pleased with how the defense handled the Knights' power-run scheme, a style that had caused issues for Batavia earlier in the season. The Bulldogs will play the winner of the St. Charles North and Brother Rice game in the second round.