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Spartans defense holds off Vikings

By PETE YOUNG

© St. Petersburg Times,
published June 1, 2001

ST. PETERSBURG -- Three standout defensive plays helped Lakewood defeat Northeast 21-15 in a preseason jamboree Thursday at Northeast.

The Spartans moved the ball effectively in the air (Pat Carter was 13-of-19 for 161 yards) and on the ground (21 rushes for 103 yards), but they needed big defensive plays.

In the final minute of the first half, Northeast, down 14-7, drove inside the Lakewood 1 with one second left. The Vikings tried a quick pitch, but Matron Church stuffed it for a 2-yard loss.

The junior varsity played the third quarter, and Northeast went ahead 15-14.

In the fourth, the Vikings, behind rising junior Josh Harris (6-of-15, 71 yards), the brother of the graduating Andrew Harris, appeared to be marching for the clinching score when Ricardo Jones stepped between Harris and receiver Martin Teal in the left flat, tipped the pass to himself and raced 75 yards to put Lakewood up 21-15 with 3:02 left.

With a minute to go, Harris appeared to connect with Ryan Ross on a 34-yard score, but Ross' leaping effort was ruled incomplete. On the next play, Harris' short pass was intercepted.

"We played, and we had a good time," Northeast coach Jerry Austin said. "I thought it was a catch down there in the end zone."

In the first quarter, Ernest Fields' 2-yard run gave Northeast a 7-0 lead. Lakewood then marched 80 yards on 13 plays, capped by a 15-yard pass to Shannon Stewart, to tie it at 7. A 42-yard run by Darrien Copeland in the second quarter made it 14-7.

"I kind of thought we played pretty well," Lakewood coach Brian Bruch said. "We've got a lot of (rising juniors) who we think are going to be fine players."

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