Freshman vs Merrillville High School (20-6) Win One Rung at a Time: Slicers Take Down the Pirates The La Porte Slicers traveled to Merrillville tonight to take on the Pirates in another Duneland Athletic Conference matchup, and it didn’t take long for the Slicers to strike. Just 1:15 into the game, #21 Logan Wiesemann used his legs to break free for a 50-yard rushing touchdown, giving La Porte the early advantage. #28 Austin Aguilar connected on the PAT to put the Slicers up 7-0. Merrillville answered midway through the first quarter with a touchdown of its own, but the Slicer defense came up with a big stop on the two-point conversion attempt, allowing La Porte to hold onto a 7-6 lead. The two teams battled from there until La Porte struck again late in the second quarter. With 1:40 remaining before halftime, Wiesemann connected with Landen Marshall for a 45-yard touchdown through the air, extending the Slicer lead to 13-6. Then came something that has become increasingly familiar this season. Austin Aguilar did what Austin Aguilar does. Aguilar delivered another perfectly placed kick, and Wyatt Pemberton was there to recover it for La Porte, once again giving the Slicers an extra possession through outstanding special-teams execution. The second half became a battle as the Slicer defense continued to play tough, physical football and kept the Pirates out of the end zone. In the fourth quarter, Marco Escobedo made one of the biggest defensive plays of the night, snatching the ball out of the air for an interception and giving the Slicer offense another opportunity. La Porte capitalized. Brantley Mannella connected with Nick Dubbs for a 3-yard touchdown pass, and Aguilar added the PAT to extend the lead to 20-6 with just 3:06 remaining in the game. There was still work to do. The Slicer defense went back onto the field and delivered one final stop, getting the football back into the hands of the La Porte offense and allowing the Slicers to close out another conference victory. From beginning to end, La Porte played tough, aggressive football in every aspect of the game. The offense produced explosive plays on the ground and through the air. Special teams created another extra possession. And when the game needed to be finished, the defense answered the call. The victory moves your La Porte Slicers to 5-1 overall and 3-1 in DAC play. There are still rungs left to climb. Next week, La Porte will once again hit the road as the Slicers travel to Crown Point to take on the Bulldogs. Kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m. Your La Porte Slicers continue their climb. One rung at a time. The race for the DAC crown continues. Go Slicers!