Lakeland football stifles Pequannock for first playoff win since 2017
PEQUANNOCK — Thanks to A.P.E., Lakeland got the playoff monkey off its back.
The No. 5 seed Lancers earned their first NJSIAA football win in six years, 14-7, over No. 4 Pequannock in Friday night’s North 2, Group 2 quarterfinals.
Lakeland advanced to the semifinals to face unbeaten Caldwell thanks to a defense that made three fourth-down stops in the second half – and an acronym used by first-year coach Ryan McCarney.
“The three things we can control are attitude, preparation and effort,” McCarney said. “That’s kind of been our mantra all year long. So, we felt like it was fitting right there on that [final] fourth-down stop, we broke the huddle off of that.”
The coach was referring to a 4th-and-goal stand with 1:13 remaining, which ended a 13-play, 75-yard Pequannock drive on the 5-yard line. Lakeland senior Jake Spear led the charge to drop the Golden Panthers for a 1-yard loss.
“I found a seam and was just in the right place at the right time,” Spear said.
What it means
By defeating one old-time conference rival in Pequannock, Lakeland (7-3) earns a date with another long-ago Northern Hills-Suburban foe, Caldwell.
The top-seeded Chiefs (9-0) secured their 37th consecutive win Friday night against No. 8 Madison. 41-7.
“We know they’re a [darn] good football team. They haven’t lost them close to four years,” McCarney said. “But we love what we have – we’re big up front, we’re physical. We’ve got to watch the film on them and put together good gameplan.”
Key plays
In the first half, Lakeland senior Kyle Keyes put the previous week’s film study to good use, intercepting a pair of passes, including a halfback option play.
“As soon as I saw their running back get the ball on the toss, I knew it was a pass,” he said.
Keyes also caught a fourth-down pass to give the Lancers a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, warding off the defender and hauling in a Collin Sabric throw for a 22-yard TD.
In the second half, all three Pequannock (6-3) drives ended on downs in the red zone. The Lakeland line stopped a fourth down from the 3 early in the third quarter, and Spear tackled a receiver on the 20 to halt the next Panther possession.
Game balls
► Keyes (4 catches, 40 yards) and Spear (4 catches, 35 yards) were the top Lancer receivers on offense and combined for 8 tackles on defense.
► Sabric (11-of-13, 99 yards, TD) completed his first 10 passes and added 59 yards on 11 rushes.
► The Pequannock Wing-T attack ground out 247 rushing yards led by Dylan Roemmele (14 carries, 125 yards) and Michael Horgan (15 for 82).
They said it
“We’ve got heart, you know? Stopping a team down in the red zone with a minute-and-a-half left, up one touchdown – it’s a big ask, but we were there. That’s heart. That’s toughness. And for Caldwell, I mean, it’s a bigger ask, but we’re working this week.” —Spear
“In the end, we bent but didn’t break – I know it’s cliché, but we did a great job defensively. And these kids are just so coachable, so much fun to be around, and I love them all. And our coaching staff does a tremendous job.” —McCarney
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Lakeland NJ football stifles Pequannock for playoff win
