GALLERY: Superlarks take down L/P

Published 5:55 pm Saturday, September 17, 2011

Grand Meadow quarterback Trenton Bleifus is wrapped up by Lyle/Pacelli defenders Sean Shapiro left, Teddy Emery, center, and Max Brennan on the goal-line in Grand Meadow's 40-0 win over L/P in Lyle Saturday. -- Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com

LYLE — The Grand Meadow football team unleashed its freshman play-maker as it upended Lyle/Pacelli 40-0 in Lyle Saturday.

Landon Jacobson, who lined up at quarterback and running back, caught a 21-yard touchdown pass on GM’s first drive of the game and he also ran for 102 yards and a score. His first running play went for 43 yards.

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“The more you play, the easier it gets. It was a good way to start the game with that touchdown,” Jacobson said.

After allowing the first score in just over a minute, the Athletics (0-3 overall) forced a GM punt on the Larks’ second possession of the game and they forced another punt on GM’s second possession. However, on the second punt they had 10 men on the field which set up a fourth and three for the Larks at their own 35-yard line.

The Larks converted that fourth down when junior Andrew Bell broke off a 64-yard run on a counter to the left on his only carry of the game to set up a one-yard Richard Bain touchdown run that made it 13-0 with 1:49 left in the game.

“They called a timeout and I told the guys to watch the option or the counter,” L/P head coach Reid Olson said. “We had two guys there and they still break it.”

Bain added another touchdown in the second quarter and Perry Stesjkal scored from six yards out to put GM (3-0 overall, 3-0 SEC) up 27-0 at the break.

Stesjkal, a junior who missed most of last season and the first two games of this season with an injury, finished with seven carries for 50 yards.

Lyle/Pacelli running back Brandon Cotter tries to break a tackle from Grand Meadow's Cole Harston in Lyle Saturday. -- Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com

“It felt good to be out there, but I was a little bit tired and out of shape,” he said.

L/P, which hasn’t scored an offensive touchdown in three games, had some chances early on. Damien Haugen took a 51-yard run to the GM six-yard line but L/P couldn’t get any closer than the five and freshman quarterback Jordan Hart threw a pair of interceptions in GM territory on LP’s first two possessions of the game.

“We have too many offensive weapons to get shutout every game. The silly mental lapses are killing us right now,” L/P head coach Reid Olson said.

L/P’s 204 yards of offense is the most they’ve had all season, but Olson would like to see more.

“It’s reassuring to know that people are coming up to me and tell me that we’re improving,” he said. “But I told the team that they need to understand that we’re moving at a snail’s pace because they want to do things their way instead of what they’re being taught. When we want to work hard, be a disciplined team and put our teammates first, then we’ll break out.”

GM played the game without one of its top tacklers in Brock Johnson, who was out with an injury and will likely miss next week’s game as well, and Bain and quarterback Trenton Bleifus also suffered what are considered to be minor injuries in the win.

“We’re getting closer to being healthy. We haven’t had one practice where we’ve all been healthy,” Sloan said.

The injuries did help Jacobson get some more time on the field.

“Jacobson’s gonna make some plays for us,” Sloan said. “Part of the reason he played is because Bleifus got hurt, but he was going to play a lot anyway. He needs some reps.”

GM will play at Mabel/Canton next Friday and the schedule gets tougher from that point. Sloan hopes his team can make some improvements.

“Our offensive blocking is not as good as it needs to be and are tackling is not very good,” hew said. “We’ve got too many arm tackles and too many guys ducking their heads.”

SCORING SUMMARY

GM 13 14 7 6 — 40

LP 0 0 0 0 — 0

First quarter

(GM) Landon Jacobson 21 pass from Trenton Bleifus (kick failed) (3 plays, 65 yards) 10:56

(GM) Richard Bain 1 run (Nate Morrow kick) (5 plays, 73 yards) 1:49

Second quarter

(GM) Bain 1 run (Morrow kick) (10 plays, 49 yards) 9:19

(GM) Perry Stejskal 6 run (Morrow kick) (9 plays, 95 yards) 2:31

Third quarter

(GM) Jacobson 15 run (Morrow kick) (6 plays, 55 yards) :36.9

Fourth quarter

(GM) Cameron Turner (run failed) (4 plays, 65 yards) 8:00

GM STATS

Rushing: Landon Jacobson, 10-for-102, TD; Andrew Bell, 1-for-64; Perry Stejskal, 7-for-50, TD; Richard Bain, 8-for-44, 2 TD; Trenton Bleifus, 10-for-40; Cameron Turner, 4-for-36, TD; Cole Harston, 3-for-17; Dezmon Johnson, 5-for-12; Blake Olson, 1-for-8; Cameron Gomer, 1-for-6

Passing: Bleifus, 3-for-6, 63, TD; Landon Jacobson, 0-for-1, INT

Receiving: Johnson, 1-for-36; Landon Jacobson, 1-for-21, TD; Collin Jacobson, 1-for-6

Interceptions: Bleifus (2), Harston (1)

Sacks: Dannie Dunbar (1); Harston (1)

Penalties: 3-for-20

LP STATS

Rushing: Damien Haugen, 6-for-67; Sean Shapiro, 16-for-64; Brandon Cotter, 10-for-40; Jordan Hart, 2-for-(-18)

Passing: Hart, 5-for-13, 51, 3 INT

Receiving: Skylar Meyer, 2-for-32; Haugen, 1-for-14; Jacob Nelson, 1-for-5; Max Brennan, 1-for-0

Interceptions: Haugen (1)

Sacks: Brennan (2); Teddy Emery (1)

Penalties: 12-for-96

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