Lake Orion wore out a tough Royal Oak Kimball defense, to pull away in the second quarter and earn a 34-3 OAA crossover win in varsity football on Sept. 5.
Seven different Dragons carried the ball that night, with four of them scoring. Meanwhile, the Dragon defense held Kimball’s offense in check, allowing only a 34-yard Mike Raab field goal late in the third quarter.
A confident Kimball, coming off of a 41-0 victory over rival Dondero, held Lake Orion scoreless until, with 7:48 left in the second quarter, senior running back Roger Allison powered in front from two yards out. Six minutes later, senior tight end Brian Hewitt hauled in a 20-yard Nate Recknagel pass for another Lake Orion score. Recknagel’s two extra point kicks gave Lake Orion a 14-0 halftime lead.
In the second half, the Dragon offense was the recipient of excellent field position, courtesy of aggressive defensive play. Lake Orion went on to score three more times, in addition to a 50-plus yard run by Allison for a touchdown, which was called back for holding.
Lake Orion’s first score in the third quarter came with 5:48 remaining, on a 14-yard run by Chase Moore, giving the Dragons a 20-0 advantage. With 2:57 left in the third, Raab’s field goal closed Orion’s lead to 20-3, heading into the fourth quarter.
Orion’s Mike Ripari opened the final quarter with a 40-yard punt return to the Kimball 10-yard line, setting up an eight-yard Tom Paulsen touchdown run two plays later. The Dragons’ final score was again set up by Ripari, picking off a Kimball pass and returning the ball to the six-yard line, where Andy Miller took it in for the score.
Moore led Lake Orion’s rushing attack, running for 47 yards and a touchdown on six carries. Allison picked up 45 yards and a touchdown, while Paulsen and Miller carried for 14 and nine yards, respectively, and each scored. For the night, Recknagel completed seven of 20 passing attempts for 178 yards and a touchdown, while connecting on four of five point-after attempts.
Brian Hewitt caught three passes for 108 yards and a score, while Ryan Allison added four catches for 70 yards. Defensively, Lake Orion looked in mid-season form, punishing Kimball regularly. The Dragons’ defensive line stopped the Kimball running attack, and the Orion defensive backfield, led by Ripari, rendered their passing game ineffective.
The Dragons will open their OAA Division I league play on Friday, hosting the Waterford Mott Corsairs at 7 p.m.