The Lakeland T-Bird football team hasn't made the postseason since 2009 and hasn't won a playoff game since 2008. That 2008 season also marked the program's last win over Great North Conference rival Medford. Until Friday night, that is.
It was an outstanding high school football game, with neither team leading by more than a touchdown at any point. Trailing by seven points in the fourth quarter, Lakeland's Michael Ouimette hit Jake Rexroade for a touchdown to pull within one point. Head coach Dan Barutha faced the question of whether to kick the extra point for a tie, or go for two and the lead.
The T-Birds went for two, and converted on a Ouimette to Ray Rentmeester pass to go up 22-21.
Medford would drive inside the red zone, and faced fourth and five from the 10-yard line with just 24 seconds remaining. The pass would be broken up, as Lakeland took over and held on for a 22-21 victory.
On paper, the game was overwhelmingly tilted in Medford's favor, as the Raiders ran 70 plays for 351 yards and held the ball for 36:50, compared to 180 yards on 32 plays with 11:10 time of possession for Lakeland.
The win moves the T-Birds to 2-1 overall and 1-0 in conference play. With a new artificial turf field and a promising start to the year, things are looking up in Minocqua.
Tag(s): News Archive News Travis Wilson
