The Pacers lead into the fourth quarter before losing to unbeaten Tigard
Timing is everything, and unfortunately for the Lakeridge football team, the Pacers’ timing was awful on Friday, Oct. 7.
The Pacers led unbeaten and sixth-ranked Tigard late in their Friday game at Tigard High School. But Lakeridge gave the ball away in its half of the field, the Tigers hit a trick play for the go-ahead score, the Pacers fumbled the ball away on the ensuing kickoff and Tigard scored again to win 28-14 in Three Rivers League play.
“We played hard for the entire game,” said Lakeridge coach Spencer Phillips. “I felt like we were in control the entire game (but) there was a three-play series where we lost the game.”
With the loss, Lakeridge’s second straight, the Pacers — No. 23 in the OSAA power rankings — fell to 0-2 in TRL play and 2-4 overall. No. 6 Tigard, meanwhile, improved to 2-0 in league and 6-0 overall. Next up, Lakeridge plays No. 20 Oregon City (0-2 in TRL play, 3-3 overall) at Pioneer Stadium at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 14.
The Pacers started with a flourish on Friday when senior quarterback Ryan Oliver connected with junior wide receiver Joey Olsen for a 37-yard touchdown and, after a Keaton Emmett extra point, a 7-0 lead.
The Tigers came back with a five-yard scoring run, but Lakeridge just kept pushing and extended its lead to 14-6 when Oliver hit senior wide receiver Baylor Corbin for a two-yard TD. And even though Tigard closed within 14-13 on an eight-yard scoring pass late in the opening period, Lakeridge maintained its one-point lead into the fourth quarter.
But things fell apart — and quickly — for Lakeridge there. First, a short Pacer punt gave Tigard possession in the Lakeridge half of the field, and from there, the Tigers needed just one trick play to hit a 41-yard TD pass and add the two-point conversion to take a 21-14 lead, their first of the game.
Then, after the Pacers fumbled the ensuing kickoff, Tigard converted a five-yard pass for the final 28-14 margin.
“We blinked and we went from up one point to down 14 in a matter of seconds,” Phillips said. “They capitalized on our errors and turnovers. In the TRL, you can’t do that. Good teams and good coaches will make the most of those opportunities.”
For the game, Oliver completed 25 of 35 passes for 209 yards with two TDs and one interception, with Olsen making six catches for 95 yards and one score, while Corbin caught seven passes for 41 yards and one TD and senior Lucas Burkeen grabbed five passes for 36 yards. Senior running back Chili Stephens led Lakeridge rushers with 10 carries for 54 yards.
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