LAKEVILLE - The way 3A #12 Knox and 2A #3 LaVille were battling throughout Friday's Hoosier North Athletic Conference showdown, one would expect the game to come down to the final play on the final possession. Trailing 21-13 with three seconds left in the fourth quarter, Lancer quarterback Lucas Plummer and the LHS offense were in position to for a touchdown. The lead was eight points for the Redskins and Plummer had just orchestrated the two-minute offense to get the ball inside the Knox red zone. Plummer dropped back to pass and was looking to the end zone for Collin Czarnecki, but the Lancer junior receiver was double covered.  Then as the LaVille senior signal-caller turned to find another receiver, he was sacked by Knox junior Jake Conroy to end the game and send the Redskins to the top of the HNAC standings with a 21-13 win over LaVille at Lancer Field. "We were spreading the field to allow for single coverage and we wanted to get the ball to Czarnecki in the corner of the end zone," LaVille coach Jeff Kaiser said of the final play.  "Knox played it well by running a twist blitz off the edge that prevented us getting the ball off." It was the only blitz Knox called on defense and came at a crucial time. Heading into the battle for the conference lead, LaVille started the night at 4-0, while Knox was also unbeaten in HNAC play at 3-0.  It was also the third state-ranked opponent for the Lancers in the last five games and second for KHS. "I felt our guys battled for 48 minutes and showed tremendous fight throughout the game against a very solid Knox team," said Kaiser. "Defensively we mixed things up, which isn't an easy task against the type of offense Knox runs, some guys were playing somewhat different positions and/or different responsibilities than normal to slow them down. Our guys continued to mix it up and get the stop when needed to give us a shot to win at the end." Both teams entered the game among the top defensive teams in the state, and showed that for much of the night.  The teams played to a scoreless tie at the end of one quarter, while Knox took a 13-6 lead into the halftime locker room. Knox played its very typical ground and pound offense and came up with a dynamic one-two punch from the backfield. Conroy finished with 158 yards on 22 carries, while Myles McLaughlin had 109 on 23. "They were every bit the ball carriers that we saw on film," Kaiser said of the Redskin tandem.  "In person they are the real deal and compliment each other so well and will not go down easy.  They are two really good RB's that will continue having success this season." Plummer helped the LaVille offense with his legs and his arm.  The 6'3" senior finished with 104 yards on the ground and went 15 of 28 for 165 yards through the air, one touchdown and two interceptions. While Knox attempted just one pass on the night, LaVille did a fine job defending the aerial attack late in fourth quarter to set up the Lancer two-minute drill. "We practice our two minute offense a few times each week for these hurry up situations," said Kaiser.  "By doing this, it allows our guys to keep their composure and know the situation and what they need to do on each play.  Clock management and lining up right to prevent any pre-snap penalties is very crucial.   We ran it very well, but unfortunately came up short." With senior tight end Michael Good out due to injury, Xavian Lafave and Czarnecki stepped in as primary targets for Plummer.   Lafave caught seven passes for 65 yards. Czarnecki, who did not have a catch in the first half, closed the game with four receptions for 43 yards. "We found out that we can and will go toe to toe with good teams and not back down," Kaiser said when asked about what he learned about his team during the game.  "We could have folded up and just rode time out when Knox was on their final drive but the guys dug in and got the stop we needed to put us in a position to win.  Once we got the ball we kept our composure and allowed us to get in a position to win.  This ball team has a ton of heart and pride in what they do.  When you have that kind of fight good things will happen." Though LaVille came up short on this night, Kaiser felt the big-game atmosphere will only help his team moving forward. "The atmosphere and feel was tremendous!" explained Kaiser.  "Lancer Nation came out to support our team (Loud & Proud)  and definitely helped keep the energy level up until the end.  These are the types of games that you talk about during your summer workouts in the summer heat when players ask themselves (WHY).  Our program appreciates all the support to this point in the season and looks to have more exciting games the rest of the season and into the playoffs.     As we move forward, this type of noise and feel never hurts a team be motivated week in and week out."  Knox improves to 6-0 overall and moves into first place in the HNAC standings, plays at Pioneer September 29. LaVille (5-1 / 4-1) steps out of conference play to renew its rivalry with John Glenn (4-2), also on September 29 KNOX 21, LAVILLE 13 At Lancer Field, Lakeville, IN Score By Quarters Knox 0 13 8 0 - 21 LaVille 0 6 7 0 - 13 Scoring Summary K - Myles McLaughlin 1 run; Jake Conroy kick L - Josiah Ciesielski 8 pass from Lucas Plummer; run failed K - McLaughlin 2 run; run failed L - Cody Allen 1 run; Plummer kick K - Conroy 33 run; Rowen Jordan run                                        Knox           LaVille First Downs                    15                  19 Rushing Yards              270                115 Comp-Att-Int              0-1-0           15-28-2 Passing Yards.                 0                  165 Fumbles-Lost                1-1                 0-0 Punts-Avg                     1-34       1-(minus) 10 Penalties-Yards           11-90              4-21