Just four minutes into the Lake Orion varsity football team’s game against Rochester on Sept. 1, the Dragons found themselves trailing 13-0.
Just over a minute later, the team was on top of the Falcons, 21-13.
Early on, it appeared the Dragons were in for a long night, as Rochester took the opening kick and marched 80 yards for the first score.
Lake Orion fumbled the ensuing kick-off, allowing the Falcons to score again on a 25-yard touchdown pass; however, the extra point was blocked, giving Rochester a 13-0 lead.
The Dragons responded by taking control of the first quarter, scoring three times over a span of 1:14, on a five-yard Brad Hood to Mike Tuzik pass, a 32-yard Andy Miller run, and a 34-yard interception and return for Joe Barnes.
Rochester capitalized on two Dragon turnovers, recovering a Dragon ball and returning it 53 yards for a TD.
Three minutes later, the Falcons scored on a 23-yard field goal, giving them a 22-21 advantage.
Orion scored with less than two left in the half, on a 16-yard Hood to Joe Nowicki pass. They took a 27-22 lead into halftime.
Miller scored twice more in the second half, and Nowicki had another TD on a four-yard scoring pass from Hood.
Kicker Dylan VanFossen was 6-of-6 on extra point attempts. Defensively, Josh Allison had nine tackles, including two quarterback sacks, and Scott Avery had eight tackles and a fumble recovery.
Miller had 115 yards and three TDs, while Aaron Allen managed 96 yards on 10 carries, and Nowicki had 81 yards on five carries.
Hood completed five of 10 pass attempts for 87 yards, with three touchdowns. David Wurst caught two passes for 61 yards, and Nowicki had two for 20 yards.
Orion plays Adams at on Friday.