Lions open big vs. Waynesboro
It’s hard to imagine starting a season better than scoring on the first play from scrimmage. That’s exactly what Lions quarterback Sam Emig did Friday night, and our team went on to roll to a 38-14 win past Waynesboro.
Emig much of the show for the Lions, running for a pair of touchdowns and passing for another two. The senior took off for a 62-yard scamper, reaching the end zone only 14 seconds into the game. Six minutes later, Emig scored on a 60-yard run. Coach Jesse Shay was not surprised at the athleticism show by his quarterback.
“When I would go out in the spring and watch lacrosse I would get excited,” Shay said of seeing Emig play. “He doesn’t have to slow down to make a cut. He can do it at full speed. It was his first opening night, at home and I thought he handled it beautifully.
“Even when (Waynesboro) came back, he did not get panicked, did not get frazzled. They made nice adjustments to the things we were doing. He didn’t let the team get panicked. He’s be telling the guys calm down, we will get it going.”
The Indians fought back, tying the game midway through the second quarter, but the Lions would not allow a point after Cameron Keck’s 60-yard touchdown reception. Emig’s field goal with 27 seconds remaining in the second quarter gave Red Lion a 17-14 lead at halftime.
Ben Frey hauled in an Emig pass from 25 yards out, putting the Lions up 24-14 and Paul Jones scored from 38 yards out on a jet sweep pass from Emig. Denny Dennison’s 86-yard interception return closed the scoring with 1:25 to play.
Shay said, “What were able to get going was the passing game. With our line we are a run first team. But what we need to do since everybody knowns that is get some kind of a passing game going. We’ve got to take a shot and trust our playmakers.”
Though Red Lion didn’t turn the ball over, Shay was disappointed with the Lions’ nine penalties for 70 yards.
“The importance for us is then fact we recognized we played sloppily at times. What I told them at end of the game is we played a physical team and lucky to play as sloppily and haphazard and get the win. But at the end of the day we are 1-0 … We won by 21 points and were not ecstatic with the win. That’s a great place to be.”
