After a split in the underclassmen football in Lake Orion the night prior, Clarkston Wolves fans were ready to see their undefeated varsity squad take down cross-town rival Dragons in the rubber match on Oct. 20.
Expected was a smash-up between the only two teams yet to lose in the Oakland Activities Association Division I, with Lake Orion ranked first in the state in Division I football, and the Wolves no. 3. The game that took place was a bit different, as the Dragons dominated and retained an unblemished record with a 32-8 victory.
Lake Orion stopped the Wolves? rushing game, a force for them all season, especially as of late.
‘That’s key, that’s where it starts, our guys did a great job,? Lake Orion Coach Chris Bell said.
In place, Lake Orion running back Aaron Allen was dominant from the Dragons? backfield, rushing for 136 of a team total 178 yards, on 19 carries.
‘We felt we could do the job running the ball and Aaron did the job,? Bell said.
‘I waited and was patient, I knew something would happen’it’s all on the O (offensive)-line,? Allen said.
Lake Orion started the scoreboard’s digits moving midway through the first quarter, after a Clarkston turnover.
On the first drive of the game, Wolves quarterback Eric Ogg fumbled the football after taking the snap. Dragons linebacker Zak Clouse recovered the ball at the Lake Orion 43-yard line. Quarterback Chris Lum found receiver David Wurst over the middle of the field for a 26-yard touchdown pass at 6:48 in the first quarter, giving the Dragons a 7-0 lead.
After the Wolves punted away their next possession, the Dragons moved the ball 77 yards in 10 plays, capped by a Cody Vettraino three-yard rush for the score with 11:26 remaining in the second quarter.
The Dragons added a Dylan Van Fossen 41-yard field goal on their next drive for a 16-0 lead.
The Wolves began to move the ball on the ensuing possession, but Joe Barnes stepped in front of Ogg’s pass near midfield and made the interception, running the ball back for a touchdown. A two-point conversion gave the Dragons a 24-0 lead, which they would take into halftime.
At that point, the Dragons? shutout half seemed to drain the energy of the passionate sellout crowd. Clarkston High School expected more than 8,000 fans for the match-up of the unbeaten. Parking lots were filled to capacity and more and several hundred fans were left along the perimeter of the stadium in the standing-room only crowd.
Clarkston came out of the half with its best drive of the game, scoring on a fourth down conversion when Ogg found receiver Kevin Badgley over the middle for a 25-yard score with 9:20 left in the third quarter. Ogg found him again for the two-point conversion, putting the Wolves on the board behind Lake Orion, 24-8.
The Dragons added their final tally as the quarter came to a close, on a nine-yard rush from Vettraino, his second touchdown of the game.
Clarkston Coach Kurt Richardson said the Dragons beat the Wolves in every asset of the game.
‘They were effective on everything. Their passing game was outstanding, their running game was outstanding, they’re a very good football team, but we’ll bounce back.?
The Dragons? victory makes them 9-0 for the first season since 1989 and gives them the outright Oakland Activities Association Division I championship
On Oct. 27, the Wolves (8-1) face the Romeo Bulldogs (7-2) at home and the Dragons will face Waterford Mott (6-3) at Lake Orion.