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Lakeview gets in after shootout
By Doug Chapin
CORTLAND
The scoreboard at Lakeview High probably was still warm into the wee hours of the morning after the Bulldogs and arch-rival Champion gave it a workout Friday night.
Junior quarterback Anthony Franco passed for 340 yards and four touchdowns, and also ran for 124 yards and two scores as Lakeview (8-2) topped Champion, 60-47.
Lakeview was ranked seventh in the Division IV, Region 13 computer standings going into the game and will start the playoffs on the road next Friday.
“The kids set that goal back in the summer; we wanted to be playing in Week 11,” Lakeview coach Tom Pavlansky said. “We know that we’ve got to get better because we’re going to face a real good team next week”
The Flashes (6-4) were paced by the ground attack of seniors Travis Damron (191 yards) and Jim Rasey (116 yards).
“Our guys up front all year have done an outstanding job,” Champion coach Terry Howell said about an offensive line that helped the Flashes grind out 339 yards on the ground. “I can’t say enough about them; they don’t get enough credit.”
Lakeview scored touchdowns on its first eight possessions and nine of 10 for the game. When the Bulldog defense stopped Rasey on a fourth-down situation with five minutes left in the first half, it was the first possession by either team that did not end up in the end zone.
“We got a great push and were able to gang-tackle Rasey,” Pavlansky said. “And you have to gang-tackle him. He’s pretty good.”
“We went for it on fourth down because we weren’t able to stop them offensively,” Howell said. “We wanted to keep the ball and try to get some momentum before halftime.”
Lakeview led 27-14 at the break and a 50-yard bomb to Austin Haines, Franco’s fourth TD pass of the game, made it 34-13 less than two minutes into the second half.
“Anthony is a special kid,” Pavlansky said. “He throws it well, he runs it well, he leads us well, but it’s an 11-man operation out there. Anthony would be the first one to give praise to his teammates.”
Haines and Toma Leveto both caught a pair of touchdown passes. Leveto wound up with seven receptions for 172 yards. Lakeview also got a kickoff return for a touchdown by Elijah Henderson.
The Bulldogs’ largest lead was 53-27 a minute into the final quarter, but after forcing Lakeview’s only punt of the night and scoring twice, Champion was back within 53-41 at the 2:46 mark.
Franco’s 49-yard touchdown run a minute later put the game out of reach.
“Hats off to coach Howell and his kids, they played their tails off, and we knew that,” Pavlansky said. “We knew it wasn’t going to be easy. Every Champion-Lakeview game is a hard-fought contest.
“Our kids want to win. They have a great attitude and that’s what it all begins with. They’ve got a great attitude, and having a little bit of ability doesn’t hurt.”