Lane and Curie players hold the line during the second half. Photo Credit: Jane Rickard
Photography by Jane Rickard and Jason Davis
It’s hard to compare Lane (2-2, 0-1) with Georgia Tech, but the Indians are experiencing growing pains trying to learn the GT no-huddle option offense.
Lane has one of the best running backs in the Public League with Fred Williams. Williams would be featured in any high school offense.
Lane had problems with execution on both sides of the football last Friday night in a 37-7 home loss to Curie (2-2, 1-0). The Indians committed five turnovers and allowed 403 yards in the section opener.
“It was obviously disappointing,” said Lane’s first-year Head Coach Fred Proesel who has worked with Loyola and Niles West. “I think their speed hurt us. They came to play and we didn’t.”
“It’s a great win, ” said Curie’s James Adeyanju who is one of the best players in the state. “The season has been kind of tough (with two early losses). It’s our arch rival Lane Tech and year in and year out we are battling for conference. Simeon is our next battle.”
How good is Georgia Tech? The Yellow Jackets used that offense to win the ACC championship last season and advanced to the Orange Bowl before losing to Iowa.
“The whole thing is in four games we’re putting the football on the ground too much,” admitted Proesel. “When you run the triple option, you can’t do that. You have to have positive plays or zero (yardage) plays. You can’t have turnovers and you can’t have plays going backward.”
No offense will work successfully with turnovers. Lane’s defense didn’t have a good night under the lights allowing 240 yards rushing.
The Condors broke the game open in the second half scoring three touchdowns while limiting Lane to only 52 yards of total offense.
One play might have changed this entire game. Dominic Kozlowski kicked a 30-yard field goal as time expired in the first half giving Curie a 17-7 lead. The field goal was setup on a 30-yard pass to Jibreel Jackson.
Curie fed the momentum of the field goal by scoring 20 points in the third quarter. The Condors began the second half by scoring on their first series as quarterback Maurice Fleming scored on a 45-yard run.
Curie never looked back as Greg Fenn added an eight yard run and Kevonta Mc Intyre scored on a 32-yard run into the end zone for a 37-7 advantage.
Fleming was a double threat passing for 163 yards while rushing for 106 yards and one touchdown.
Mc Intryre rushed for 90 yards and three touchdowns.
Football is a team game, but Lane quarterback Preston Oshita is struggling to learn the new offense. Oshita had problems on Friday night with many facets of the offense.
One of Lane’s few bright spots was backup quarterback Nick Jankowski. Jankowski played the final quarter without any miscues.
Proesel admitted the quarterback position was going to be evaluated before Lane hosts Lincoln Park this Friday night.
“We have to regroup,” said Proesel after the loss. “We took a step back. You are going to have nights like this. Losses don’t lie sometimes wins lie. When you lose, you know what you don’t have as a team.”
What Lane needs now is confidence and morale. A win against Lincoln Park might be just what the doctor ordered.
