The Pacers hang close early, but make too many mistakes to stick with No. 3 Jesuit.
Some days are meant for success, victory and celebration.
Some other days — the harder ones — are meant for introspection, self-reflection and growth.
The Lakeridge football team — ranked fifth in the first Class 6A statewide coaches poll of the year — went through one of those latter days on Friday, Sept. 9, dropping a 35-6 non-league decision to No. 3 Jesuit at Lakeridge High School.
As painful as that loss was — Lakeridge’s first in 2022 — the Pacers said they would use it as a learning tool and as fuel for their continuing growth.
“It’s only week two. We still have a lot to work on,” said Lakeridge senior wide receiver Lucas Burkeen, who led his team with eight catches for 78 yards. “But physically and mentally, we’re going to be back and stronger than ever.”
“We are going to grow from this. I’m already looking forward to this for (what it will mean) later in the season,” said senior lineman Camden Ferguson, who helped the Pacers amass 276 yards in total offense. “We’re going to go forward from here.”
“We were ready to make it a close game,” said freshman receiver Marcus Post, who made three catches for 47 yards in the game. “Everything was on the line. We never really gave up, but still, we could have definitely done a lot better.”
With the loss, the Pacers saw their one-game winning streak snapped and fell to 1-1 overall. Jesuit, meanwhile, won its second straight game and improved to 2-0 overall. Next up, Lakeridge will host Sherwood in non-league action at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 15.
The Crusaders started quickly on Friday, forcing a quick three-and-out on the Pacers’ first possession, taking over at midfield and scoring six plays later to take a lead they would never relinquish.
Jesuit senior running back Payton Roth and his offensive line did almost all the damage there, with Roth carrying five times for 33 yards, including a 7-yard touchdown plunge for a 7-0 lead with 8 minutes, 31 seconds left in the first quarter.
But the Pacers responded impressively, needing just eight plays to cover 87 yards in 3:41 and score. While the ensuing extra point was blocked, Lakeridge cut Jesuit’s lead to 7-6. Lakeridge senior quarterback Ryan Oliver led the way there, hitting four straight passes for 84 yards, including a 41-yard completion to junior receiver Joey Olsen and a 5-yard slant to senior Baylor Corbin for the TD with 4:34 left in the first quarter.
After a trade of punts, the Crusaders took over again at midfield and scored six plays later, with Roth carrying five times for 39 yards and junior Lonnie Burt finding the end zone on a 3-yard run for a 14-6 lead midway through the second quarter.
The Pacers’ next series was derailed by a penalty and a sack of Oliver by Jesuit sophomore Grady Keljo, and after that, the Crusaders needed just two plays to score. On first down, Roth went up the middle, cut right and raced 51 yards to the Lakeridge 1-yard line. Senior Noah Staley cashed in from there, banging into the end zone from a yard out for a 21-6 lead with 2:37 to go in the half.
Lakeridge appeared to cut Jesuit’s lead to one score on its next series, getting a 61-yard touchdown pass from Oliver to senior Jace Swygard — but the TD got waived off by penalty, the Pacers were forced to punt and Jesuit took its two-score lead into the half.
Already in control, Jesuit put its stamp on the game when it took the opening possession of the third quarter and marched 85 yards to score again and extend its lead to 28-6. Roth and his line did most of the heavy lifting there, with Roth carrying six times for 57 yards, then giving way to senior Garrett Speer for a 1-yard TD plunge with 6:34 left in the period.
On their next series, the Pacers — building on two big Jesuit penalties and a 28-yard throw from Oliver to Corbin — seemed poised to cut the Jesuit lead to a single score before fumbling the ball away to the Crusaders at the Jesuit 12-yard line.
The Crusaders then ended all suspense by driving 85 yards for their final score, getting 36 yards from Burt, a key 4-yard pickup on fourth down by Roth and 53 yards from Speer, including a 16-yard TD burst up the middle with 10:41 left in the game.
To their great credit, the Pacers kept playing hard, forced a Jesuit fumble, then drove 89 yards in the game’s final 3:21, with Oliver’s final throw to Post stopped at the Jesuit 1-yard line as time expired.
“I feel like, as a team, we played pretty good together,” Ferguson said. “I don’t think we made many physical mistakes, it was mainly mental. We had four touchdowns called back. Those are easy plays that we can (fix).”
“We just need to come together more as a team,” Burkeen said. “There were definitely some plays when we were at each other’s (throats), but that’s what happens when you love each other. It’s all love and we’ll be back.”
For the game, Oliver went 24 of 34 passing for 279 yards and one TD, with Corbin making four catches for 55 yards and one score. For Jesuit, Roth carried 22 times for 226 yards and one TD, Speer ran 11 times for 99 yards and two scores, Burt ran 10 times for 52 yards and one TD, while junior quarterback Jacob Hutchinson went 5 of 6 passing for 39 yards.
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See all the photos from this game at milesvancesmugmug.com.
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