By Joe St. Henry

Review Sports Contributor

As rivalry games go, Lake Orion’s football matchup versus Oxford last Friday was not much of one, with the Dragons whipping the Wildcats, 35-0, to up their season record to 4-0 (3-0 OAA Red).

Make no mistake, however, these two teams do not like each other. Combined, they were flagged for 190 yards in penalties, several for unsportsmanlike play.

“It’s a rivalry game and the kids were amped up,” said head coach John Blackstock. “I was frustrated, though, because of the penalties. We told the kids not to take the bait, but some did. We have to stop the penalties.”

It was easy to see why Oxford’s players grew frustrated, given the continued strong play of Lake Orion’s defense. The Dragons held the Wildcats to 11 first downs and a total 190 yards – despite having their offense on the field nearly double the time.

The Dragons, meanwhile, produced 16 first downs and 405 yards of offense, including 305 yards on the ground. They averaged more than 11 yards per play. Lake Orion was led by senior quarterback Blaze Lauer’s 116 yards and senior running back Kobe Manzo’s 103 yards, his fourth consecutive 100-yard game. Both scored rushing touchdowns. Lauer also passed for 100 yards and two touchdowns.

Lake Orion started fast, taking their opening drive 60 yards in six plays, highlighted by a 45-yard dash by Manzo, who also punched it into the end zone from one yard out, giving the Dragons a 7-0 lead less than three minutes into the game.

On their first possession, the Wildcats fumbled and the Dragons recovered at the Oxford 35-yard line. However, Lake Orion’s field goal attempt was blocked.

After forcing a short Oxford punt late in the first quarter, Lake Orion took over near midfield. They took only four plays to score, with senior Marlon Robinson Jr. dashing 26 yards to the end zone on the first play of the second quarter, which gave the Dragons a 14-0 lead.

“Marlon has a lot of talent,” Blackstock said. “We’ve been looking for ways to get him going and it was great to see him have a good night.”

The Dragon defense forced two punts on successful Wildcat drives and then Lauer showcased his elusiveness with two minutes left before halftime, breaking free for a 78-yard touchdown run. The score upped Lake Orion’s lead to 21-0.

“Blaze has flat out pure speed,” Blackstock said. “He has one or two of those plays a game when he just takes off and nobody can catch him.”

Oxford’s best chance to get back in the game came on their opening drive of the third quarter. After moving downfield, the Wildcat running back broke free toward the end zone, but he fumbled the ball on the four-yard line while trying to avoid a tackle. The ball went into the end zone and Lake Orion senior defensive back Kaiden Beck recovered it for a touchback.

Both defenses tightened, but Lauer was able to find senior wide receiver Sam Staruch on a screen pass for a 22-yard touchdown with 30 seconds left in the quarter, stretching Lake Orion’s lead to 28-0.

The Dragons finished the rout in the fourth quarter, with Lauer hitting senior wide receiver Drew Vanheck in stride for a long 75-yard touchdown pass, giving Lake Orion a five-touchdown lead.

“It was a fun game for us,” Blackstock said. “The Double-O trophy was on the line and we took care of business.”

Blackstock also noted how pleased he is with how the team has played defensively through the first four games. Against Oxford, the Dragons were led by Casey Coltrin and Ashton Croll with ten tackles each; Beck finished with six tackles and two fumble recoveries.

“We’re really playing good team defense and running to the ball,” he said. “I think we can get even better, in terms of consistency.”

This week, Lake Orion faces its toughest opponent so far, with West Bloomfield (3-1) visiting Dragon Stadium. Both teams are ranked in the top ten in Division1 – West Bloomfield No. 7, Lake Orion No. 8. Last week, the Lakers shut out Clarkston.

“We’ve got to maintain drives and get first downs to keep their playmakers off the field,” Blackstock said. “To do this, we’re going to have to get a number of guys involved and mix it up offensively. We’ve done that so far, but this will be a test.”