By Joe St. Henry
Review Contributing Sports Writer

Mistakes, turnovers and missed opportunities marred Lake Orion’s 2016 season-opening football game last Thursday in the Prep Kickoff Classic at Wayne State University, with the Dragons losing to The Big Reds of Chippewa Valley, 27-7.
Head coach Chris Bell said while the team played with plenty of effort, it failed to execute in all phases of the game. “When you play fundamentally lousy football against good teams you lose,” Bell said.
“Our team must now recognize the urgency to fix things.”
Lake Orion’s more balanced offensive attack never got on track, generating only 168 total yards, the vast majority of them on the ground. Bell said a lack of explosive plays – big runs and pass plays of 15 or more yards – hampered the offense. Dropped passes for two potential scores and two lost fumbles in the first half also thwarted the Dragons. In addition, three turnovers and 65 yards in Lake Orion penalties at key points of the game benefitted Chippewa Valley.
“We did plenty of things to keep us from winning,” Bell said. “There were plenty of plays for the taking and we failed to take advantage of them.”
Defensively, Bell thought the Dragons played well against the pass including an interception, but struggled to stop the Big Reds’ rushing attack. Chippewa Valley’s opening touchdown in the first quarter came on a 50-yard run when the Lake Orion’s defenders attacked too aggressively, opening a huge hole that let the running back sprint to the end zone untouched.
The turning point in the game, however, came early in the second quarter when the Dragons could not take advantage of a first-and- goal scoring opportunity at its opponent’s three-yard line that would have tied the score. Instead, Chippewa Valley used a goal-line stand to seize control of the game.
“Our failure to score on the goal line was not due to talent, but a simple lack of execution,” Bell said.
“We score there, or on two dropped passes in the first half, and it’s a different ballgame.”
Down 20-0 at halftime, Lake Orion came out in the second half seemingly rejuvenated. The Dragons moved the ball downfield before throwing a costly interception inside Chippewa Valley’s 20-yard line, killing yet another scoring opportunity. The defense held though and the Dragons scored on their next possession when junior slot receiver Johnathan Haggitt scored on a 30-yard run. He led Lake Orion’s running game for the night, with nine carries for 70 yards and the touchdown.
Chippewa Valley quickly regained control of the game on its next possession, however, marching 68 yards to score on a touchdown run. A couple of costly Lake Orion penalties kept the drive alive for the Big Reds. Neither team scored in the fourth quarter.
Junior quarterback Johnathan Marshall finished his first varsity game 6-14 through the air for 31 yards and an interception. “Our quarterback made some nice throws and some mistakes, but they are correctable,” Bell said.
The bright spot in Lake Orion’s performance was its kicking game, led by senior punter Taylor McCarty who boomed three kicks and junior placekicker Parker Blust, whose two kickoffs were touchbacks plus an extra point. “Our kicking game is solid,” Bell said.
Lake Orion plays its first home game this Thursday versus OAA Red opponent Stoney Creek, which lost its opening game, too. The Cougars have a number of new players, a new coach and new system, but Bell said they are a physical team with strong athletes. He knows the Dragons will have to play better this week to secure their first win of the young season.
“We can’t afford to play another game like last week,” Bell said. “As a team we have to correct our mistakes and execute, or we’ll lose again.”