During their nine game winning streak, the Lake Orion football squad earned victories in a variety of ways. But they had yet to do this.
The streak reached a record-tying 10 last Friday, as Dragons came from 13 points behind at halftime to top visiting Romeo, 24-23, in a district championship game. With the win, the team advances to the regional finals for the third time in four years.
Sean Charette threw two third quarter touchdowns, both in fourth-and-long situations, to help the Dragons eliminate Romeo for the third time since 2005 (by a combined total of six points).
‘If it’s fourth down, third down, second down or first down, we just do what we have to do,? Charette said of the pressure situations. ‘It gets nerves going, for sure, but it’s all about having confidence.?
Lake Orion took an early lead when Charette hit an open Danny Ney, who did the rest going 72 yards to paydirt, four minutes in. They regained it later when Jeff Heath’s 32-yard field goal on the last play of the quarter broke a 7-all tie.
The second quarter, however, was all Romeo. Quarterback Richard Roth hit Kyle Maxwell on a three-yard TD pass. Then Roth ran two yards for his second rushing touchdown of the day. A safety with two seconds left in the half gave Romeo a 23-10 halftime lead.
‘It began with everybody yelling and getting mad at each other,? Charette said of the mood in the locker room. ‘Then we thought to ourselves, ‘we can’t get down, we have to get pumped up.??
Coach Chris Bell said the team stuck to their ‘don’t flinch? motto.
‘We felt like it was our mistakes that were killing us,? he said. ‘It never comes down to one mistake or one guy, there was plenty to go around. So I was happy to see the emotion, we just had to channel it the right way and stay positive and believe.?
‘Coach (Dave) Tooley did a great job with the defense,? Bell added. ‘He told the guys, ‘we’re on our heels a little bit and we need to attack what they’re doing.? The kids came out on that first drive of the second half and we got the momentum back.?
In fact, the Dragons scored on their first two possessions of the second half, going 65 yards on the first drive and 74 on the next.
Jeff Heath caught the first fourth-down TD pass, from 35 yards out, dragging Romeo defenders with him to the end zone.
‘It was nothing more than the quarterback and the wide receiver getting on the same page,? Bell said. ‘Sean put it right there and then it comes down to determination, a senior (Heath) saying, ‘I’m getting into the end zone.??
After Romeo turned it over on downs, Charles Fleck caught a 19-yard TD pass on fourth and long, with the Dragons turning down a possible field goal to try for the lead.
‘We just ran a flood route based on the coverage they were playing and we actually put Charles in for that route,? Bell said.
‘Great blocks, great route, great catch,? Charette summarized, crediting his offensive line most of all. ‘They’ve been great all season. They’ve given me so much and I believe in them.?
With a 24-23 advantage, the defense, led by Kevin Loney’s 11 tackles and Phil Serzo’s 10, did the rest, shutting out a high-powered Bulldog offense in the second half, and holding runningback Ben Brown, who gained 82 yards in the first half, to just 27 after the intermission.
‘The defense is the energy, they get us going,? Bell said.
The coach was glad to have senior co-captains A.J. Gill and Robby Lentz back in the lineup after both missed last week’s playoff opener.
‘When you’ve got that rock-solid character, it shines out here,? he said. ‘When you talk about senior leadership, that’s it. There are no chinks in the armor with those kids.?
The Dragons dodged a bullet when Robert Flinn just missed a 34-yard field goal wide left with 5:12 remaining in the game.
Romeo’s last possession began with just over a minute left, but they never advanced the ball beyond their own 30-yard line, turning it over on downs and sending the home crowd away happy for the final time in 2008.
Lake Orion advances to take on Sterling Heights Stevenson next weekend. Stevenson upended two-time defending state champion Macomb Dakota, 31-28.
Dakota topped LO in the 2005 and 2007 regional finals. Stevenson and Lake Orion last played in 2001 and the all-time series is split at a game apiece.
‘Their quarterback is like Doug Flutie,? Bell said of Stevenson’s Jason Fracassa. ‘He’s thrown for over 3,000 yards this year. They’ve got some great athletes and they like to spread the field.?
‘It’s going to be another wild game,? he added.
The game will take place at Stevenson, located at 39701 Dodge Park, with kickoff set for 7 p.m. on Friday.
Game Notes
*Charette completed only four passes on the night, finishing with a line of 4-11, 140 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.
*Kim Bruce led the ground attack with 89 yards on 16 carries. Ney finished with 133 yards from scrimmage on just six touches.
*Romeo finished with more total yards (358-353), more first downs (20-14), fewer penalties (2-for-20 yards compared to 7-for-67 yards) and committed fewer turnovers (two compared to LO’s four).
*The winner of LO/Stevenson regional will take on the winner of Detroit Southeastern at Dearborn Fordson regional. All semifinal games will be played on Saturday, Nov. 22, with the state finals in Division 1 slated for 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 29.
*Lake Orion’s 10-game winning streak ties the school record for a single season streak and wins in a season, a feat most recently accomplished in 2006. The team