With Friday’s Oakland Activities Association Red Division title game looming, it might have been easy for the Lake Orion Dragons to look past Rochester Adams.
Sean Charette and Zach Zott made sure that didn’t happen.
Zott soared high in the air to snag a 9-yard touchdown pass from Charette, then got both feet down in bounds to break a 13-13 tie and propel the Dragons to a 23-13 win over the Highlanders. Lake Orion now travels to Clarkston Friday for the OAA showdown with the Wolves.
‘It was a great game for both teams as we get ready for the playoffs,? Lake Orion coach Chris Bell said. ‘My kids played hard and played for 48 minutes. They battled to the end and won the game with a great fourth-quarter effort.?
The teams traded touchdowns to start the scoring ? Orion scoring on a 2-yard run by Kim Bruce, Adams getting on the board with a 2-yard run by Marc Benacquisto. Lake Orion took advantage when Adams fumbled a Dragons punt and got a Kyle Searle field goal.
John Hill caused and recovered an Adams fumble (one of three he recovered). Charette hit Alex Mayo (four catches, 57 yards) for 18 yards on the next play, but the Dragons eventually had to settle for a second Searle field goal to give Lake Orion a 13-7 halftime lead.
After Lake Orion was forced to punt on its first possession of the second half, the Highlanders used a 59-yard drive to tie the game on quarterback Andy Hammet’s 1-yard sneak. Adams would have taken the lead, but Orion’s Vinnie Booker blocked the extra point, leaving the score knotted 13-13.
Booker blocked a field goal on Adams? next drive, and Charette put together a 96-yard drive, capped by the Charette-to-Zott hookup, to take control.
Charette found Danny Ney and Alex Mayo on separate third-down plays, both good for 15 yards, to keep the drive alive before finding Zott on the 9-yard scoring toss into the corner of the end zone.
On Adams? next possession, Orion’s Phil Serzo caused a fumble that Hill recovered on the Adams 26. Lake Orion settled for another Searle field goal with 1:39 to play to make it 23-13.
Bruce rushed for 68 yards on 19 carries, while Charette finished 9-of-16 passing for 110 yards.
Kayne Hayes led the defense with 12 tackles, while Booker added eight tackles to his two blocked kicks. Serzo caused a pair of turnovers and chipped in eight tackles.
The Highlanders had 232 yards of offense, 209 of it with their methodical veer offense. Lake Orion was more balanced, getting 146 yards rushing and 110 passing out of its no-huddle offense.
Now the Dragons get ready for the Wolves, whom Orion could play not only this week, but in the first round of the playoffs.
‘We’re expecting another great four-quarter game,? Bell said. ‘Over the last 11 years, we have had some classics with them and this sets up to be another one. The winner of this one wins the league title and will have a great shot at hosting home games in the playoffs.?