EUREKA — Terance Bills enjoyed his indoctrination into special teams work.
The Lafayette High senior wide receiver and defensive back blocked a field goal in the first half to kick-start the Lancers to a 35-6 win over rival Eureka on Friday in the Battle of Highway 109 at Eureka High.
Lafayette (7-0 overall, 4-0 Suburban Conference Yellow Pool) is off to its fastest start since the 2012 team won its first 12 games.
And the Lancers have Bills and a razor-sharp offensive performance to thank for the one-sided triumph.
"Our goal was to consistently move the ball," Lafayette senior quarterback Brady Micek said.
The Lancers did that thanks to Micek, who ran for three touchdowns and threw for two more in the Suburban Conference Yellow Pool contest.
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Yet the biggest play of the game might have come midway through the second quarter. With Lafayette clinging to a 7-0 lead, Bills broke through the line and blocked a 32-yard field attempt.
Lafayette didn't convert after the block was returned to the Eureka 15-yard line.
Still, the play seemed to set the tone for the rest of the night.
Ironically, this was Bills' first chance on the kick-block team. He normally sits those situations out, but was left on the field in case the Wildcats tried a trick play.
"I just busted through there and blocked the kick, as simple as that," Bills said. "I'm an athlete, that's what do."
Explained Lafayette first-year coach Curt Mueller, "It was huge, changed the momentum of the game."
Micek and the finely tuned offense took over from there.
Lafayette scored the first two times it touched the ball in the second half to take control 28-6.
Junior linebacker Jake Kolb recovered a fumble on the first possession of the third quarter to halt a potential game-tying drive by the hosts.
Micek quickly pounced, hitting Bills on a 61-yard scoring strike for a 21-6 lead.
The Lancers recovered another fumble less than two minutes later. Micek engineered a nifty 10-play, time-consuming 71-yard march that culminated in his 5-yard scoring run. The 14-point blitz in just over six minutes put the Lancers in control.
"We moved the ball all game, honestly," Eureka coach Jacob Sumner. "Eureka was in its own way in a lot of those drives."
Still, the Lancers were near-flawless on offense, especially in the second half.
"From the front five (linemen) to the skill positions, we worked hard to execute," Micek said
Lafayette has put together seven impressive performances. It has outscored its opponents 307-40.
"Maybe we're better than people think," Bills said.
The Lancers are a team on a mission after dropping a 14-13 game to Helias in a Class 5 state semifinal contest last year. They feel they are position to eliminate the memory of that painful setback.
"It's something we're always thinking about," Bills said.
Lafayette marched 80 yards with the opening kickoff. Micek capped off the drive with an 8-yard scoring run.
Eureka (5-2, 2-2) answered with a pair of potential scoring drives. Lafayette senior Tim Washington stopped the first one with an interception. Bills squashed the second one with nifty special teams play.
"We believe in ourselves every single day," Micek said. "Every day in practice we work really hard so we can execute like we did today."
Micek scored on a 2-yard run with 34 seconds left in the first half for a 14-6 lead.
"The kids played very hard," Mueller said. "We played physical up front. For us to hold them to six points is a great job by our defense."
Lafayette 35, Eureka 6

Eureka color guard performs before a football game against Lafayette, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at Eureka High School in Eureka.

Lafayette's Zachary Toben (4) and Terance Bills (3) celebrate a touchdown during a game against Eureka, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at Eureka High School in Eureka.

Lafayette's Zavion Adams (6) and Eureka's Craig Ringe (3) reach for a pass, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at Eureka High School in Eureka.

Lafayette's Zachary Toben (4) carries the ball into the end zone during a game against Eureka, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at Eureka High School in Eureka.

Eureka’s drum major directs the band before a game against Lafayette, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at Eureka High School in Eureka.

Lafayette Head Coach Curt Mueller walks to midfield after a football game against Eureka, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at Eureka High School in Eureka.

An official conducts the coin toss before a game between Eureka and Lafayette, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at Eureka High School in Eureka.

Eureka's Patrick Hutchcraft (28) passes under pressure from Lafayette's Baron James (73), Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at Eureka High School in Eureka.

Lafayette's Brady Micek (7) carries the ball into the end zone during a game against Eureka, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at Eureka High School in Eureka.

Lafayette's Terance Bills (3) reaches for a pass during a game against Eureka, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at Eureka High School in Eureka.

Eureka football enters the field before a game against Lafayette, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at Eureka High School in Eureka.

Eureka's Noah McCollum (55) moves past Lafayette's Baron James (73), Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at Eureka High School in Eureka.

Lafayette's Brady Micek (7) passes during a game against Eureka, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at Eureka High School in Eureka.

Eureka's Craig Ringe (3) carries the ball defended by Lafayette's Tim Washington (1), Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at Eureka High School in Eureka.

Eureka’s spirit squad performs during a game against Lafayette, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at Eureka High School in Eureka.

Eureka's Craig Ringe (3) carries the ball tackled by Lafayette's Chase Roeder (12), Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at Eureka High School in Eureka.

Eureka football enters the field before a game against Lafayette, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at Eureka High School in Eureka.

Eureka's Craig Ringe (3) carries the ball during a game against Lafayette, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at Eureka High School in Eureka.

Lafayette's Brady Micek (7) carries the ball into the end zone during a game against Eureka, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at Eureka High School in Eureka.

Eureka's Garrett Anders (16) completes a pass during a game against Lafayette, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at Eureka High School in Eureka.

Eureka's Levi Fieser (1) carries the ball during a game against Lafayette, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at Eureka High School in Eureka.

Eureka's Patrick Hutchcraft (28) carries the ball defended by Lafayette's Baron James (73), Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at Eureka High School in Eureka.

Eureka's Patrick Hutchcraft (28) passes during a game against Lafayette, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at Eureka High School in Eureka.

Eureka's Curtis Harris (19) carries the ball during a game against Lafayette, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at Eureka High School in Eureka.

Eureka's Blake Sitton (7) falls on a loose football during a game against Lafayette, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at Eureka High School in Eureka.

Lafayette's TJ Bender (36) kicks an extra point held by Zachary Toben (4) during a game against Eureka, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at Eureka High School in Eureka.

Eureka's Blake Sitton (7) takes a snap during a game against Lafayette, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at Eureka High School in Eureka.

Rain falls during a football game against Eureka and Lafayette, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at Eureka High School in Eureka.

Lafayette's Brady Micek (7) carries the ball during a game against Eureka, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at Eureka High School in Eureka.

Lafayette's Brady Micek (7) carries the ball during a game against Eureka, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at Eureka High School in Eureka.

Lafayette's Brady Micek (7) looks to pass during a game against Eureka, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at Eureka High School in Eureka.

Eureka's Curtis Harris (19) carries the ball during a game against Lafayette, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at Eureka High School in Eureka.

Eureka’s stadium during a football game against Lafayette, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at Eureka High School in Eureka.

Lafayette's Zachary Toben (4) carries the ball during a game against Eureka, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at Eureka High School in Eureka.

Eureka's Brandon Webb (20) carries the ball during a game against Lafayette, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at Eureka High School in Eureka.

Lafayette's Zachary Toben (4) reaches for a pass during a game against Eureka, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at Eureka High School in Eureka.

Eureka's Patrick Bradley (31) kicks an extra point during a game against Lafayette, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at Eureka High School in Eureka.

Eureka's Blake Sitton (7) carries the ball during a game against Lafayette, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at Eureka High School in Eureka.

Lafayette's Brady Micek (7) passes during a game against Eureka, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at Eureka High School in Eureka.

Lafayette's TJ Bender (36) kicks off to Eureka, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at Eureka High School in Eureka.

Eureka's Patrick Hutchcraft (28) carries the ball during a game against Lafayette, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at Eureka High School in Eureka.

Lafayette's Tim Washington (1) and Zavion Adams (6) celebrate an interception during a game against Eureka, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at Eureka High School in Eureka.

Lafayette's Brady Micek (7) passes during a game against Eureka, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at Eureka High School in Eureka.

Lafayette's Brady Micek (7) carries the ball during a game against Eureka, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at Eureka High School in Eureka.

Lafayette's Brady Micek (7) carries the ball during a game against Eureka, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at Eureka High School in Eureka.

Lafayette's Brady Micek (7) and Baron James (73) celebrate a touchdown during a game against Eureka, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at Eureka High School in Eureka.

Eureka color guard performs before a football game against Lafayette, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at Eureka High School in Eureka.

Eureka's Patrick Hutchcraft (28) hands the ball off to Brandon Webb (20) during a game against Lafayette, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at Eureka High School in Eureka.

Eureka's Patrick Hutchcraft (28) carries the ball during a game against Lafayette, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at Eureka High School in Eureka.