BY NORM MCKEE
Special to The Review
Lake Orion’s varsity football team traveled to Eastern Michigan University on Aug. 27 to face league rival Troy in the inaugural Comcast Big Game Day.
The game was one of four broadcast by Comcast, marking the start of the 2005 high school season.
The Dragons jumped out to a 28-0 halftime lead, with the Colts only score coming on a 23-yard fumble recovery, early in the third period.
With the early lead, Lake Orion head coach Chris Bell was able to get nearly all of his 75 players valuable playing time.
The Dragons opened the scoring late in the first period, when quarterback Brad Hood hit tight-end Nate Mahoney for a two-yard touchdown pass.
Dylan VanFossen, who was a perfect 5-for-5 on the afternoon, kicked the extra point for a 7-0 first quarter Dragon lead.
Lake Orion scored three times in the second period on an eight-yard Aaron Allen-run, a one-yard run by Andy Miller, and a 23-yard scoring pass from backup quarterback Chris Lum to Joe Nowicki.
On just their second play from scrimmage to open the second half, the Dragons fumbled on their own 23-yard line, with the ball taking a Colt-bounce into the arms of a Troy defender.
The Colts returned the fumble for their only score, just 58 seconds into the third quarter.
Their extra point failed, leaving Lake Orion with a 28-6 advantage.
On their ensuing possession, the Dragons put together an 80-yard drive, capped by a Hood-to-David Wurst nine-yard scoring pass, and a 35-6 advantage.
The Orion defense held the Colts in check all afternoon, led by Josh Allison with eight tackles and two quarterback sacks.
Nick Dunstan and Troy Anderlie both picked up seven tackles for the team.
On the afternoon, Hood completed four of eight passes, for 49 yards and two scores. Lum completed one pass for 23 yards and a score.
Nowicki led Lake Orion receivers with two catches for 39 yards, and Wurst caught two passes for 25 yards. Mahoney hauled in one pass for an eight-yard TD.
Allen, selected by Comcast sportscasters as the Player of the Game, ran for 133 yards on seven carries, and a score.
Miller was the Dragons? workhorse, gaining 102 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. Nowicki ran six times for 28 yards and Cody Vettraino carried four times for 21 yards.