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Football: Balanced play lifts Lakes past Grant
Updated: November 4, 2011 10:58PM
Visiting Lakes could not have picked a better time to play their most complete game of the season.
With the offense, defense and special teams all contributing, the Eagles soared to a 38-7 victory over Grant in the Round of 16 of the Class 6A playoffs.
This is the first time in the school’s short history that the Eagles (9-2) have made it to the quarterfinal round of the postseason.
Next week, they will play either Lake Forest or Batavia.
Running back Direll Clark scored first-half touchdowns on runs of 85, 19 and 8 yards and finished with 16 carries for 208 yards.
Also doing damage was the pitch/catch combination of Chris Hoffman and Andrew Spencer. Hoffman completed 7 of 11 for 114 yards and 1 TD. Spencer caught all the passes, including a 40-yard TD dagger after Grant got within 24-7 with a TD on the opening drive of the second half.
Defensively, Drew Recker’s pick one play after Clark’s first TD run set up Clark’s second TD. And kicker Tanner Blain was perfect on PATs and nailed a 36-yard field goal.
“At the beginning of the year, every team wants to be playing for state,” said Luke Mertens, the only coach the Eagles have had. “It’s a great honor to be still playing.”
Clark was unstoppable in the first half, breaking tackle after tackle on all three TD runs.
“He’s a great second-effort runner,” Mertens said. “He’s been doing that all year.”
This was the second time this season that Lakes handled a Grant team that was 7-1 against everybody else.
“We just have our plays and we try to execute them,” the coach said. “Every team in our (North Suburban Conference Prairie) division can run the ball, so it’s huge when you can get a lead on any of them like we did tonight.”
Lakes’ last score was by sophomore T.J. Edwards who ran the “Wildcat” to pay dirt.
Kyle Whitman of Grant finished his great career rushing 27 times for 129 yards and his team’s only touchdown.
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