Lane Football fails to defend City Title

By Nader Ihmoud

Lane had to play mistake-free football on a chilly October 16 night to avoid losing. Multiple mistakes and poor offensive execution, however, lead to a woeful 14-0 loss to Simeon.

Lane’s defense kept the team in the game for the first three quarters, holding Simeon to one score. However, Simeon quarterback Robert Gregory delivered the final blow to begin the fourth with a 40-yard touchdown pass to make it a two-touchdown advantage.

This was too much for Lane’s offense to overcome, which had already been struggling. Lane failed to convert any first downs in the first three quarters beginning the game with four three and outs, and a fumble by Lane quarterback Tyler Routhier, Div. 170. Routhier had zero pass attempts in the first half, not throwing his first pass until the fourth quarter.

Lane’s game plan clearly was to get its running game going, but in the first half Simeon’s defense penetrated the line on almost every play leaving running back Thaddeus Scott, Div. 032, with no room to run. He only had three carries of over five yards.

“If you do not block you are not going to be successful (offensively), said Coach Rio.

“I think we would have won with a spread offense,” said Scott who thought that spreading defenders off the line would have opened more running lanes.

Lane’s defense worked hard to cause three turnovers: two interceptions and a fumble recovery. The first interception came in the second quarter, and was returned 25 yards to Lane’s 47-yard line by Jake Polszczuk, Div. 042.

During the next offensive drive, however, the offense gave the ball back on the first play when a fumble occurred on the center to quarterback exchange.

A night before Friday’s big game, Lane’s starting center, Jonathan Acevedo, Div. 021, was involved in a car accident and injured his back. His playing time was limited, and he did not play at all in the first half.

Both field position and time of possession were dominated by Simeon. The short field allowed Simeon to control the pace of the game, and helped them to march down the field late in the first quarter. Gregory completed an easy eight-yard pass for the first score of the game.

The Simeon quarterback gave the Lane defense trouble with both his arm and legs. Along with his two touchdown passes, he also overcame some long third and fourth down conversions by running.

Late in the fourth quarter, Routhier desperately threw a pass down field that was intercepted. On the next drive, former starting quarterback, Jake Pieuruccini, Div. 040, was put in the game in an attempt to revive Lane’s offense.

“(Pieuruccini) came (into the game) with swagger,” said Scott, “He gave us life.”

The game was too far out of reach by then, however.

Lane’s quarterback situation was up in the air during the week leading up to the team’s first round of the playoff game against Hubbard. According to Rio, the two players split reps at practice.

Pieruccini was given the start, but the team still suffered a 33-0 loss, putting an end to a disappointing 4-5 season for last year’s city champs. Lane will not participate in this year’s state playoffs for the first time since the mid 1990s.