Lights out!
Israel Potoczny The Daily Record
Oct 25, 2008
CAMDENTON — Finally, someone turned off the lights.
Either the need to usher everyone out of Laker Stadium, or the ignominy of an opponent celebrating on the Lakers home turf, caused the darkness.
And perhaps, only the lights being turned off could end the celebration that ensued after Lebanon ended a 15-year losing streak against the Lakers with a 28-21 win on Friday at Camdenton.
As Justin Britt and teammates gathered around a hand-held radio to listen to head coach Will Christian’s postgame comments, the lights went out, prematurely ending a celebration that might otherwise lasted all night.
Lebanon senior Dalton Pierce said it was fitting hundreds of Lebanon fans celebrated with the players on the field.
“(The fans) played a huge role in (the win),” he said. “The fans are great. It seemed like half the town of Lebanon was here and it was great.”
Pierce credited an overflow crowd that spilled out of the visters bleachers and onto the track surrounding the field with a crucial delay of game penalty. As the Lakers attempted to drive the ball with the game tied at 21 with seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, they faced third-and-21 after Tyler Bethel sacked Camdenton quarterback Kyle Simpson on second down at the Laker 19-yard line. Then the LHS crowd helped force a five yard delay of game penalty.
On third-and-26, Simpson found Jake Williams for 16 yards, but the completion was well shy of the first down marker, forcing a Laker punt.
“I’m really thankful for the crowd and the student body,” LHS head coach Will Christian said. “I think (the crowd) played a huge part (in the win).”
On the ensuing possession, Lebanon took the lead on Phillip Archer’s third touchdown reception of the game. Archer caught a slant pass from Howerton for nine-yards for the secore. It was the second big catch of the drive for Archer, who led LHS with 10 catches for 121 yards. On third-and-10 from the LHS 39, Archer made a diving catch for a 11-yard gain with 5:24 remaining to keep the drive alive.
After a holding penalty sent LHS back to its own 38, Howerton found Archer again, only this time he lateralled the ball to Brett Smith.
Smith then raced to the Laker nine, setting up Archer’s winning score two plays later.
“I just felt like we had to make something happen,” Christian said of the hook-and-ladder play. “We were in a spot where it was second-and-long and we had to get something big.
“It is one of those plays where you either get something big, or you get something bad.”
Lebanon tied the game on its first possession of the fourth quarter on a 41-yard run by Smith. The score came after LHS got a defensive stand after Camdenton dominated the ball and took a 21-14 lead in the third quarter.
LHS ran just three plays in the third quarter, but sacked Simpson on a fourth-and-three from the Lebanon 33-yard line with 11:19 remaining.
“That was huge,” Christian said. “It put us in a spot where we could take the lead and we are just fortunante that was the way it worked out.”
Camdenton had two opportunities, to tie the game, but both drives were thwarted by Lebanon interceptions.
With 3:41 remaining, Camdenton took over at its own 10-yard line after a personal foul was called following the Lebanon kickoff.
On the first play from scrimmage, Derek Schiedigger intercepted Simpson and was tackled at the two-yard line.
“He (Schiedigger) doesn’t play a bunch, but he does a great job for us and I’m real excited for him,” Christian said.
Looking to ice the game at the Camdenton two-yard line, Howerton fumbled the ball and the Lakers recovered at its own two-yard line with 3:29 remaining.
Needing to travel 98 yards to tie, the Lakers burned nearly two minutes while moving the ball to its own 24. Facing a third-and-three from their own 22 with 1:03 remaining, Camdenton’s Shane Hardman, the back-up quarterback, attempted a wide receiver pass.
But Howerton redeemed himself, picking off the pass and sealed the LHS win.
“Howie made a great play,” Pierce said. “He always steps up for us, he has so much heart.
“Man, I’d die for him.”
The win over Camdenton was the first for LHS since 1993.
“There are so many emotions, it is so surreal,” Pierce said. “We practiced, and we prepared for it and when the seconds were rolling off and when you know, I can’t describe it to you in words what I — what we all — felt.
“It is amazing. The community wanted it so bad, and we wanted it so bad, it is awesome.”
The win marked the first time Lebanon clinched a winning season for LHS, its first since 1998, and ensured a playoff berth for the first time since 2000.
“Obviously, all those things make (the win) big, but I think it’s even bigger for what it does for the morale of the program and the development of the program,” Christian said.
Lebanon (6-3 overall, 2-0 District 6) will host Waynesville (5-4, 1-1) on Friday. The Tigers defeated Rolla on Friday, 27-24.
