LAPEL — Lapel passed its toughest test to date and has another major challenge waiting for it Friday.
The Bulldogs remained unbeaten on the season, 4-0, with a 36-31 victory against Shenandoah in Middletown last Friday, Sept. 11.
Both teams came in ranked in the top 20 in The Associated Press and Indiana Football Coaches Association polls.
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The 4-0 start for the Bulldogs is their best since 2005 when — then coached by Ben Durham — they opened the season 6-0.
Lapel will go up a class and play host to Class 3A Cardinal Ritter (2-2) Friday.
Ritter won the Class 2A state title in 2016. It reached the sectional championship game in two of the past three seasons in 3A.
Last week, Lapel outscored Shenandoah 16-0 in the second quarter to erase a five-point first-quarter deficit, then thwarted a late Raider rally in the final minutes.
After getting much of the offense from quarterback Brennan Stow and the Bulldogs’ passing game during the first three weeks — Stow had thrown eight touchdown passes and averaged 248 yards per game after three games — the running game was at the forefront in Friday’s win.
Sophomore running back Tyler Dollar had 34 carries for 225 yards and four touchdowns. Stow was held to just 7-of-16 passing for 96 yards and three interceptions.
All five of the Lapel touchdowns came on the ground, as junior Kyle Shelton also scored on a rushing play.
Dollar opened the scoring early in the first period with a 32-yard rushing touchdown. He followed it by running in the two-point conversion.
Shelton’s 1-yard run in the middle of the second gave Lapel a 14-13 lead. Dollar followed with his second two-point conversion of the night.
To round out first-half scoring, Dollar scored on a 6-yard run. This time the two-pointer came on a pass play from Stow to Tanner Mroz.
A 12-yard Dollar run gave Lapel a 30-19 lead with three minutes left in the third quarter. His final touchdown of the game came on a 1-yard run with eight minutes left in the contest, giving Lapel a 36-25 advantage.
Shenandoah was driving late in the game, reaching the Lapel 8, but a sack by Bulldog Parker Allman put an end to the home team’s hopes.
Ritter will be Lapel’s second Class 3A opponent of the season. The Bulldogs opened the year with a 42-19 win against Hamilton Heights. Ritter is 2-0 against Class 2A foes, beating both Monrovia (40-6) and Speedway (28-21).
Lapel is No. 10 in this week’s Class 2A IFCA poll. Ritter is tied at the No. 11 spot in the Class 3A rankings. Lapel is No. 11 in the AP poll; Ritter is No. 17.
Ritter won last year’s matchup 21-13. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.