Lake sent a message Friday night that it’s not the same team that went 1-9 in 2016.
From the opening kickoff to the final gun, the Hornets (1-1) rebounded from a heartbreaking loss to Pelahatchie with a commanding 39-0 win over rival Sebastopol.
On that opening kickoff, D’Alex Jennings picked up the ball deep in his own territory and returned it more than 90 yards for a touchdown, giving Lake a 6-0 lead just 22 seconds into the contest.
While the play ignited the Lake sideline and fans, coach Tate Hanna was concerned that his team may have relaxed a little bit.
“We came out with the great play on special teams, but overall we came out slow,” Hanna said. “I think they thought it was over with right then. You know, we’ve got to play four quarters of ball, and that’s what these kids have got to learn. After losing some games like we did last year, we have to play four quarters.”
Hanna, however, was excited with the way his team responded after the tough, last-minute loss.
“We had a good week of practice,” Hanna said. “It’s just like life. We have to learn from it and get better. I was proud of the effort this week.”
Jennings added to his highlight reel by intercepting the Sebastopol quarterback on the Bobcats’ third play of the game. However, the Hornets couldn’t cash in, but they pinned Sebastopol inside its own 20-yard line.
After a Bobcat punt, quarterback Mickey Parker hooked up with Zywon Ledbetter on a short pass that turned into a 46-yard touchdown strike, giving Lake a 12-0 lead midway through the first quarter.
A 1-yard punt by Sebastopol (0-2) on fourth-and-45 led to a short field for the Hornets. Marc Qualls did it all, gaining 22 yards on the first play and finishing the drive with a 1-yard plunge into the end zone. Lake led 18-0 at the end of the first quarter.
A Qualls 40-yard punt return for a touchdown was negated by a block in the back, putting the ball at the Bobcat 35-yard line. However, a huge loss due to a fumbled snap eventually forced a punt, leaving the halftime score at 18-0.
A fumble recovery set up a long drive by Lake to open the second half, but the Hornets came up short on fourth-and-goal at the 1-yard line.
But the bad field position worked to Lake’s advantage, as the Bobcats fumbled in the end zone, which was recovered by Zeke Chapman. Parker added the two-point conversion.
Backup quarterback Johnny Johnson put the game out of reach with a 16-yard touchdown moments into the fourth quarter and then added a 27-yard touchdown at the 9:00 mark of the fourth quarter. Parker added the extra point to complete the Lake scoring.
The final touchdown was set up by a sack and fumble recovery by Lake’s Desmond Harris.
Qualls finished the night with 97 yards on nine carries while Johnson had 50 yards on three carries.
