Lakewood football starts Justin Utupo era with loss to Peninsula

ROLLING HILLS ESTATES — Justin Utupo recovered a fewer positives successful his debut arsenic Lakewood shot coach, conscionable not capable of them to offset Peninsula’s wildcat formation, galvanizing antiaircraft show and 1 devastating turnover.

The Lancers couldn’t unopen down their host’s tally onslaught successful the 2nd half, and Utupo, a erstwhile Lakewood star, was near mulling what mightiness person been pursuing a 21-12 decision connected a blistery Friday afternoon.

Kyle Krafic ran for 109 yards and 2 touchdowns connected 17 carries, the immense bulk of that successful the 2nd half, arsenic the Panthers (1-1) rolled up 219 yards connected the crushed and ate up a batch of timepiece to crook a choky crippled into an emphatic victory.

“It feels bully to beryllium back,” said Utupo, an All-CIF Southern Section antiaircraft lineman erstwhile Lakewood won the Moore League rubric and reached the top-tier semifinals a twelve years ago. “This 1 hurts, due to the fact that archetypal 1 back, we privation to get this W. But you cognize what? I liked the mode our young guys stepped up and the mode our squad stuck together. We didn’t springiness up.”

The Lancers moved the shot efficaciously connected conscionable 2 of 7 drives, agelong marches for touchdowns successful the 2nd and 4th quarters.

Wilson transportation Brayden Downen completed 18 of 29 passes for 154 yards and a touchdown and scrambled for 8 oregon much yards 5 times. He was liable for 195 of the Lancers’ 200 yards.

Peninsula had the shot wrong Lakewood’s 30 5 times and astir went up connected its archetypal 2 drives, the 2nd halted erstwhile Aiden Napohaku tripped up Krafic astatine the 3 connected 4th down.

The Panthers got the pb aboriginal successful the 2nd 4th aft Auggie Lyons fumbled a punt and Jack Dawson recovered connected the 8. Krafic went astir close extremity for the people connected the adjacent play.

Lakewood answered with a 15-play, 69-yard drive, with Downen hitting A.J. Alvarez for a 7-yard people aft connecting with Takim Raye-Brown Jr. for 34 yards to the 1, but the other constituent was missed.

Peninsula, with injured No. 1 backmost A.J. Maes seeing precise constricted action, emphasized the wildcat aft halftime, utilizing 13½ of the archetypal 15½ minutes of the fractional connected 2 agelong drives. The second, a 12-play, 71-yard march implicit much than 7 minutes, closed with a 1-yard Krafic tally with 8:33 to play. Krafic’s 32-yard tally connected the adjacent possession acceptable up Mason Gonzalez’s 3-yard tally for a 21-6 lead.

Lakewood past went 80 yards connected 14 plays, with Jshaun Thomas scoring connected a 2-yard run. Downen’s 16-yard walk to Lyons connected fourth-and-7 kept the thrust alive, and helium followed with 11- and 9-yard scrambles to get the shot to the 2.