By Josh Beavers –
Lakeside travels to DeRidder on Friday for a 7 p.m. kickoff against the East Beauregard Trojans, and the Warriors will make the trip with something they did not have until last week: a win, and a dominant one.
After opening the season with losses to Jonesboro-Hodge and Waskom, Lakeside put together its most complete game of the year last Friday in Sibley, blanking North Caddo 34-0. Freshman Malik Thorn ran for three touchdowns, quarterback Levi Bogdan broke a long scoring scramble, and the Lakeside defense held North Caddo to almost nothing. The Warriors (1-2) now face a 2-1 East Beauregard team with a chance to even their record.
The win did not come easily at first. Lakeside opened the game at its own 20, and Thorn picked up a first down on the first snap. A sack and a miscue stalled the drive after that, and the Warriors had to punt. North Caddo managed one first down before facing fourth and long, and the Lakeside secondary broke up a pass in the end zone to take the ball back on downs.
The next Lakeside drive showed what the offense could do. Facing third and long, Bogdan rolled out and threw across the field to Eric Jones for a 14-yard gain and a first down. Thorn followed with a 15-yard run into North Caddo territory. Jones went around the right end for another first down, and when the drive reached fourth and 2, Jones carried again and got it. A fumbled exchange between the center and quarterback ended the threat, with North Caddo recovering at its own 17. A Lakeside facemask penalty added 15 yards for the Titans, and the first quarter ended without a score.
The Lakeside defense changed that in the second quarter. Jace Waller intercepted a pass to give the Warriors the ball at their own 33. Jaden Clark took a handoff to the left for a long gain to the North Caddo 41. On third and long, Bogdan dropped back, felt the pressure and took off. Nobody caught him. His 41-yard touchdown run put Lakeside on the board, and although the point after failed, the Warriors led 6-0 with 9:04 left in the half.
The defense kept the pressure on from there. Jones dropped a North Caddo ball carrier for a loss to push the Titans deep into their own territory, and on third and long, Jones and Nohlin Keen combined to bring down the quarterback. North Caddo had to punt from its own 4.
Brenan Hubbard fielded the punt and returned it all the way to the North Caddo 5. On the next play, Thorn swept left for his first touchdown of the night, and he added the two-point conversion to put Lakeside up 14-0 with 5:45 left in the second quarter.
North Caddo answered with its best drive of the half and moved to midfield, but James Roberson stopped the Titans behind the line to set up second and long. On third down, J’Quon Shehee nearly came away with an interception. North Caddo punted again, and Lakeside took over at its own 47 as time ran out in the half.
The second half belonged to Lakeside. North Caddo went nowhere on its opening possession, and Hubbard broke another long punt return, this time to the North Caddo 24. Thorn took a pitch to the right side all the way to the 4, then took another pitch the other direction on the next play for his second touchdown. The kick failed, leaving the score at 20-0 with 8:57 left in the third quarter.
North Caddo held the ball for several minutes on its next drive and picked up some yardage, but the Lakeside defense stiffened and got the ball back. Jones broke a long run to set up the Warriors near the goal line, and a few plays later Thorn scored his third touchdown. The extra point made it 27-0 with 3:40 left in the third. Michael Sheets then stopped a Titan ball carrier to force a fourth down on North Caddo’s next possession, and the Titans did not cross midfield again.
Roberson closed the scoring early in the fourth quarter. He carried to the right for a touchdown at the 9:45 mark, and the extra point set the final at 34-0.
The Lakeside offense finished with 330 yards, nearly all of it on the ground. Six different players carried the ball, and three of them scored. The Warriors also converted their only fourth-down try of the night.
Friday’s game in DeRidder sends Lakeside back on the road for the first time since the season opener at Jonesboro-Hodge. The Warriors will bring a defense that has not allowed a point in its last four quarters.
LAKESIDE STATISTICS
Passing: Levi Bogdan 1-for-4, 14 yards.
Rushing: Malik Thorn 14 carries, 99 yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 two-point conversion. Jaden Clark 8 carries, 71 yards. Eric Jones 5 carries, 59 yards. Levi Bogdan 2 carries, 39 yards, 1 touchdown. James Roberson 2 carries, 35 yards, 1 touchdown. Colby Procell 3 carries, 13 yards. Team totals 316 yards rushing.
Receiving: Eric Jones 1 catch, 14 yards.
Team: 330 yards of total offense, 14 passing and 316 rushing. Lakeside went 3-for-6 on third down and 1-for-1 on fourth down.
Defense: Nohlin Keen 11 tackles, 4 solo. Caleb Barber 9 tackles, 5 solo. Stanley Owens 6 tackles, 1 solo. James Roberson 5 tackles, 2 solo, 1 tackle for loss. Noah David 5 tackles, 2 solo. Michael Sheets 3 tackles, 2 solo. Eric Jones 3 tackles, 1 solo, 1 tackle for loss. J’Quon Shehee 3 tackles, 1 solo. Colby Procell 2 tackles. Peyton Campbell 2 tackles. Jace Waller 1 interception.