Lake Orion defensive back Bobby Clouse is not an imposing football player, unless you happen to be an OAA quarterback or receiver.
Clouse, with three interceptions heading into the Lake Orion varsity football team’s Oct. 1 showdown with Birmingham Groves, picked off a third quarter Groves? pass, sparking Orion to 21 unanswered points and a 34-13 OAA-I win.
The Falcons took the opening kickoff and put together a five-minute drive, capped by a one-yard plunge by quarterback Norm Yono.
The Dragons came right back to tie the game at seven, on a 14-yard scoring pass from quarterback Brad Hood to tightend Brian Hewitt, and an extra point by Alan Ford.
Lake Orion managed to stall the Falcons? next drive in the red zone, forcing Groves to settle for a 23-yard field goal.
With three minutes remaining in the half, Hood connected with Ryan Allison for a 22-yard scoring strike and a 13-10 Dragon lead. Groves tied the game at 13, heading into intermission, on a 32-yard field goal as time expired.
With the Falcons marching early in the third quarter, Clouse picked off a pass, tipped by a Groves receiver, setting up a Dragon scoring drive that ended on a eight-yard Hood-to-Allison pass in the corner of the endzone.
Ford’s extra point put Orion up for good, 20-13.
With 10 minutes remaining in the contest, Hood again found Allison for a 35-yard touchdown. Four minutes later, Hood connected with Hewitt for Orion’s final score.
Defensively, the Dragons shutdown the Falcons high-scoring offense in the second half. Josh Allison led the Dragons with nine solo tackles; Clouse had eight tackles and an interception, while Joe Nowicki also had an interception for the Dragons.
Chase Goff, Shaun Vernon and Brad Neary teamed up for Orion to stuff the Falcons running game in the second half.
Hood finished the night 18 of 33 for 273 yards and five touchdowns. Allison had 12 catches for 180 yards and three touchdowns, while Hewitt finished with three catches for 44 yards and two scores.Ryan Kelly hauled in three passes for 49 yards.
Jayson Bodo led the Dragons? rushing with 41 yards on 18 carries, and Brad Morrison picked up 22 yards on three attempts.
Andy Miller, Oakland County’s second leading rusher heading into the game (with 560 yards), suffered a slight ankle sprain in the first quarter, after carrying three times for 21 yards.Miller is expected to return for Friday’s Homecoming showdown with Farmington Hills Harrison.
With four of the required six wins necessary for an automatic invitation to the state playoffs, the Dragons must now win two of their remaining three games.Up next for Lake Orion is an Oct. 8 date with Harrison at Dragon Stadium. After Harrison, the Dragons must face Troy Athens, currently on a four-game winning streak, and Clarkston (5-1), currently tied with Orion for second in OAA-I.
Lake Orion’s junior varsity and freshmen squads both improved their records to 5-1 with victories over Groves on Sept. 30.