Lakewood football tops Utica to send seniors out with victory

HEBRON — The victory bell at Calhoun Memorial Field has rarely sounded better than it did at about 9:30 p.m. Friday night.

The Lakewood football team capitalized on a blocked punt for a touchdown and took the lead for good on an interception in the fourth quarter in a 20-14 win against visiting Utica in the Licking County League-Cardinal Division finale. The win snapped a 21-game losing streak for the Lakewood program, dating to a win in Week 8 of the 2020 season.

“We had a lot of injuries coming out of last week’s game against Johnstown,” Lakewood coach John Poulnott said. “We started three or four freshmen in this game. Having those guys come through and win this game and get to ring that bell, we hope that pays dividends for the future."

It was a big day for Lakewood sophomore Hunter Crawford, who caught a 23-yard touchdown pass and also intercepted a Utica pass in the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown with 6:32 left in the game.

“Before the game, we talked about how our story hasn’t been told already," Poulnott added. "We said we get to decide how it ends up. We went out there and the kids played well.”

Crawford’s brother, junior quarterback Adam Crawford, completed 14 of 26 passes for 149 yards and that one touchdown. He also carried it nine times for 77 yards.

Freshman Garrett Hardway blocked a punt, which junior teammate Isaiah Mitchell recovered for a touchdown, and also had an interception for the Lancers (1-9, 1-4). Running back Josh Hicks, one of Lakewood’s five seniors, added 50 yards rushing on six carries.

Utica (3-7, 1-4) came into the game needing a win to keep its hope of reaching the Division V playoffs alive, but the blocked punt, three interceptions and some bad breaks conspired against Utica, which unofficially ended up one spot outside the 16-team playoff field in Region 19, according to Joe Eitel.

“I want to give a lot of credit to Lakewood,” said Utica coach Charlie Rowley, whose team outgained Lakewood 374-270 in total yardage. “They won the game and deserve credit for that. We made some mistakes, and they capitalized and took advantage. The blocked punt to start the game was huge. We had some miscommunication on the pick-six. That’s my fault there."

Utica senior quarterback Zack Heckman completed 21 of 36 passes for 244 yards, including a pair of touchdowns to junior Gavin Chinn. Chinn finished with six catches for 125 yards.

“We moved the ball and did some good things," Rowley added. "But we didn’t finish and didn’t get it done.”

Lakewood got on the board first as Mitchell recovered Hardway's blocked punt. He caught the ball on a bounce near the goal line and scored for a 7-0 lead with 6:24 left in the first quarter.

“When we first lined up, the edge guy was telling the guy inside of him to block me,” Hardway said. “But when they snapped it, I was untouched. I went back, put my hands up and it hit me in the chest.”

“It was Garrett’s first start as a freshman, and he had the blocked punt,” Mitchell added. “I just had to catch it and score.”

Utica answered as Heckman completed three passes on the ensuing drive, including the 38-yard TD pass to Chinn that tied it at 7-7 later in the first quarter.

The teams then traded interceptions with Utica’s Hayden Piper picking off a pass, only to have Lakewood’s Austin Romine return the favor at the Lancers’ 5-yard line.

Lakewood took over and went 95 yards in 17 plays as Adam Crawford threw it up for Hunter Crawford. Hunter was heavily covered, but he went up and hauled in the 23-yard TD that made it 14-7 with 1:16 left in the first half.

“I just decided to give him a chance on that deep ball, and he came down with it,” Adam Crawford said.

Utica then drove 60 yards, but Chinn’s sliding grab at the Lakewood 1 came as time expired to end the half.

Utica’s Chase Bennett intercepted a Lakewood pass, setting up a 10-play, 90-yard drive. Heckman hit Chinn for a 39-yard gain, leading to their 17-yard connection on a fourth down to tie it at 14-14 with 9:13 left in the game.

A Lakewood punt backed Utica up to its own 3-yard line. Disaster then struck as Utica attempted a pass out of the end zone, but Lakewood’s Hunter Crawford jumped the route and caught the screen pass in the end zone for a touchdown with 6:32 left in the game.

“I was pressing the point man (in the diamond formation of receivers),” Hunter Crawford said. “I saw the back receiver take a step back, so I knew it was a screen. I just dipped in there and the ball was right there. It was coming at me and I was like, ‘Don’t drop it.’ I was in the end zone, and it was a touchdown.”

Utica drove into the red zone, but Lakewood’s Hardway intercepted a pass with 2:50 left. Utica got it back near midfield with 1:45 left, but lost the ball on downs after three straight incompletions. Lakewood ran out the final 1:25 and celebrated the hard-fought win.

“It felt great,” Adam Crawford said. “Everything we worked for in the offseason and during the season, it came to a close right there. It felt amazing.”

This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Lakewood Lancers football tops Utica to send seniors out with victory