The last time Lake Orion saw a top-five team, a 17-7 loss to Rockford to open the season, their offense struggled.
That’s putting it lightly.
Fast forward to week eight and there was nothing light about the Dragons in a 34-28 victory at Rochester Adams.
The defense forced three key turnovers and held the Highlanders to just seven points after halftime. Meanwhile, the Lake Orion ground game could not be stopped, running for 380 of the team’s 457 total yards.
The catalyst was junior Kim Bruce, who ran for 258 yards on 22 carries, including a 65-yard touchdown run one play after Adams had taken their only lead of the game.
‘It was just a trap play,? Coach Chris Bell said. ‘Every time Kim touches it he wants the end zone. He broke some tackles and he runs with great vision. And that play was huge, it gave us momentum right back.?
That score tied the game at 21, and the Dragons took control in the second half on a pair of Mikael Lott touchdowns.
The scoring opened with a 15-yard Bruce touchdown run three minutes in. The teams traded touchdowns on their next few possessions.
Adams? Cody Wilson, who had 233 yards from scrimmage on the night, scored on a seven-yard run three minutes later.
The Dragons went ahead late in the first quarter, when Charles Fleck caught his first-ever touchdown pass, a 14-yard grab in the corner of the endzone.
But Adams? quarterback Andrew Waszak tied things up again on a seven-yard scamper of his own early in the third.
After Lake Orion turned it over on downs on their next possession, Adams? Beau Barterian went 33-yards for a touchdown and a 21-14 lead, setting up Bruce’s big run on the next play from scrimmage.
Both teams had chances late in the half. Adams was unable to capitalize on a muffed punt, when Robby Lentz came up with the first of his two interceptions. Then the Dragons ran out of time, with the help from a timekeeping error on the field.
After the break, Lott’s first touchdown came on a 15-yard catch at the goal line from Sean Charette.
Meanwhile, Adams? first four possessions of the half resulted in a punt, a turnover on downs, a fumble and an interception. Five plays after the fumble, recovered by Kevin Loney, Lott went 45-yards for yet another score, putting them up 34-21.
‘I was just looking for the opening and I found it,? Lott said. ‘My line was doing great tonight and once I hit it I got a great block by Kim Bruce that set me free for the end zone.?
‘The defense was expecting the jet (around the outside), with our motion, and then it’s a surprise up the middle,? he added.
On Adams? next possession, when Lentz returned his second interception 78 yards deep into Adams? territory, it looked like the Dragons were set to put the game away. But Jeff Heath’s 14-yard field goal attempt was blocked, giving the hosts some late life.
Barterian capped a 56-second drive with a 29-yard run, cutting the LO lead to six.
A.J. Gill recovered the ensuing onside kick for the Dragons, and Lake Orion strung together a couple of first downs to run out the clock. The key play was Charette hitting Jeff Heath for 16 yards on fourth down.
‘Sean, as a freshman, has incredible poise and sees everything that’s going on out there,? Bell said. ‘But he’s not a young guy anymore. He’s had seven games to get his feet wet.?
It was the first game that Charette played from start to finish, and the first game of the season that came down to the final possession.
‘We run that play whenever we can and it just happened to be fourth down,? Charette said, downplaying its importance. ‘We dropped a few but we pulled it together at the end.?
‘We put it in his lap,? Bell added. ‘We knew if he completes that pass, it’s game over.?
Charette and Bell both said the key to the victory started with the running game and on the defensive end.
‘We were able to run the ball,? Bell said. ‘We were physical up front and the backs attacked the line of scrimmage.?
‘The difference was the adjustments we made at halftime to hold them to seven points in the second half,? he added. ‘The difference was just our kids playing hard for four quarters. We were up 13 with four minutes to play and it was still a scary situation.?
Adams? 28 points was the most Lake Orion has given up all season, but they made key plays when it counted.
‘Our defense just really stepped it up in that second half,? Lentz said. ‘We just weren’t stopping that reverse with Cody Wilson. It was just a matter of assignment football.?
The victory brings Lake Orion’s record to 7-1 overall.
‘We’ve still got some young guys,? Bell said. ‘A win like this, it validates them and everything they’re doing.?
LO (still 6-0 in league action) can win the outright OAA Red title next week against visiting Clarkston, but that’s not all that’s on the line.
‘Obviously, we want sole possession of the league championship,? Bell said. ‘It’s a great rivalry. It’s Orion/Clarkston, it doesn’t matter what’s at stake. We know if we win that thing, we’re looking at a couple, hopefully three home games (in the playoffs) if we can stay alive.?
Clarkston’s victory Friday over Farmington Hills Harrison ensures the Wolves a playoff spot, and it’s likely the Lake Orion could see Clarkston again in the postseason, which has happened the past two years (and the winner of the first match-up lost the second both times).
‘It does seem like the team that wins the first one is at the disadvantage in the second one,? Bell said. ‘But you just have to do what you do.?