The Blitz, complete high school coverage
Lions 14, Bulldogs 7
Difference maker: Carter Ross and Matthew Askounis combined to accumulate 108 yards on 16 carries, chewing up the clock and controlling field position.
Stat that matters: GMC racked up 60 yards in penalties, including several illegal procedure calls that killed drives and flipped the field position. Along with five turnovers, it gave Lakeview a short field all night.
Turning point: With the Lions losing 7-6, the Bulldogs’ punter mishandled a low snap on his own 5-yard line and a host of Lakeview players recovered the ball. One play later, quarterback Ted Reynolds scored the go-ahead touchdown.
Who’s next: Lakeview travels to Towns County next week, while Georgia Military welcomes North Cobb Christian.
The Lakeview Academy Lions notched a workmanlike win over Georgia Military College, winning 14-7 on the strength of disciplined play and a solid running game.
The Bulldogs tallied 11 penalties and five turnovers, and although GMC made several big plays through the air, Lakeview showed its resolve and committed only three penalties for 15 yards.
More importantly, when GMC handed Lakeview the ball, the Lions capitalized. Both of their touchdowns came on the heels of Bulldog turnovers.
The first score came off of a 56-yard touchdown run by Matt Askounis, who took the ball on a sweep, then cut back inside and found a gaping hole down the middle of the field as he raced for the end zone. The Lions led 6-0 when the PAT was missed.
The third quarter saw the Bulldogs score on a 60-yard touchdown catch by Drew Reece. After the extra point went through, the Lions trailed 7-6.
But Lakeview found a way to quash GMC’s third-quarter surge. John Cox nabbed two interceptions in the second half for the Lions.
When the Bulldogs attempted to punt from their own 5-yard line, the Lakeview defense pounced on a low snap.
With 9:25 left to go in the fourth quarter, Ted Reynolds punched in the winning score on a quarterback keeper.
The Lions extended their lead to seven when Reynolds passed to Jason Strickland for the two-point conversion.
GMC outgained Lakeview 320-128.
With the win, the Lions are now 3-4 on the season, on the verge of matching last year’s 4-4 record, which was the best in the program’s history.