SHRUB OAK, N.Y.—With starting quarterback Joe LaPeruta out due to injury, Lakeland turned to CC Savastano, who made his first start as a varsity quarterback and rose to the occasion to help deliver the win.
Savastano (7-8, 147 passing yards, 2 TDs, 3 carries, 13 rushing yards, one defensive interception, tackle) was clutch all night for the Hornets, leading them to a 27-7 triumph against visiting Fox Lane on Sept. 12.
“Joe got hurt on the third-and-14 run that won the game (21-17) last week versus Clarkstown South,” said Lakeland coach Ryan Shilling. “He is week-to-week. He’s a competitor and a real tough kid. We hope he’s back soon. But we are so proud of how CC stepped up this week. He did an amazing job. I know Joe was his biggest supporter all week.”
Savastano said the win felt amazing.
“We knew Fox Lane was a tough opponent, so to come out and play the way we did was huge for us,” Savastano said. “Going 2-0 gives us a lot of confidence, but we know we still have more work to do to keep building.”
Lakeland got off to a 7-0 lead when on fourth-and-7 from the Fox Lane 16, Savastano found Anthony Ray (5 receptions, 74 yards) in the corner of the end zone with 5:30 to go in the first quarter.
“Coach trusted us to go for it on fourth down, and I knew I had to make a play,” Savastano said. “I rolled left, saw Anthony get a step on his defender, and just put it where only he could grab it. Getting on the board first really set the tone for the rest of the game.”
A 27-yard pass from Savastano to Ray put the ball on the Fox Lane 2, setting up a 2-yard touchdown run up the middle by Gio LaPeruta (25 carries, 100 yards), giving Lakeland a 14-0 lead with 1:04 to go in the opening quarter.
“Our O-line gave me great time to roll out (to my right), and I trusted my instincts to keep the play alive,” Savastano said. “I saw Ray break open down the sideline and I trust him to come down with the ball. Ray was making plays all night. His catch put us in a great spot to score.”
After a Fox Lane touchdown with 8:29 remaining in the third quarter, Savastano responded by throwing a 13-yard touchdown pass to Anthony D’Errico. Frank Flannery connected on his third PAT, extending Lakeland’s advantage to 21-7 with 5:29 left in that quarter.
“Coach called a great play to convert on third-and-12,” Savastano said. “D’Errico is a great route runner and found space behind the linebacker and scored the touchdown that put us up. Hitting him there to extend the lead was huge because it gave us breathing room and really shifted the momentum our way.”
Mike Zumatto (4 carries, 46 yards, 10 tackles, .5 sack) unleashed a 46-yard touchdown run with 6:48 remaining to seal the Hornets' win.
“Mike is a huge part of our team,” Shilling said. “He mostly plays the H or fullback position for us. He was a big reason why Gio LaPeruta had 100 yards rushing and a touchdown. When Mike got his opportunity with the ball, he showed just how explosive he is. He put in a ton of work over the offseason, and it has been evident in his play the first two games. On that specific play, we checked at the line from outside zone to an iso play.”
Kyle Ronk (3 tackles, .5 sack), Justin Zumbo, Frank Imbrogno, Raul Aristy, Louis Murray and Matt Maloney did the job on Lakeland’s offensive line.
“The line came to play tonight,” Shilling said. “We were able to lean on them all game, and when you are able to run the ball consistently and lean on the defense, eventually one breaks.”
Defensively, the Hornets played soundly all night.
“The front seven did a really nice job slowing down their run game,” Shilling said. “They ran all over us last year. We had a really good effort by the guys up front, which forced them to throw the ball. Anthony D’Errico had another big game, this time defensively, with two interceptions to go along with his touchdown reception.”
Mikey Lucia (60-yard reception, 6 tackles) and Joe Kolesar (4 tackles, 1 for loss) also contributed to the win.
“It’s a great start, we’re really proud of the kids,” Shilling said. “We still have a long road and the schedule doesn’t get any easier. We always preach that the next game is the most important game of the season and we have a huge challenge in playing Carmel, which has been one of the best programs in all of New York state over the last decade.”
Lakeland will play at Carmel on its homecoming at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20.
“Obviously a huge game since it’s our first league matchup,” Shilling said. “Also, it’s a meaningful game since myself as well as two of my coaches on staff, Kyle Shilling (Ryan’s brother) and Andy Parisi, played and graduated from there.”
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