(Special to SEK-Sports.com courtesy of Eddie Hibbs III)
ERIE – Senior Zaine Lantz scored a trio of touchdown in the first half to help pace Cherryvale to a 33-9 win here Friday night.
The Chargers took control early on both sides of the ball. After Cherryvale received the opening kickoff, the Chargers marched the ball 61 yards in 9 plays capped by a 17-yard touchdown connection between senior signal-caller Gavin Hooper and sophomore Briggs Adkisson.
“Thought our kids came out focused and hungry, played very well defensively,” said Cherryvale head coach Harry Hester.
After the ensuing kickoff, the Red Devils were flagged for illegal procedure on their first offensive snap, and penalties doomed Erie much of the game.
Lantz scored his first touchdown with 16.4 seconds, scooting across the goal line from 16 yards out and giving the Chargers a 13-0 lead.
Lantz’s second touchdown was a 36-yard reception from Hooper for the first score of the second quarter.
With 7.3 seconds before half time, the Red Devils tallied their only touchdown as junior Dawson Lehman punched it in from two yards out. Junior Kolby Kmeic caught the pass from senior Matthew Vail for the two-point conversion, cutting the Charger lead to 19-8 at the break.
Lantz found the end zone for a third with early in the third with a 58-yard jaunt. The Chargers final TD was early in the fourth on a 6-yard run from senior Wyatt Gillman.
“We need to clean some things up but feel we had some kids step up and play under the Friday night lights,” said Hester.
Gavin Hooper would finish the night 6-for-16 with 76 yards passing and 2 touchdowns and an interception. He also had 11 yards rushing. Senior running back Wyatt Gillman had the night to remember with 130 yards on the ground and a touchdown. Zaine Lantz recorded 79 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns.
CHERRYVALE 33, ERIE 8
CV 13 6 8 6 = 33
ER 0 8 0 0 = 6
FIRST QUARTER
CV – Briggs Adkison 17 pass from Garvin Hooper (Bradlee Morris kick), 8:08, 7-0 CV
CV – Zaine Lantz 16 run (kick failed), 16.4, 13-0 CV
SECOND QUARTER
CV – Lantz 36 pass from Hooper (pass failed), 4:56, 19-0 CV
ER – Dawson Lehman 2 run (Kolby Kmeic pass from Matthew Vail), 7.3, 19-8 CV
THIRD QUARTER
CV – Lantz 58 run (Jacobi Barnetti run), 10:35, 27-8 CV
FOURTH QUARTER
CV – Wyatt Gillman 6 run (run failed), 10:28, 33-8 CV