By Matt DeYoung
The Grand Haven Tribune
SPRING LAKE – The Spring Lake Lakers’ first football game as a member of the O-K Blue Conference since leaving the league back in 1999 was one they would rather forget.
Visiting Sparta, which was expected to be one of the teams at the bottom of the O-K Blue standings, dominated the Lakers from the opening snap on its way to a 34-7 victory.
First-year Spring Lake coach Dan Start saw his team drop its first two games by a combined two points.
On Friday, Sparta scored a touchdown on its first possession and never looked back.
“They don’t have one kid who stands out on film – they just have a ton of kids who do their job really well,” Start said. “They did work hard. They did that on their first two drives.”
Running behind a big, strong offensive line, Sparta finished with 485 yards of total offense on 50 plays, an average of nearly 10 yards per snap.
Spring Lake, on the other hand, mustered only 153 yards on 45 plays — just over 3 yards per snap.
Senior running back Josef Hissom received the most carries for the Lakers and managed 39 yards on 13 attempts.
“We weren’t getting up in the holes hard enough, and those holes were closing up quickly,” Start said. “We had some seems – we just didn’t pop them.”
The Lakers scored their lone touchdown when Isaiah Pierce sprinted around the left side and cruised in for a 19-yard score.
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- Spring Lake QB Cameron Ball makes the throw as Sparta lineman Nate Robbins applies pressure. Photo/Carol Cooper
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- Laker running back Aleck Frederick fights for extra yards against Sparta[. Photo/Carol Cooper
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- Spring Lake students make a good showing dressing in USA garb. Photo/Carol Cooper
