HS FOOTBALL: Lakeland piles up 400 yards in 40-6 win over Carbondale Area
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SCOTT TWP. — Lakeland’s Jackson Pochas accounted for 235 yards of total offense, but the junior quarterback credited a play he made on special teams for swinging the momentum in the Chiefs’ 40-6 win over Carbondale Area on Friday night.
With No. 5 Lakeland leading 13-0, Pochas returned the second-half kickoff 56 yards to the Chargers 29. He scored on a 1-yard run, five plays later, after scampering for 11 yards and finding senior wide receiver Chase Rosenkrans for a 16-yard completion during the drive. Pochas also converted the two-point conversion attempt to give the Chiefs a 21-0 lead early in the third quarter.
“Coming out of half, I had that big return and the momentum shifted from there,” Pochas said. “We made some plays, the guys up front blocked, and we turned the tide.”
Junior Luke McFarland — who caught a touchdown pass in last week’s game — made a big impact in the run game for Lakeland (5-0) during the first half.
After opening the scoring by capping a 13-play drive with a 2-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, McFarland burst through the line for a 31-yard touchdown with 5:31 left in the second quarter.
“Props to my blockers, when I see them in front of me I know I’m safe and the cutbacks are always there,” he said. “If you follow your blocks and do your job, it’ll be open. We’re just very versatile players. Jackson Pochas was always our star receiver and now he’s at quarterback making great plays, controlling the game, controlling the offense, but we can’t do anything without the line. If we don’t have a line, we can’t run the ball.”
Carbondale Area (2-3) had its best scoring chance of the first half, late in the second quarter, but a pair of key defensive plays by Lakeland kept the Chargers off the scoreboard.
First senior lineman Cole Hastings tackled Mason Voglino for a 4-yard loss, pushing the ball back to the Lakeland 9 before junior linebacker Evan Lonzinski intercepted a pass near the goal line to end the threat.
“I took my read steps that I practice every day, and I saw it come right to me,” Lonzinski said.
Pochas scored his second touchdown of the game — a 41-yard run — with 8:49 left in the third quarterback after McFarland intercepted a pass.
“It was a nice motion play where I get to read the (defensive) end,” Pochas said. “He bailed out and my line did a great job. I had a beautiful hole to work with and just made a play. We’ve been working on getting better every week, but we still have a lot of work to do.”
Carbondale Area saw another promising drive come up empty on the ensuing possession when a fourth-down from the Chiefs 16 fell incomplete.
Lonzinski ran for a 13-yard touchdown and freshman Cooper Keen added an 11-yard touchdown run for Lakeland in the fourth quarter.
Caedon Voglino — who rushed for 61 yards on 10 carries — scored Carbondale Area’s lone touchdown on a 11-yard run with 4:44 left in the game. Mason Voglino ran for 108 yards on 20 carries.
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