SLICERS FINISH THE CLIMB! LAPORTE 35 PORTAGE 0 7-2 OVERALL 5-2 DAC Your La Porte Slicers welcomed the Portage Indians to Kiwanis Stadium for their season finale, and this group had one final statement to make! The Slicers came out ready to play on both sides of the football, and the defense wasted little time setting the tone. In the first quarter, the ball-hawking #5 Landen Marshall came up with a huge interception in the end zone, stealing an early scoring opportunity from the Indians and giving the Slicers possession! The offense took advantage as #21 Logan Wiesemann used his legs to find the end zone on a 13-yard touchdown run. #28 Austin Aguilar connected on the extra point, giving La Porte a 7-0 lead with 2:29 remaining in the first quarter. The Slicer defense continued creating opportunities when #9 Owen Simcoe recovered a Portage fumble, setting up another scoring drive. Once again, Wiesemann made things happen on the ground, breaking loose for a 31-yard touchdown run! Aguilar added the PAT to extend the lead to 14-0. The Slicers kept their foot on the gas in the second quarter when #23 Kason Sheblosky found pay dirt on a 24-yard touchdown run! Aguilar remained perfect on the extra points, pushing La Porte’s lead to 21-0. But the Slicer defense wasn’t finished! With just 1:30 remaining in the first half, #24 Hank Travis snatched another Portage pass out of the air, giving La Porte another opportunity before halftime. The Slicers headed into the locker room holding a commanding 21-0 halftime lead. The second half was no different, as the Slicers continued to control the game on both sides of the football. With 5:42 remaining in the third quarter, #7 Brantley Mannella made his mark, using his legs to power his way into the end zone on a 3-yard touchdown run! Aguilar connected on his fourth PAT of the night, extending the lead to 28-0. The Slicers weren’t finished! With just 34 seconds remaining in the third quarter, #23 Kason Sheblosky found the endzone for the second time on the night! Aguilar connected on his fifth successful PAT, extending the lead to 35-0! Even with the game well in hand, the Slicer defense refused to let up! Late in the fourth quarter, #5 Landen Marshall read the Portage offense perfectly and came away with his second interception of the night, giving the Slicers one final possession to close out their season. FINAL: LAPORTE 35 PORTAGE 0 The Slicers finish their freshman season with an outstanding 7-2 overall record and 5-2 record in DAC conference play, closing out the year with a dominant shutout victory! 💪 THE BATTLE IN THE TRENCHES While the scoreboard tells one story, the battle in the trenches tells another! Tonight, the Slicer offensive line came out with the mentality that every snap was being filmed by a camera right behind them. Every block, every assignment, and every ounce of effort mattered. They took ownership of that responsibility and dominated every minute the Slicers had possession of the football! They set the tone, controlled the line of scrimmage, and paved the way for five rushing touchdowns. They understood that their names might not always appear in the scoring column, but their fingerprints were all over every point on that scoreboard! On the other side of the football, the Slicer defensive line took ownership of its responsibilities and caused havoc in the trenches all night long. They battled on every snap, disrupted the Portage offense, and helped create opportunities for the defense to come away with four takeaways! Football games are won and lost in the trenches, and tonight, the Slicers owned both sides of the line of scrimmage! It wasn’t just about making plays. It was about doing your job, trusting the man beside you, and understanding that every assignment matters. 🪜 THE FINAL RUNG All season long, this group was challenged to keep climbing. Every practice, every rep, every sprint, every correction, and every moment of adversity was another deposit into an account they couldn’t cash until game day. They spent the entire season putting money into that account. Each week, they withdrew just enough to take another step up the ladder. Some weeks the climb was easier than others. Some weeks they stumbled. But they never stopped climbing. Tonight, they made one final withdrawal. They took a little out of that account to start the game. But when they came back from halftime, they decided it was time to empty the account and have a little fun! And they earned every bit of it. This season was about more than seven wins. It was about learning to trust one another, overcoming adversity, understanding accountability, and discovering what can happen when a group of young men commits to something bigger than themselves. As coaches, we couldn’t be prouder of the effort, growth, and commitment this group showed throughout the season. They didn’t just finish a football season. They took the first steps toward building their legacy. The foundation has been laid. The standard has been set. And while their freshman season has come to an end, their story is just beginning. To our players, parents, families, and everyone who supported this team throughout the season, THANK YOU! It’s been an incredible journey, and as coaches, we cannot wait to see what the next chapter holds for this special group of young men. 7-2. 5-2 DAC! THE FINAL RUNG!