Lower Lake backup QB Shields goes down in 21-14 setback to Willits
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LOWER LAKE >> Holding a 14-7 halftime lead, the Lower Lake Trojans ended up losing another tough one Friday night, this time 21-14 to the Willits Wolverines in North Central League I varsity football action at Gordon Sadler Field.
Lower Lake, now 0-4 in league action and 2-4 overall, has lost competitive games against St. Helena, Clear Lake, Fort Bragg and now Willits.
“They can play football, but we continue to beat ourselves,” Lower Lake head coach Jay Jakubowski said of mistakes and bad decisions made by his players.
Lower Lake opened play with backup quarterback Brody Shields making the start because starter Ashton Hartmann was serving a one-game suspension after being ejected in the final seconds of the team’s 12-8 loss at Fort Bragg the previous week. Willits took a 7-0 lead into the second quarter, but that quarter was only 16 seconds old when Shields hooked up with Jony Ventura on a 71-yard touchdown pass. Shields added the conversion run to give Lower Lake an 8-7 lead.
Shields was off to a solid start before his night ended with a shoulder injury sustained later in the second quarter. Third-string quarterback Jeremiah Lopez took over and made an immediate contribution by throwing a 25-yard touchdown pass to Raijhier McKneely for a 14-7 lead.
Willits tied the game early in the third quarter and went ahead 21-14 on a pick-six interception with 4:27 left in the third.
Jakubowski said Lopez tried to do too much on the pass, throwing the ball back across his body and right into the hands of a Willits player. Still, he couldn’t find fault with the junior given his inexperience and limited time at the quarterback position.
“I think Lopez did amazing given that we had to throw him in there like that,” Jakubowski said. “In his case, it’s just a lack of reps.”
The game was halted for 20 minutes in the fourth quarter when Lower Lake’s Jordan Rohrbacker went down near the Willits sideline.
“He landed awkwardly and was unconscious for a short time according to the Willits coaches, who were there right away (to help him),” Jakubowski said.
Medical personnel on the scene ultimately transported Rohrbacker to the hospital.
“He was talking and had feeling in his legs when he left the field,” Jakubowski said.
When play finally resumed, Willits was about to punt the ball back to Lower Lake when the Trojans were hit with an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty that extended the Wolverines’ drive and allowed them to take precious time off the clock.
“My kids are playing tough, they played their butts off, but they just can’t get out of their own way at times,” Jakubowski said. “All the things consistency brings; we don’t have it.”
Individual game statistics were not available.
Lower Lake lost the junior varsity game 50-26.
The Trojans have the league bye next Friday and don’t return to action until Oct. 17 at Upper Lake.
