Running backs have become a seemingly renewable resource for LaPorte football coach Dave Sharpe.
When all-time leading rusher Charles Salary graduated after last season, the Slicers had Dion Williams in line to succeed him. When Williams went down with an ankle injury, Chris Juszkiewicz was waiting.
Juszkiewicz rushed for 159 yards on 11 carries to help LaPorte over Crown Point 28-7 in Friday’s Duneland Athletic Conference game.
“‘The Juice’ was loose,” Sharpe said. “It was Chris’s night for sure. He’s a big, strong, tough kid. He’s done everything we’ve asked of him since Dion’s injury. We’ve got a lot of faith in him, that’s for sure.”
Friday marked Juszkiewicz’s second taste of Friday night football after his debut on Sept. 25 against Merrillville.
“I was really excited because I’ve been playing JV all year getting ready for varsity,” Juszkiewicz said. “It’s a totally different experience than JV. There’s not a lot of energy on Saturday mornings. This atmosphere got me so pumped that it’s hard to not play your hardest.”
Although Juszkiewicz is taking the reps that would otherwise belong to Williams, he is far from alone in the backfield. Sharpe called Brennen Long and Gino Francesconi two of the best running backs in northern Indiana.
Long finished with 21 carries for 144 yards, highlighted by a 16-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.
“He’s a vicious, physical runner,” Sharpe said. “He’s about 200 pounds and change, but he’s a bull in a china shop. His vision as a running back is underrated. He’s improved tremendously. Every time the ball is in his hands, we feel good.”
Francesconi TDs bookended the night. His 1-yard run with 58 seconds left in the second quarter started the scoring, while his 4-yard TD in the fourth sealed the victory for the Slicers (4-3, 2-3).
“He’s a slasher, and he’s good at cutting back,” Sharpe said. “He’s great at changing directions. He’s bigger than he looks, and he packs a punch, too.”
The Slicers lost two fumbles and committed 10 penalties for 120 yards.
The Bulldogs (1-5, 1-3) played without quarterback Artie Equihua, who was in street clothes with an ankle injury.
The Slicers were also short-handed, as Williams (ankle) and linebacker Matt Otwinoski (PCL tear) were sidelined.
Jesse Martin led the Bulldogs with 18 carries for 82 yards. Grayson Lynck, who filled in for Equihua at quarterback, went 8-for-22 for 83 yards before being replaced by Ryan Bolda in the fourth quarter.
The victory snapped a three-game losing streak for LaPorte.
“It’s the victory of our lives,” Sharpe said. “It’s been three agonizing weeks with the losses and injuries. You play the game and coach the game for this exact moment. It feels good that our kids battled adversity; I’m very proud of them.”
Brandon Vickrey is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
