Lakewood just short in upset attempt

SEFFNER — From the moment the playoff schedule was released, the Lakewood Ranch High football team had been hearing how it was nothing but an underdog.

And although that’s to be expected in some ways when your opponent has a perfect 10-0 record and is the second-ranked team in the state, that doesn’t make it any easier to swallow.

Few people outside of the Mustangs locker room gave Lakewood a chance of defeating football powerhouse Seffner Armwood — last year’s state runner-up.

So what do you do when your back is seemingly up against a wall?

You simply pull out all of the stops — you’ve got absolutely nothing to lose.

That’s exactly what Lakewood did during its Class 6A-Region 2 quarterfinal Nov. 18 at Lyle Flagg Field — and it almost worked.

“I respect the heck out of our kids,” coach Shawn Trent said. “These kids aren’t going to lie down. I don’t care who they play. We’re not scared of anybody. You might beat us, but we’re not going to run from anybody.”

In improbable fashion, the Mustangs took a 31-28 lead with 3:10 remaining in regulation and appeared on the verge of pulling off the season’s biggest upset.

But that all changed 13 seconds later when one athlete made one play that put Armwood back on top and ultimately gave the Hawks a 35-31 victory.

“A lot of people expected us to lie down and just come in here and get beat, and with the exception of one or two plays we could’ve easily walked away and won this game,” Trent said. “I think that’s a huge testament to our seniors and our underclassmen.”

The game began the way many people had anticipated with Armwood scoring on three of its first four possessions.

Lakewood’s lone points of the first half came on Zach Reda’s 21-yard field goal as time expired in the first half.

“I just told them they have to come out and play every down,” Trent said. “I don’t care what the score is at the end, but I wanted them to know they’ve been in a fight for 48 minutes.”

A 25-yard touchdown pass to start the third quarter left the Mustangs trailing 28-3 and Armwood appeared on the verge of putting the game away — except somebody forgot to inform the Mustangs of the Hawks’ intentions.

Lakewood scored four consecutive touchdowns to take a 31-28 lead with 3:10 remaining in the game, marking the first time Armwood had trailed all season.

The Mustangs first touchdown came on a 73-yard strike from quarterback Jeren Kowalewski to Lennie Twenty.

Lakewood regained possession midway through the third quarter when Dwight Roberts intercepted an Armwood pass on the goal line. Eleven plays later Kowalewski punched the ball in from two yards out to pull Lakewood within 28-17.

After forcing the Hawks to punt for the first time to close out the third quarter, Lakewood found the end zone with 8:18 remaining in regulation, as Kowalewski connected with Brandon King for a 15-yard score — leaving the Mustangs trailing 28-23.

“Wow, this is exciting,” junior linebacker Luke Sears shouted out from the sideline as the Mustangs mounted their comeback.

The Mustangs recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff on the Armwood 45. Ten plays later, Lakewood running back McKenzie Hathaway, who rushed 35 times for 142 yards and finished with nearly 1,450 yards on the season, rumbled for a 15-yard score, leaving the Armwood sideline stunned. A two-point conversion from Kowalewski to Greg Funk gave the Mustangs a 31-28 lead.

But on Armwood’s first play from scrimmage in the fourth quarter, the Hawks’ Alvin Bailey, who had a hand in all five of Armwood’s touchdowns, avoided a host of Mustang defenders and ran 65 yards into the end zone with 2:57 remaining.

Lakewood had one final chance to pull off the upset, but an interception with 1:24 remaining on the clock sealed the victory for Armwood.

And although the season ends here for the Mustangs, this final game should give Lakewood confidence going into the offseason. They showed guts, determination and the will to win and proved they are on the verge of starting their own storied tradition.

“We’ve talked all year about building a tradition and you’ve got to start somewhere,” Trent said. “We might not have won the game, but I think the young kids know what it’s going to take to take the next step.”

Contact Jen Blanco at [email protected].