ALBION, N.Y. --- It was Eagle on Eagle action under the Friday night lights in Albion. The Lakeshore Eagles took care of business on the road as they handled the Albion Purple Eagles 28-14.
"The kids were excited to come out and play for the last time as seniors on the field, so emotions were high for them," Albion head coach David Skrip said.
The first quarter saw Lakeshore take a 13-0 lead off the backs of quarterback Rob Gillette and running back Jake Hopkins. 6-foot 6-inch tight end Troy Kennedy also played a big role early for Lakeshore. The first score of the game came from a rushing touchdown from Gillette on a short run from inside the five-yard-line. The second came by way of a 65-yard touchdown run on a tight end reverse to Parker Klepfer. Albion's offense struggled to find any early rhythm while Lakeshore pounded the rock and controlled the clock.
Lakeshore's head coach Dan Russell who is a full-time meteorologist along with the head coach of the Eagles football team. He also leads their "Iron Eagle" strength training program. Russell has led Lakeshore to their first 4-win season since 2006. It's safe to say Lakeshore have found their guy to lead the program to new heights.
In the second quarter we saw another Lakeshore touchdown by Gillette. He got in via a quarterback sneak Philadelphia Eagles style. This play can be referred to as the "Brotherly Shove" or "Tush Push" as the famous sneak from the NFL. This saw the score move to 21-0 after a fake PAT attempt was converted.
"You know, we had a couple of fumbles on our part and just some turnovers, and not executing on those plays and with a team like Lakeshore, those mistakes are going to count in the long run," Skrip said.
Overall, it was an offensive performance to forget. However, Albion's offense finally found some momentum as Cencere Lowe found his way into the endzone in the middle of the quarter. That drive saw him convert a 4th and 15 after a miss-handled snap on a punt attempt by Lowe would result in a broken play find its way across the line to gain. The extra effort from Lowe on that huge 4th down seemed to be a turning point for Albion. That score made the game 21-6.
The Purple Eagles had another chance to score later in the second quarter but with 3:10 on the clock. Albion would be stuffed on another broken play just outside the redzone. Miscommunication from quarterback Blake Preston and Lowe ended in Preston scrambling for his life before chucking one up in the endzone which was overshot.
The second half saw the game slow down as possessions were long which kept the clock running. The third quarter saw limited action as both teams were slugging it out. Albion show a lot of fight in this one and they were just a big play or two away from truly getting back into the game.
"Football is a game of momentum, you know. We gained momentum then lost it, it was a tough one," Skrip said.
Lakeshore scored on a fake field goal attempt from Albion's six-yard-line on a pass to Troy Kennedy who was wide open in the back right corner of the endzone after sneaking behind the defense on a flag route. That score made the game 28-6 after a converted two-point-play.
Lowe would find the endzone a second time early in the fourth quarter on a counter trap run. He cut-back to the left side of the field and bulled through a defender on his way into the endzone from 20-yards out. Lowe is only a junior, and with another year with the program, he will continue to a player this team leans on.
"This year has been a rebuilding year for us, and we've been focusing on these young kids and getting them experience and getting their technique right. So, we're excited moving forward," Skrip said.
Moving on to next week Albion who currently sits at 2-5 (1-5 in class B-2 play) looks forward to their rivalry game against Medina.