Overland 28, Lakewood 14

LAKEWOOD – Homecoming 2009 for the Lakewood Tigers will be remembered for big hits, big plays, big penalties and lost opportunities.

The game started badly for the Tigers and didn’t get better until deep into the second half.

After three-and-out on its first possession, Lakewood pinned the Blazers on their own 27. But four plays later sophomore quarterback Ky Rodriquez, playing at a mere 160 pounds and a generous listed height of 5-foot-9, found senior workhorse Valonte Riley in the open for a 49-yard strike. The botched extra point left Overland with a 6-0 lead with 8:11 left to play in the first.

On Lakewood’s second possession the Tigers seemed adept at moving the ball backward. The drive started on the Tiger 36 and stalled with fourth-and-30 at the 16.

The Blazers took over at the Lakewood 44. After a holding penalty, the Blazers faced third and 22 from their own 40. Rodriquez’ pass was intended for Riley but intercepted by junior linebacker Keenan Collins.

Lakewood’s first play from scrimmage was a botched affair that saw the ball pop loose. An alert Joey Villano plopped on it at the 15, leaving Lakewood with a second-and-24. Two plays later they were punting.

The Tigers got the ball back just three plays later when Rodriquez’s pitch to Reggie Love was mis-played and senior linebacker/quarterback Joe Hemschoot scooped it up at the Blazer 34. A third-and-4 at the 30 set up one of the game’s highlight plays for Lakewood. Hemschoot stood in the pocket and fired a rocket to Collins, who tipped the ball with one hand and pulled it in with the other. He bulled his way to the three before being pulled down.

On first and goal from the three the Tigers fumbled. They retained possession but were pushed back to the five. On second down, Hemschoot changed the play at the line.

“Our QB audibled into a different play,” Lakewood coach Mark Robinson said. “We have to make sure we have it open when we audible in those situations. He’s a smart kid that we just moved to quarterback this summer. He’s smart and he’s going to get smarter.”

This time, though, Hemschoot lobbed the ball to the left corner of the end zone and Overland sophomore Chaz Butler picked it off.

The miscue didn’t hurt the Tigers. Six plays later the Blazers were giving it right back when sophomore tight end Keith Chiles fumbled and reception and sophomore cornerback Robert Condon recovered. Two plays later Hemschoot threw another interception, a direct strike to senior linebacker Nick Sampson. This time, the miscue cost the Tigers.

Facing third-and-9 from the Tiger 27, Rodriquez, running the Veer offense, handed off to senior Michael Hall. Hall cut once to his left and the back to his right and raced untouched the 27 yards into the end zone. The try for two attempt was successful and Overland led 14-0 with 6:56 left in the half.

Lakewood then put together its best drive of the half, going 53 yards in 14 plays and consuming more than five minutes off the clock. Unfortunately, the drive stalled at the nine when, on fourth-and-4 the Tigers went for it and failed to complete the pass.

“We made too many mistakes,” Robinson said. “We need to build on the things we started doing in the second half.”

Lakewood’s defense stiffened a bit to start the second half. The Tigers held the Blazers to just 14 yards on their first possession and forced them to punt from their own 34. The Tiger drive couldn’t get farther downfield than the Tiger 49 before they had to punt.

On the very next play Hall scooted up the middle and took 13 seconds off the clock in running the 67 yards to pay dirt. A successful PAT left the Tigers in a 21-0 hole with 7:22 to go in the third quarter.

“We didn’t fold. If they (Tiger players) are willing to fight, we’re going to hang in there,” Robinson said.

The Tigers definitely didn’t fold. They marked 80 yards in 14 plays. During the drive the Tigers successfully converted on two fourth down opportunities. The first, a fourth-and-2 from midfield, was converted when Hemschoot found senior Caleb McGraw for a 9-yard gain. The second came with Lakewood facing fourth-and-17 from its 30. Hemschoot looked for junior Tim Zott in the end zone. Zott, double covered, leaped over Butler and 6-foot-2 Daveon Douglas to pull down the touchdown. With the PAT the Tigers were finally on the board, down 21-7.

Overland fumbled on its next possession after just three plays and Lakewood had another opportunity at the Blazer 35 with 11:52 to go in the game. Hemschoot found senior Zeb Kimball down the left side for a big gain that was aided by a dead ball foul. The catch and penalty left Lakewood with first and goal from the 4.Senior David Tucker got the call and ducked behind a surging offensive line that more resembled a rugby scrum as it pushed its way into the end zone. The extra point left Lakewood full of optimism, down just 21-14.

“We played tough in the second half,” Robinson said. “We didn’t give up. A couple of plays and we might have had a different outcome.”

Overland controlled the ball for the next three minutes and looked to be about to put the game away. With first-and-5 at the Tiger 14, Love got the call up the middle. The junior pushed his way to just shy of the goal line when the ball popped out. It rolled all the way to the back of the end zone before sophomore Antonio Johnson pounced on it for Lakewood.

With 8:07 to play the Tigers had new life and momentum. On second-and-10 from the 40, however, Hemschoot’s pass was deflected into the hands of senior Daveon Douglass and Lakewood’s hope all but faded.

The Blazers put together a 12-play, 58-yard drive that ended when Rodriquez kept the ball up the middle and scored from the five with just 1:13 left to play. The PAT set the score at its final tally, 28-14.

On the ensuing kickoff the crowd held its collective breath as sophomore Zach Vallejos suffered a tremendous hit and stayed down on the grass. Officials said it appeared Vallejos was fine, but he was taken from the field on a back brace and then taken by ambulance to St. Anthony’s to be checked out.

The loss drops the Tigers to 1-1. Overland goes to 2-0 with the victory.