Eventually, Lakes executes winning plan
Execution. Plain and simple.
That was the message from Lakes football coach Jordan Eder, and it was repeated to his team at just about every point during the Eagles' 33-19 victory over North Chicago on Friday night.
The Eagles had their hands full in the regular-season finale matchup against North Chicago, and things weren't going their way early.
The Warhawks used their speed-driven offense to strike first. Following a turnover by Lakes inside its own 20-yard line, quarterback Dyshawn Gales found a seam on a broken play and raced through the defense for a 16-yard touchdown run.
North Chicago was in complete control of the first half. The team's speed on offense was clearly an issue for the Eagles' front seven, including Western Michigan-bound linebacker Ryan Selig. It was apparent when Gales hooked up with wideout Ishaun Walker on a 64-touchdown pass that the Warhawks weren't intimidated by the 8-1 Eagles.
"It's really tough to overcome that type of adversity in the second half. They are a really talented team. They had athletes all over the field," said Lakes running back Ethan Greenfield. "We made the adjustment. That's what we've done all year."
The Warhawks were moving the ball well late in the second half and looked like they were going to score again, but a big mistake by Gales gave Lakes the break it needed. Gales attempted to avoid a sack and threw across his body as Eagles cornerback Dylan Keilwitz caught the tipped pass and raced the other way for a 40-yard touchdown to tie the game at 19-19 following the extra point.
But the Eagles' ground game and defense stepped up big-time in the second half.
The Lakes defense couldn't slow down the Warhawks' offense in the first half, but it did figure out how to get pressure on Gales. The Eagles also got two huge takeaways, including a fumble recovery at their own goal line as North Chicago running back Ozzie Young stretched for the end zone.
"We thought execution was poor in the first half. We weren't leaving points off the board, but we weren't completing drives," said Eder. "That fumble picked everybody up."
The Eagles finally took the lead on a 10-yard touchdown by Selig, which ended up being the game winner. Workhorse tailback Greenfield started slowly but wore the defense down in the fourth quarter and breaking out for runs of 50 and 38 yards. He finished with 162 yards on 20 carries and 2 touchdowns.
Lakes finishes the regular season 8-1 overall and 6-1 in the Northern Lake County Conference, while North Chicago is 5-4 and 3-4.
Both the Eagles and Warhawks will now be in wait-and-see mode. Lakes will be waiting to find out who its playoff opponent will be, while North Chicago hopes it has enough points to earn a playoff berth.
The first round of the IHSA playoffs begin next week.