This was more like it.
Batavia started the season with a three-game road trip due to stadium remodeling, and the Bulldogs were saddled with back-to-back losses to ranked teams.
That had junior quarterback Ryan Boe more than ready for Friday’s homecoming game.
“We all thought we’re better than we’ve shown,” Boe said. “We just wanted to take this game and show the record doesn’t reflect how we are as a team — we’re better than that.
“I think we wanted to use this as a statement game.”
Boe has played well this season, but he was even better against Lake Park.
He completed 10 of 13 passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns and also scored on a 50-yard run to lead the Bulldogs to a 42-0 DuKane Conference rout.
His statement may be the best is yet to come for Batavia (2-2, 1-1).
The Bulldogs clicked against an aggressive defense for the Lancers (1-3, 1-1), who were coming off a 24-0 shutout of their own against St. Charles East.
“As long as we get the win, that’s the important thing,” Boe said. “But accuracy is the biggest thing to me.”
This season, Boe has completed 64% of his passes, going 40 of 63.
“Coming into this game, it felt like things weren’t fully coming together,” Batavia offensive coordinator Sean Anderson said. “I think we saw we could move when we’re getting blocks and guys are doing their jobs.
“Lake Park had some pretty good players we had to prepare for, and we had to be disciplined.”
Batavia, which set the tone with an opening defensive stop, scored on its first three possessions.
Ryan Whitwell had TD runs of 4 and 41 yards sandwiched around Boe’s long TD.
“It was just a bunch of good blocks,” Boe said. “And our guy on the jet sweep really sold the fake. After all those blocks, there was a lot of green grass in front of me.”
Whitwell, who finished with 163 yards rushing, capped the scoring in the opening minute of the fourth quarter with a 47-yard TD to start a running clock.
In between, the Boe-led passing game and Batavia’s defense stood out.
Twice, the Bulldogs stopped Lake Park drives on downs with big stops from linebacker Tyler Jansey, a Wisconsin recruit, and defensive lineman JP Chaney.
In the second quarter, Grant Wardynski recovered a fumble and Drake Ostrander delivered his third interception of the season in the end zone.
Boe was sacked four times, however, with three in the third quarter when both teams struggled.
“Some of those were on me,” Boe said. “I don’t know why. I couldn’t really pull the trigger on some of them.”
He did on some others, though, and got a boost from running back Charlie Whelpley and wide receivers Luke Alwin and Kyle Ambrose.
Whelpley produced five receptions for 98 yards, including an 18-yard TD.
Alwin kept a drive alive with a leaping, juggling catch while staying in bounds in front of Lake Park’s bench.
“I was trying to throw that ball away,” Boe said. “And he just went up and grabbed it.”
The 6-foot-5 Ambrose came up with a similar effort on a fade route to the corner of the end zone from 4 yards out.
“He threw a strike,” Ambrose said of Boe. “It was a toe-tapper in the corner. My first start, my first touchdown. It was awesome. I’m a tall guy catching tall balls.”
Batavia coach Dennis Piron concentrated on the sacks afterward. He doesn’t like seeing his quarterback get hit.
“What I want him to do is get rid of the ball and throw it away,” Piron said of Boe. “You’re allowed to do that now. I don’t want him to take that punishment..”
