Marcus Devoe had the Lakers’ biggest night on Friday, Oct. 16, piling a pair of successful field goal kicks atop a TD reception to lead Lake Region in poaching the visiting Falcons 25-6.

“One of the things we wanted to do was grind and run the ball hard,” said Lakers head coach Brian Jahna of his team’s overall strategy. “So our runningbacks ran the ball, and we felt like that allowed us, at the end of the game, to push forward. Lexus Rodriguez did a great job, Jordan Williams did. Our guys on the line played a great game as well.”

Freeport had shown improvement through the earlier weeks of the season, but came out flat against Lake Region, which head coach Paul St. Pierre struggled to explain: “I’m not sure, to be honest. We trained really hard this week, and we had high expectations. But you never know what you’re going to get on any given night. Tonight wasn’t our night.”

Both teams entered Friday’s contest winless on the year; between them, they had 12 losses and occupied the bottom two Crabtree slots in C South. Likewise, both teams undoubtedly knew that, regardless of the outcome, the upcoming playoffs would likely remain out of reach. But, for struggling squads, taking any victory is meaningful, and for squads with nothing at all to speak of in the W column, coming out on top just once before the regular season ends becomes an oasis in a desert.

The Lakers botched their opening drive – they turned the ball over on their first snap – but Devoe intercepted a pass attempt on the Falcons’ follow-up series to give his team another chance, and this one they capitalized on.

A couple of short runs advanced the team to third and five at their own 35; from there, QB Doug Banks connected with Devoe up the middle and Devoe broke away, dashing 65 yards upfield for a speedy six. He added the PAT as well, putting Lake Region up 7-0.

Late in the first, Devoe tacked on three more points, splitting the uprights with a 33-yard field goal kick for 10-0. The team would’ve surged ahead even further on their next drive, but Rodriguez’s 26-yard rush TD was called back on a holding flag. It wouldn’t be the last time Rodriguez found the end zone, but for the time being, he found himself thwarted.

Half a dozen plays later, Banks and Nick Wandishin also found themselves thwarted when QB Banks’s connection from first and goal at the three with Wandishin in the end zone got called back on another flag.

Moments of sloppy play have held Lake Region back a step throughout the season, as Jahna attested. “We’ve been in tight games,” he said. “We’ve played well a lot of times – and we do things that kill ourselves. We’ve had touchdowns called back all year long.”

Jahna added that his boys haven’t always been able to maintain their poise. “We’ve lost composure a little bit in the second halves. We’re a much better team than our record.”

The Lakers finally grabbed a few more points when Devoe kicked his second field goal of the night – this one a 27-yarder – to put the Lakers up 13-0.

“Both teams knew, this would probably be the one game they had a winnable chance,” said St. Pierre straightforwardly. “And [Lake Region] had the home field and kept pushing hard.”

Freeport, for their part, put together a nice drive to close the first half, coming as near to the Lake Region end zone as the Lakers’ 13. QB Eli Fox launched a pinpoint pass to receiver Brady LaFrance on one of the Falcons’ attempts from there, but Devoe’s coverage was just as impressive, and he kept LaFrance from scoring.

Rodriguez had another rush TD called back as the second half progressed, but Banks promptly connected with Wandishin for a 25-yard gain to put the Lakers at first and goal on the Falcons’ one, then carried the ball that last three feet for 19-0.

Eventually, Rodriguez did earn a reward for all his hard work, scoring on third and goal at the Freeport five for 25-0.

Similarly, the Falcons eventually did cross the goal line. The team put together another nice series as the game wended through the fourth quarter. Max Doughty strung several big runs into first and goal at the Lake Region nine, then Brian Lee carried the ball the rest of the way.

Freeport had dealt their first blow of the night; unfortunately it came much too late.

So the Lakers jump to 1-6 on the result, and the Falcons slide to 0-7, and though neither team will see November, nobody’s hanging up any cleats just yet. They’ll fight through Week 8, whatever it may bring (for Lake Region, it brings a home bout with No. 4 Fryeburg, 4-3; for Freeport a home bout with No. 1 Yarmouth, 7-0), and into the off-season.

“We like to play well against Fryeburg,” said Jahna. “And more than anything, it is about us as a team coming together and being happy with what we’re doing, happy with how we’re practicing, and being good to each other. We’ll finish it out this last week with that in mind.

“We have stuff to look forward to,” said St. Pierre, noting that, for instance, Freeport’s JV team is 3-0. “There’s still a lot of positivity and pride going on. Eventually it will translate into the varsity. As soon as this season is over, next season starts, and we’ll have every guy that’s available in that weight room. I will recruit every able-bodied man I can from Freeport, and we’ll work twice as hard next off-season.”

“You look around the league and hear stories of kids quitting because of their records. They haven’t quit on me,” St. Pierre said of his boys, “and that character means a lot to me.”

Freeporter Max Doughty manages to pull down Lake Region’s Nick Wandishin after a gain along the sideline.Marcus Devoe blazes upfield on a 65-yard TD run for Lake Region against visiting Freeport Friday night.Freeport QB Eli Fox unwinds into a pass attempt at Lake Region Friday night.Lake Region QB Doug Banks takes the snap. Banks threw a pass TD to Marcus Devoe and rushed for a short TD of his own Friday night.Laker Gunnar Harriman carries against Freeport Friday night. Teammate Mark Mayo blocks for Harriman.Laker Nick Lepage wraps up Freeport runningback Max Doughty.Jordan Williams throws up a stiff-arm on a run against visiting Freeport.Freeporter Brady LaFrance nearly escapes a host of Laker defenders.Max Doughty carries for the Falcons against the Lakers on Friday night. Doughty was key in the drive leading up to Freeport’s lone touchdown of the game.

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