That’s about as good as it gets.  With five minutes left in Friday’s first-round CIF playoff match against the Servite Friars, the Lancers led 28-14.  Then, a remarkable comeback led the Friars to tie the game with just 23 seconds on the clock, sending the contest into overtime tied 28-28.  Five plays later, the Lakewood Lancers took home the playoff victory—their first in four years and first under coach Thadd MacNeal—35-34.  Didn’t mean to spoil that for you, but the journey’s just as exciting as the destination.

The Lancers were driven to victory by the sturdy legs of Jerry Stone, who rushed 33 times for 222 yards and two touchdowns.  The Lancers are now 7-0 with Stone on the field, and his physical ability seems to grow every week—his ability to shift balance, and keep his feet moving through would-be tacklers is astounding.  Coach MacNeal said after the game, “He’s an amazing player.  He makes our whole team play harder.”  Stone was the motor behind Lakewood’s opening drive score, as he gained over 40 yards—the Lancers took a 7-0 lead just five minutes into the game. 

But the Friars, pushed by their own running back, Gregory “Yes, Relation” Portis, took their next drive down the field to even the score, setting the tempo for what would be a classic tug-of-war.  The rope was yanked back onto the Lancers’ sideline immediately after, as Lakewood QB Jesse Scroggins (who was 8/9 for 90 yards and a TD in the first half) orchestrated another scoring drive.  “[Undecipherable scream],” said Scroggins after the overtime win.

They traded unsuccessful drives, and then the Lancers looked to break the game open, as Justin Utupo blocked the Servite punt—Utupo, a talented junior on a defense full of talented seniors, had a great game, helping to contain Friars’ QB Cody Fajardo.  That set up a 15-yard Scroggins TD pass to Ronald Pigee, his second of the night.  After a Portis fumble, Lakewood took the 21-7 lead into halftime.  The mood in the locker room was like “[Undecipherable scream],” linebacker Trevor Erno said, teammates hanging off of him after the postgame huddle.

But the second half was all nerves for the Lancers—less than three minutes in, the Friars had cut their lead to seven.  On the next drive, Stone took them down the field (he averaged 7.5 yards per carry in the second half), but a Scroggins pass towards the end zone intended for Tofi Tiedemann was picked off, and the momentum belonged to Servite. 

After the Friar drive stalled, the Lancers, knowing they needed a score, moved the ball to midfield before hitting 4^th-and-8—a fake punt gained them 28 yards, and the chance to take a commanding 14 point lead, which they did on a Stone bulldozer into the end zone.  The scoreboard read 28-14, with five and a half minutes left in the game.

The Friars wasted no time—Fajardo completed four passes on the drive, including a touchdown to bring them within seven, with just under four left.  Lakewood took the kickoff (not an onside), and with 3:46 on the clock and Jerry Stone in the backfield, that seven point lead looked pretty safe.  They went to Stone on seven consecutive plays, and he took them from their own 35 to the Friars’ 25 (remember, this is when the Friars knew he was getting the ball).  Then, on 4^th and short, Scroggins faked a handoff and then threw downfield, to the shock of the Lancer sideline.  The ball fell incomplete, and the Friars took possession, 75 yards away from the tying score, with 1:41 on the clock and no timeouts. 

Fajardo, who played better all night when he was hurrying and didn’t have time to think too much, went 6/7 for 58 yards on the drive, expertly maneuvering his team down the field, and putting them in the perfect position for a one yard TD toss, to tie the game.  They’d been down 14 just four minutes prior, but with 0:23 on the clock, it was 28-28.  A Scroggins kneel later, and we were headed to overtime (which, remember, is the alternating possessions style in high school).

The Friars won the coin toss, and elected to go second, which was fine by Stone—he took a nine-yard pass from Scroggins, and then plowed up the middle for a 16-yard touchdown run on the next play.  The extra point made it 35-28.  All the Lancers had to do was hold the Friars, and they’d be on to the second round.

But instead, Portis took the ball on first down and went 25 yards into the end zone, untouched.  35-34. 

On the extra point attempt, the Lancers jumped and were flagged for being offside.  Earlier in the game, Servite had declined that penalty on an XP attempt—this time they accepted it, and decided to go for the score, and the win.  The ball left Cody Fajardo’s hands, and looked good—but Dion Bailey of Lakewood got just enough of a tip on it, and the Friars receiver dropped it in the end zone.

Lakewood won.  35-34.  In the playoffs.  In overtime.

Sensing all of this, the Lancers sideline exploded onto the field, and there was much celebrating, hugging, crying, and yes, plenty of indecipherable screaming, by pretty much everyone.  Be sure to check the highlight for more of that.  Coach Mac gave his team credit for battling through adversity and for gutting out the win, and was elated to have gotten his first playoff win for Lakewood in the most thrilling way possible, a contest with so many ups and downs that pregnant women and the elderly shouldn’t have been admitted.

The Lancers, hoping Stone and Scroggins can keep them on a high, will get a home game next week, as Mission Viejo will travel out for the second round.  If it’s a tenth as exciting as this game was—you won’t want to miss it.