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Lake Park cashes in on comeback

Lake Park scored the game-winning play Friday night on a play called "Vegas," and, yes, the Lancers did take a gamble with the call.

It paid off in a big way.

Junior Johnny Pacione's 97-yard touchdown reception from junior quarterback Jackson Behles with 2:04 to play capped a Lake Park comeback and gave the Lancers a 28-21 nonconference football victory in Roselle.

"This is huge for our team, especially after a (21-0) deficit," Pacione said. "We've done it two weeks in a row, and now we know we just have to start out like we're playing the second half. Just keep capitalizing on that."

Pinned deep in their own end of the field by a DeKalb punt, the Lancers (2-1) didn't go conservative on the call by offensive coordinator Dan Paplaczyk.

"He and I both had the same thought, so I think that's why I was so locked in," said Lancers coach Chris Roll, who called his own plays until this season. "We're down at the 3(-yard line), and that momentum had slowed from all those touchdowns and I looked at him and said, You go for it."

Pacione caught the ball near midfield, broke free of a would-be DeKalb tackler and made a mad dash for the end zone.

"I just tried to stay up and kept fighting for the yards," Pacione said.

Pacione was only in the game for the play because good friend and fellow receiver Matt Latoria injured his arm late in the second quarter. The injury was serious enough for Latoria to be taken from the field in an ambulance after a 12-minute delay.

"I really dug deep for my teammate who is injured. I did it for him. I was in at his position," Pacione said.

DeKalb scored all three of its touchdowns in the second quarter on Jelante Young runs of 14, 18 and 1 yards.

A Darius Allen interception to start the second half swung the momentum back toward Lake Park. The Lancers scored third-quarter TDs on a Danny Spejcher 27-yard catch and a 2-yard Jarkeyse Brackett run. A Spejcher 6-yard TD catch with 8:04 left in the fourth tied the game at 21.

After Pacione's big play DeKalb (2-1) drove into Lake Park territory, but Kobe Whirl knocked down a last-second pass near the end zone.

"We've lost so many games by one touchdown that we said that with all the work that we've put in, it's got to start going our way," Roll said. "I think when Matt went down a lot of kids looked at themselves and said, What are we doing? We're wasting a night. And halftime was solid. The kids were focused. They weren't yelling at each other.

"It's a special win."

Follow Orrin on Twitter @Orrin_Schwarz

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