BOURBON - Earlier this week, Triton football coach Rod Wildman voiced concerns about his offense's ability to finish drives.

He needn't have worried. His defense started and finished nearly everything in Triton's 38-0 win over LaVille on Friday.

LaVille looked every bit like the 0-6 team it was entering the game.

Seven sacks.

Four interceptions.

Three fumbles, all lost to Triton.

This was the bowl of gruel an inexperienced LaVille squad served up.

Triton's defense went for the kill against a LaVille team that had five sophomores and a freshman starting on its varsity squad. To make matters worse, LaVille's top two offensive linemen - Micah Richhart and Chad Stanley - missed the trip to Triton because of injuries.

Triton didn't care who played for the Lancers. All the Trojans remembered was last year, when an 8-3 LaVille team full of seniors ran over Triton 42-8.

The Trojans made this year's LaVille squad pay.

"We wanted this one really bad, because they pounded us last year," Wildman said. "Our guys came out and showed how bad they wanted it."

Oh, the mistakes LaVille made.

There was the high snap on a punt attempt.

LaVille began the game with the ball. When the Lancers were forced to punt, the snap sailed high over the punter's head. Triton defensive back Nate Setser snared the ball at LaVille's 4-yard line.

After two big penalties canceled each other out - Triton had a clipping penalty, which was followed by a costly holding flag against LaVille - Triton quarterback Setser scored on a 3-yard run. Ryan Spencer's extra point put the Trojans up 7-0 less than five minutes into the game.

There was the poor tackling.

Triton wingback Jack Hackworth, who appeared to be tackled for sure three different times, knifed his way through the middle of LaVille's defense for a 27-yard touchdown run with two minutes to go before halftime.

There were the fumbles at the most inopportune times.

With less than a minute before halftime, Triton defensive lineman Mason Holloway jarred the ball away from LaVille quarterback Corey Sauer. Teammate Jason Brown picked up the ball and rambled down to LaVille's 31-yard line.

Setser ran 15 yards and got out of bounds at the 16-yard line with nine seconds left. He then completed a 16-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kyle Gould as time ran off the clock. Triton led 21-0 at halftime.

On the Lancers' second play in the second half, Triton defensive back Tad Hayes dashed into LaVille's backfield so quick that he took the quarterback pitch from Sauer and went on down field for an easy 35-yard score to make it 28-0.

"Turnovers played a big part, especially on the punt and the pitch for the touchdown," Wildman said. "They're a young team, and young teams make mistakes."

Yes, and the mistakes became more and more glaring for LaVille.

There were the interceptions.

During one stretch in the second half, four of seven Sauer passes were intercepted. The biggest was by defensive back Nick Treber, who picked off a pass and returned it for a 45-yard touchdown with 5:41 left in the fourth quarter. His score followed a Spencer field goal less than a minute before, giving Triton 10 points in 30 seconds and the 38-0 lead.

Triton dominated the line of scrimmage from start to finish, manhandling LaVille's offensive line. Triton senior linebacker Andy Knepp tormented LaVille, sacking LaVille quarterbacks three times. Defensive lineman Andy McCoy blew through LaVille's line for two sacks.

Seven sacks.

Four interceptions.

Three fumbles, all lost to Triton.

Yep, Triton got back for last year's 42-8 spanking.

"This was great, a super win," Wildman said. "The defense got the shutout. The defense got everything.

"Our defense just brought everything to them."

Triton improved to 4-3 overall and 3-2 in the Northern State Conference, while LaVille dropped to 0-7 and 0-5. [[In-content Ad]]