Trojans off to best start since 2017 season
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LOWER LAKE >> Not even their head coach getting knocked out on the sidelines could stop the Lower Lake Trojans from administering a haymaker of their own Friday night at home against the Kennedy Eagles of Richmond.
The Trojans passed for three touchdowns and ran for three others while beating the Eagles 44-14 in non-league varsity football action at Gordon Sadler Field. Lower Lake (2-0) is off to its best start since winning its first four games to start the 2017 season.
“We were physical and played together against a fast and talented young team from Kennedy,” said Lower Lake head coach Jay Jakubowski, who was sporting a concussion Saturday afternoon. “We were able to move the ball on the ground and limit their big plays. We had some penalties that allowed them to keep drives alive, but our persistent attack finally allowed us to pull away.”
Of all the hard hits delivered by both teams Friday in Lower Lake, Jakubowski may have been the recipient of the hardest. With Lower Lake up 8-0 in the first quarter, Jakubowski was standing near the sideline where an official running down the line caught Lower Lake’s head coach with his elbow, a blow that knocked Jakubowski to the ground unconscious.
“I was in the box, just not back far enough,” Jakubowski said. “He hit me right behind the ear with his shoulder.”
Added Jakubowski, “I got knocked out.”
While Jakubowski was recovering on the bench while being attended to by medical personnel, the Trojans were delivering that kind of blow to Kennedy, and the Eagles were catching it from all angles.
Lower Lake built a 20-6 halftime lead on the strength of the first of two Zach Jones rushing touchdowns, the first of two Luke Campbell touchdown receptions, and a Christian Rodriguez TD catch.
The Trojans opened up a 28-6 lead early in the third quarter on a Zakai Vilmenay 31-yard run, then after Kennedy closed to 28-14, Lower Lake put the game out of reach on a Jones 18-yard run. The team’s final points came on quarterback Ashton Hartmann’s third TD pass of the night, a strike to Campbell.
Lower Lake converted four of its six two-point conversions, including all three in the second half.
While there were plenty of heroes for Lower Lake, Vilmenay’s performance certainly stood out, according to Jakubowski.
“Zakai had a monster game on both sides of the ball and on special teams,” Jakubowski said of his leading rusher (10 carries for 81 yards).
Jones added 69 yards on the ground, including the two TDs, and caught two passes for 10 yards.
Hartmann, who is just a junior, went 11-for-17 for 102 yards and the three TDs. He spread the ball around to four different receivers, led by Campbell (three catches, 34 yards) and Jimmy Shankles (three catches, 22 yards).
Overall, the Trojans amassed 178 yards on the ground.
Lower Lake’s defense had a great night as well, according to Jakubowski.
“Our defense looked good against their running attack,” he said. “Our defensive line was solid with standout performances from Noel Pereira, Edgar Ontiveros, Xavier Arrellano and Vincenty Wilson.”
Another standout was inside linebacker Jason Gandeza.
Lower Lake opens a two-game stretch on the road as North Central League I play opens next Friday. The Trojans travel to Cloverdale first, then to Willits on Friday, Sept. 20 before returning home Sept. 27 to play Upper Lake.
Lower Lake’s junior varsity team went without a game for the second week in a row as Kennedy, just like Esparto a week earlier, was unable to field a JV team.
