Going without a head coach could have made the Edinburgh football team a leaderless ship heading into an iceberg.
Fortunately for the Lancers, there were no icebergs. With the help of assistant coaches, they became leaders themselves, sinking winless Rock Creek Academy, 42-0.
It was the Lancers’ first shutout victory in five years.
Edinburgh head coach Tyler DeSpain was serving a one-game suspension from the IHSAA due to getting tossed late in last week’s game against Traders Point Christian, but if there were any worries, the Lancers got rid of those early in the first half.
“It’s different, but we were able to adjust to it,” junior quarterback Riley Palmeter said about DeSpain not being on the sidelines. “(Before the game) he put us in a good position to score some points.”
Just like in their win last month against Switzerland County, it was a complete team effort on offense and defense for the Lancers (2-6).
Edinburgh secured three interceptions, one on a one-handed snare from Caleb Dewey, and recovered a fumble.
The big story, though, was the passing of Palmeter, who threw for 334 yards and four touchdowns. He also used his feet for the first score of the game, running in in from the 1.
Palmeter hit Austin Streeval for a 7-yard score and connected with Caleb Dewey from 23 and 53 yards out. He also tossed a 4-yard pass to Landen Burton.
Streeval ran for 85 yards and a touchdown while catching four passes for 112 yards. Dewey also had a 100-yard receiving game, catching four passes for 161 yards.
“We did a pretty good job,” Palmeter said. “I tried to share to share the ball and get everybody involved, and I think we did that.”
Besides the picks, the Edinburgh defense limited the Lions to a single 5-yard completion and 121 yards on the ground.
Rock Creek did get into Edinburgh territory a few times, thanks to penalties (and a first-quarter fumble by the Lancers), but it couldn’t get anything sustained.
Edinburgh now has a chance to get its third win of the season — something it hasn’t accomplished since 2016 when it finished 3-8 — next Friday when it hosts the Indianapolis Crimson Knights home-school team.
DeSpain will be back on the sidelines, with even more leaders to help him steer the S.S. Lancer.
“This game will give us some pretty good momentum for next week,” Palmeter said. “We need this.”
