LAKE If losing to Canton McKinley wasn't enough for the Lake Blue Streaks, Friday's 24-10 loss to Youngstown Boardman just might take the cake.
Last week, the Blue Streaks were left answering questions about how a 10-0 halftime lead evaporated into a stinging 24-17 loss, who are now 2-0 in the Federal League. This time, they were tied at 10-10 against the Spartans and despite playing stiff defense, found themselves on the wrong end for the second week in a row, leaving Lake sitting at 2-2 four weeks into the 2008 season.
The Spartans were in no mood for late game theatrics going back to last season's 39-38 double-overtime win over Lake. No one could have been more pleased with the team's defensive effort more than coach D.J. Ogilvie, who is an advocate for a power running game.
"Defensively, it was a better game for us this time than last year. To allow 38 points was uncharacteristic of us and is not what we are all about," Ogilvie said.
Spartans senior running back Damien Jarrett broke the 100-yard rushing barrier as he rushed 28 times for 128 yards and three touchdowns in the game, (one receiving) and had the clinching score in the form of a 22-yard run with 3:49 left in the game.
Was it a case of Youngstown Boardman having the tougher football team in the second half? Not so according to Ogilvie.
"I wouldn't say that, especially about a Lake High School football team. It wasn't about having the bigger heart or the tougher football team. We just made plays in the second half and I would never say that we out-toughed or had a bigger heart than a Lake coached team," Ogilvie said.
For Lake, the mission is clear now. The Blue Streaks must find a way to put behind two consecutive losses after a promising start to the 2008 season. That will not come any easier as they depart Alumni Field for rugged tests against defending league champion North Canton Hoover Friday and then Perry, two teams that handed Lake defeats last year.
It will start at practices the week coming up according to head coach Jeff Durbin, who is portentously aware his legion of Blue Streaks can't afford a third-straight loss.
"We just have to keep getting better and working hard. There can't be any let up from anyone now," Durbin said.
Two possessions into their series, Youngstown Boardman looked like they might have their way with the Blue Streaks early on. Running on six of eight plays, the visitors emerged first on the scoreboard when Jarrett entered the end zone standing up largely to sound blocking on the offensive line by the Spartans.
The hosts responded before the end of the quarter with a nine-play drive highlighted by a Spartans personal foul and finished with a Logan Martin field goal kick to slice the lead to only 7-3.
A bright spot for the Lake defense came in the second quarter after a muffed punt was recovered by the visitors. The staunch Lake defense barred Boardman from entering the end zone for the second time in the game, forcing Ragan to take a three-point kick, at the time a morale booster for the Blue Streaks defense.
"We turned the ball over deep in our territory and we held them to a field goal. I was pleased with the defense there," Durbin said.
The defense was rewarded midway through the second quarter when quarterback Kyler King ran the Lake offense with surgical precision. Running and throwing the ball were key assets paying dividends when he targeted receiver Derek Sitzlar in the end zone for a nine-yard touchdown catch in which Sitzlar kept both feet in bounds ala Chad Johnson. Martin's extra point kick tied the game at 10-10 before halftime.
"Kyler did his job well. He's one out of 11 personnel on the field. I thought he played his best game of the season," Durbin said.
After trading punts in the third quarter, Youngstown Boardman landed a serious bodyshot to the hosts. Quarterback Rob Boyd found Jarrett over the middle on a pass which was shaping up to be a Lake interception before Jarrett took the ball away from a defender and raced untouched into the end zone for a 47-yard touchdown reception to give the Spartans a 17-10 lead with 2:24 remaining.
That proved to be the turning point of the game. From then on, it was Boardman's defense that systematically broke down the Lake offense, neutralizing their offensive weapons in the second half, not allowing running backs Tyler Crowl and Jim Luther to break long runs and disintegrating the passing game from there.
Lake has no time to linger over the losses to Canton McKinley and Boardman as they now face a mandatory must-win situation against North Canton Hoover.
"We can't worry about next week. We just have to worry about getting better as the season wears on. We have to play four quarters, offense, defense, and special teams. We must go out and get that done," Durbin said.
