Rochester Adams scored the go-ahead touchdown in the final seconds of the first half and went on for a 21-7 victory over Lake Orion last Friday night at Dragon Stadium.
‘We did some good things, but we shot ourselves in the foot at times,? Dragon Coach Chris Bell said. ‘They’re great at what they do, and you can’t make mistakes against these guys.?
The Dragons tied the game at seven with 54 seconds left in the half on a short Cortez McKinley run. But after a pair of penalties and a 40-yard return by Josh Renel, Adams was in prime position to strike back.
Renel scored on a seven-yard run with six seconds left on the clock to take momentum back from the Dragons.
‘That may have been the most important minute of the game,? Adams Coach Tony Patritto said. ‘Our offense did a pretty good job of executing the two-minute drill. That was a huge momentum swing.?
Bell agreed with that assessment.
‘There were two causes there,? Bell said. ‘I left too much time on the clock and we’ve got to come up with a stop in that situation.?
Adams scored on the first play from scrimmage in the second half on a 66-yard Andrew Waszak to Braden Conner connection to account for the final score.
The Dragons moved the ball with some success late in the third quarter, but eventually turned the ball over on downs deep in Adams? territory. Adams then went on a drive that consumed nearly 10 minutes of the fourth quarter, effectively ending any comeback hopes for LO.
‘They made one play in the second half,? Bell noted. ‘Both teams drove the football well, the defenses just stiffened up. But my kids played hard and we’ve got a young defense that’s growing up.?
As first announced at www.lakeorionreview.com, Ryan Broth played the entire game at quarterback for LO, completing 7-of-20 passing attempts for 65 yards and running for another 46 on 11 carries.
Dragon starter Chris Lum broke his arm versus Troy on Aug. 30 and was replaced by sophomore Derek Coe for the second half of that game. But Broth, a senior receiver who had played the QB position as recently as his sophomore year, took a majority of snaps in practice leading up to the Adams game.
‘This is something that he wanted to do,? Bell said of Broth. ‘The kid is an athlete and a competitor. He was fired up about it.?
‘Right now, Ryan, being a senior and having been in these situations, gives us a better chance,? the coach added. ‘We’re still developing Derek. He’s still ready to go, but we’re trying to bring him along a little more before we turn him loose.?
A.J. Palko added 50 yards on 11 carries for the Dragons, while Ranel had 62 yards rushing at two scores for Adams.
Patritto said the loss of Dragon All-Stater Lum did not affect his team’s preparation during the week, and his squad came in motivated to avenge a 42-21 loss at Dragon Stadium last year.
‘This is Lake Orion. They were ranked in the top-10 for a reason,? he said. ‘They have Division I players. They’re always well supported by their community. This is a tough place to win.?
Adams improved to 3-0, while Lake Orion fell to 1-2 overall with the loss. They will play host to Lahser on Friday.
Check out lakeorionreview.com on Friday for a game-day preview with Coach Bell.
Game Notes?
*The game marked the second time in as many home games that the start was delayed due to threatening weather, though this delay was much shorter.
*Defensive back Brock Knowles led the Dragon defense with 11 tackles and one interception. Jeff Heath added 10 tackles and, in his first varsity game, sophomore Cane Hayes recorded nine tackles and deflected a pass.