Lake ends season with big victory

There was no improbable alignment of circumstance for Lake Catholic.

There were no losses by other teams on a rainy fall evening that vaulted the Cougars into the Division II playoffs and prevented the regular-season finale against visiting Walsh Jesuit on Oct. 27 from being the last game in the highschool careers of Lake Catholic senior quarterback Jack Gibbons and 18 fellow seniors.

As an emotional Lake Catholic coach Scott O’Donnell reminded his players after the game, they should always take deep satisfaction at how they held up their end of the bargain with a 38-0 victory over the Warriors at Jerome T. Osborne Stadium.

The Cougars finished 5-5 overall and 2-3 in the North Coast League Blue division.

Lake Catholic was coming off losses to archrival Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin and Padua.

“I’m so proud of these guys,” O’Donnell said after exchanging hugs and warm words with every senior he could locate in the steady rain. “They’ve been through a bunch. Finishing the way they finished tonight, they did an awesome job.”

Rain drops mixed with tears on the face of Gibbons, who helped get the Cougars off and flying with a touchdown pass to fellow senior and co-captain Nick Simcak. The PAT by Luke Zurak made it 7-0

“We wanted to give ourselves the chance (to get into the playoffs). I’ll always remember how we came together and finished strong,” said Gibbons, who shared an embrace with his grandfather, Cougars assistant coach and former head coach John Gibbons.

Senior running backs Kevin Conley and D.J. Griffus had memorable final games, too

With just over three minutes remaining in the first quarter, Conley took a handoff from Gibbons and bolted 34 yards to pay dirt for a 14-0 lead.

Early in the second quarter, after senior linebacker David Blanchard recovered a Warriors fumble at the Walsh Jesuit 20-yard-line, Conley ripped off a 14-yard TD run. The PAT made it 21-0.

Junior defensive back Matt Driscoll’s interception of a pass by Walsh Jesuit quarterback Cameron Mayes midway through the second quarter set the stage for an 8-yard TD run by Griffus. With the PAT, the Cougars had the 28-0 lead they carried into halftime.

The Cougars added 10 points in the second half on a 22-yard field goal by Zurak, a 5-yard TD run by Nate Rieple.