Heath stays relentless in victory at Lakewood
HEBRON — The goal was simple Friday for the Heath football team.
“Win,” said coach Tim Ward.
So, winning is what Heath (4-2, 1-0) did against host Lakewood (2-4, 0-1) in dominant fashion, beating the Lancers 48-7 in the Licking County League-Cardinal Division opener. From the beginning, the Bulldogs made their presence known as they looked to set themselves up for a playoff push at the end of the season.
“Our offensive line came out played really well," Ward said. "(Brayden Bayles) just operated the offense perfectly like he always does, and the more he throws and hits those little passes, the more he gives opportunities for the run game to expand.
The Heath offense was strongly executed, mixing in a nice balance of run and pass plays throughout each drive.
Though Lakewood received the ball to open the game, the Bulldogs did not waste time forcing a three-and-out and getting the ball in their offense’s hands. Mixing in that balanced run-to-pass ratio, Bayles eventually found senior Daylen McIntyre downfield for a 24-yard touchdown.
The Bulldogs continued pushing the ball downfield on their next drive. A 15-yard run by junior Connor Corbett put them in scoring position. Bayles then took the ball on a read option and ran it in for a 2-yard TD to take a 13-0 lead after one quarter.
The momentum seemed to be stalling in the second quarter for Heath, but it was not picking up for Lakewood. Both teams traded three-and-outs until the near end of the first half, when the Bulldogs made another push for the end zone.
Corbett took ball on a handoff from Bayles and pushed forward through traffic, even fighting through a facemask that saw his helmet fly off. The facemask penalty moved the Bulldogs into scoring territory, and Bayles scored on a 1-yard sneak for a 20-0 halftime lead.
After Bayles returned the second-half kickoff to the 41-yard line, the Bulldogs were ready to finish what they started. Bayles threw a 22-yard TD pass to Corbett on a screen. After what would be the Lancers' only possession of the third quarter, the Bulldogs were quick to add to the score when Corbett broke loose for a 37-yard TD run and a 34-0 lead.
After forcing yet another three-and-out, Bayles found freshman Tyler Marks for a 44-yard TD pass. On the ensuing possession, McIntyre fielded a punt, broke several tackles and took the ball 54 yards for the Bulldogs' final score of the night.
On the final drive of the game the Lancers were finally able to get senior Isaiah Mitchell going on offense. After back-to-back 15-yard gains by Mitchell, senior Adam Crawford hit a 22-yard pass.
Mitchell then broke for a 22-yard run. Mitchell got the ball again and ran it in for a 3-yard touchdown as time expired in the fourth quarter.
“We're dealing with a young offensive line with injuries, and we've got kids that are out of position,” Lakewood coach John Poulnott said. "So, Heath’s athleticism was something that was a lot better than what we saw on film."
As the Bulldogs look ahead, they visit Utica, which is coming off a big win over Newark Catholic.
“It looks like next week is shaping up to be a big game in the hunt for the LCL title, so we're going to try and get that one," Ward said. "We will continue to work on what we need to work on and finish the regular season out strong and look to make push in the playoffs."
This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Heath Bulldogs football stays relentless in victory at Lakewood
