Nate Steinman faked a pass rush, dropped into coverage and intercepted a pass thrown over the middle by Cedar Grove-Belgium quarterback Carter Schmitz.
The Lions' senior returned the interception 30 yards to the end zone to seal Lomira's 24-7 win against the Rockets in the state quarterfinal last night on the road.
Steinman's touchdown came with 4:52 left and was the final score of the game. Defensive linemen Josh Polster and Colin Kuge both got pressure in the face of Schmitz, who threw off his back foot on the play.
"Our offense, we weren't doing as best as we could so we had to make it up on defense," Steinman said. "Getting those picks and being in the right spot just helped us out a ton."
It was Steinman's second interception of the second half. His first came in the final minute of the third quarter, which set up a 30-yard Easton Zangl field goal. Lomira forced four turnovers on the night.
Lomira (10-2) did not score an offensive touchdown in the second half, but the defense, led by Steinman's performnace, shut the Rockets (9-4) out to preserve the win.
Coach Bryan Gregory said that Steinman's performances have been building as the season has gone on.
"Nate's been getting better each and every week," Gregory said. "He's just a kid that pours his heart and soul into this, he's put his time in the weight room and it's awesome to see all the hard work start to pay off for him. He's a leader out there for us.
"To see [the interception], especially when the offense is struggling in the second half takes a lot of pressure off and we knew we had to finish there."
The Lions' defense started the turnover parade in the first quarter when Caden Yanke recovered a fumble on a bad exchange between Schmitz and running back Ira Hilbelink.
Three plays later, running back Taylor Schaumberg got Lomira on the board with a 47-yard touchdown run, during which he broke several tackles and showed excellent balance to stay on his feet.
Schaumberg scored his second TD on Lomira's next drive on a 1-yard run. The score capped off a 65-yard drive, which included a 41-yard scramble from quarterback Jackson Goebel.
"On offense, we were really able to get it going early," Schaumberg said. "We got worn down a little bit as the game went on, but I think our team is so well rounded that our defense just stepped up to play today."
Schaumberg rushed 28 times for 118 yards and the two touchdowns.
The Rockets' lone touchdown came on fourth-and-goal conversion with a 4-yard pass from Schmitz to Cade Borden in the second quarter.
It is the first time in program history that Lomira has advanced to the state semifinal, where it will play Belleville, a No. 8 seed, in Oconomowoc. Gregory said his team is taking it one game at a time, but also recognizes that it is making history.
"There's been a lot of firsts or a lot of things that haven't happened in a long time," Gregory said. "We take a lot of pride in understanding and having perspective on the history of Lomira football and we know this hasn't happened in a long time.
"We want to finish the job here. We've come this far and our goal is one at a time here, but we're a game away from a state title game."
PHOTO GALLERY: Lomira at Cedar Grove-Belgium football - WIAA D6 State Quarterfinal - 11/9/2024
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