By Joe St. Henry
Review Special Writer
Lightning struck when Lake Orion’s weather-suspended football game resumed Saturday afternoon.
Nobody was hurt, other than the Troy Athens? defense, as senior running back Matt Krause sparked the Dragons with another impressive performance, rushing for 335 yards and four touchdowns in the 35-22 victory for Lake Orion.
‘We started a little slow on both sides of the ball, but weathered the storm ? both the bad weather and our sluggish play – and dominated the game on Saturday,? said Coach Chris Bell. ‘We’re starting to play like we thought we would going into the season.?
Ominous clouds rolled in when the Dragons and Red Hawks began their game on Friday night. The contest was suspended with seconds left in the first quarter as lightning crisscrossed the sky and Troy Athens leading 7-0. Bell said the referees warned them that they would be lucky to get the first quarter completed before the storm hit and they were right.
‘It actually worked in our favor,? he said. ‘We kinda had two halftimes to make adjustments.?
When the game resumed under sunny skies the next day, Lake Orion played better. The Dragons marched down the field and capped a 60-yard drive with sophomore receiver Keith Fields? nine-yard scamper into the end zone, tying the game 7-7 in the second quarter.
The Dragon defense then forced a change-in-possession and it only took Lake Orion four plays to take the lead, 14-7, when Krause broke free for a 70-yard touchdown run.
Going into game, Bell was concerned with Troy Athens? passing game. The Red Hawks showed why on their next series, when they marched 80-yards ? 65 through the air – and tied the game at 14 a piece with three minutes to go before the half.
Just as Lake Orion appeared to regain control of the game on their ensuing possession, the Dragons fumbled and lost the ball at the Red Hawks five-yard line.
‘The game was tied, but our offense was dominating,? Bell said. ‘We just had to clean up some things and finish our drives. Defensively, we gave up a couple long passes, but overall we were shutting them down.?
Whatever was said in the locker room at the break seemed to further ignite the Dragons? intensity. Lake Orion stopped two Troy Athens drives during the second half to take control of the game. After forcing a Red Hawks punt to start the third quarter, Krause took his team’s second offensive play from scrimmage 75 yards for a touchdown to give the Dragons? a 21-14 advantage.
On their next possession, the Red Hawks turned the ball over on downs deep in Lake Orion territory. The Dragons moved down the field again, capped by another Krause touchdown run covering 26 yards, to up the lead to 28-14. He added a 28-yard touchdown with six minutes left, to put Lake Orion well ahead 35-14. Troy Athens scored with 18 seconds to going, making the final score 35-22.
Over the first two games of the season, Krause has rushed for 742 yards and eight scores.
‘Matt continues to pile up the yards, but it’s really a team effort,? Bell said. ‘Our line is doing a great job providing him with running lanes. To his credit, Matt recognizes a lot of his teammates are working on his behalf.?
Bell also said Lake Orion’s offensive line did a nice job reducing penalties.
‘We challenged them during practice to keep their hands inside and instead block with their feet,? he said. ‘They responded and are playing like we thought they would.?
The Dragons? second-half surge also was led by the strong play of junior receiver/defensive back Jaylen Wiggins and senior Zach Serzo, who both caught key passes. Serzo also ran the ball for 44 yards.
Leading up to the game, the Dragons? defensive line coaches emphasized the importance of a strong pass rush to disrupt the Red Hawks? strong quarterback. They kept him in check with only one touchdown throw.
Lake Orion brings its 1-1 record (1-0 OAA Red) home this week for a matchup against winless Troy High School. Bell said the Colts? record is deceiving.
‘They have talent, one of the better coaches in the league and always play us tough,? the coach said. ‘We were tied with them at the half last year, before pulling away.?