Poland vs. Hubbard

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Poland vs. Hubbard

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Poland at Hubbard August 25, 2011

Team

Hubbard

Record	Div.	Conf.
5/5	Div. IV	All-American Conference White Tier

Team

Poland

Record	Div.	Conf.
8/3	Div. III	All-American Conference Red Tier

Lawman rallies Poland past Hubbard

By Joe Scalzo

scalzo@vindy.com

HUBBARD

Underneath Jerry Lawman’s No. 22 jersey is a tattered green T-shirt that looks like it belonged to the Incredible Hulk — after he got angry.

On the front, in white lettering, is the German phrase “Ich ºberlebte kesslers diavorf ºhrung,” which means “I survived the Kessler slideshow” according to Google’s translator. The phrase means nothing to Lawman — “I have no idea what it means,” he said — but the T-shirt means everything.

Because, you see, it belonged to a player on Poland’s 2000 state championship team named Micah Harris, who played football at Duke before dying in a car crash in 2004. Each year, it’s given to a respected Poland senior, who then passes it down to a player he feels is worthy of Harris’ legacy.

On Thursday night, Lawman wore it well.

Running behind an overpowering offensive line, Lawman rushed 31 times for 176 yards and four touchdowns, and set up Poland’s final score by catching the game’s biggest pass, to help the Bulldogs rally for a 37-31 win over host Hubbard.

“His approach is just guts,” said Poland coach Mark Brungard. “He runs hard, he trains hard — everything he does is all out.

“Guys are inspired to block for him because they know he’s gonna give it everything he has.”

Lawman’s third TD, a 4-yarder, gave the Bulldogs a seemingly safe 30-18 lead with 6:26 left in the fourth quarter. But Hubbard answered less than two minutes later with a 22-yard TD pass from Ashton Owens to Darnell Tate that cut the deficit to six.

Poland got the ball back at its own 32 and drove 68 yards in seven plays. The crucial play came on a third-and-12 at the Hubbard 34. Lawman ran a route down the middle of the field and got behind the Eagles’ defense, catching Colin Reardon’s pass at the 5 to set up his final TD run with 1:16 left.

“They lined up on us but they never thought we’d throw it,” said Brungard. “I mean, they didn’t even run with us.

“Jerry was just like, ‘Hey, I’m open.’”

Hubbard answered three plays later with a 56-yard TD pass from Owens to Tate but the onside kick attempt went out of bounds.

Lawman got the postgame interviews — all of his quotes praised either his line, his quarterback or his team — but his line deserves the credit. Center Nick Bilas, guards Dan Kreatsoulas and Nick Sesonsky, tackles George Dibo and Matt Schriner and tight ends Jordan Voitus and Alex Hubbell simply wore down Hubbard’s front seven.

“There wasn’t a lot of complexity to what they were doing, to be honest,” said Hubbard coach Brian Hoffman. “They were just getting after us in the trenches.”

Owens looked sharp in his first start, completing 15 of 21 passes for 243 yards and four TDs for a young Hubbard team that lost its fifth straight to Poland.

“There were a lot of positives,” Hoffman said. “It’s just disappointing to be on the other side.”