By Doug Chapin

sports@vindy.com

AURORA

To look at the statistics, Lakeview High dominated the second quarter of Friday night’s Division IV, Region 13 semifinal football game against Chagrin Falls at Veterans Stadium.

The Bulldogs ran 29 plays in the quarter to six for the Tigers, held an 8-2 edge in first downs and a 77-41 edge in yards. But the only statistic that counts, points, was in Chagrin Falls’ favor, 21-7.

It was that kind of night for the Bulldogs (9-3) who, for the second straight season, lost a regional semifinal playoff game to Chagrin Falls, by a final of 54-28.

“They were everything we thought they’d be,” Lakeview coach Tom Pavlansky said about the Tigers. “They are an exceptional football team and when you don’t play your best against an exceptional football team you’re going to be on the short end of the stick.”

Everything looked great for Lakeview after the first possession of the game. The Dogs went 65 yards in eight plays for a 1-yard touchdown run by Trevor West. The drive included three receptions for 48 yards by senior receiver Toma Leveto from quarterback Anthony Franco. Leveto also ran twice on the drive for 13 yards.

However, Leveto injured a foot or ankle on a 27-yard pass play which took the ball to the 1. He was able to return later in the first half, but did not play in the second half.

Leveto finished with six catches for 92 yards and a touchdown. Franco was 20 for 36 passing for 246 yards.

Chagrin Falls, which beat Lakeview 36-14 a year ago on the way to a state runner-up finish, responded with a six-play, 53-yard scoring drive to tie the game.

The Tigers were not finished. After a Lakeview punt, Chagrin went 56 yards in 10 plays for a second score. Both touchdowns came on short runs by fullback Kurt Vidmer.

The second drive included a 10-yard gain on a swing pass to Bill Cale to convert a fourth-and-9 situation.

“They made us miss three tackles there,” Pavlansky said. “We missed three tackles, they converted and got some momentum. Then there was a punt block and a punt return and an interception return and things really snowballed on us.”

Lakeview was forced to punt again and this one was blocked by the Tigers’ Everett Dishong. On the next play, backup quarterback Tommy Iammarino hit Anthony DeCamillo down the middle for a 36-yard touchdown pass. That made the score 21-7 with 53 seconds left in the first quarter.

The second quarter for Chagrin included a punt return of 64 yards for a touchdown by Paul Fredrickson; a 58-yard punt return by Spencer Diedrich that set up a 24-yard touchdown scamper by Jack Campbell; and an interception return of 44 yards for a touchdown by Cathal Chaffee.

When the dust cleared Chagrin Falls had a 42-7 lead with 4:11 left in the half.

Lakeview also got TDs on an 8-yard pass from Franco to Leveto, and a 14-yard pass from Franco to Austin Haines.