Waterman

By Michael Ashcraft --

Jeremiah Love was everywhere in the first half. He was making tackles, making runs with the ball and even scored extra points, smartly extending the ball over the line while being hauled down.

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He was a threat that New Designs Charter School didn't know how to handle.

In the second half, Jeremiah was eliminated from play. Not by a hard hit. Not by a rolled ankle. Not by a pile up of players.

He was taken out by ... water.

He didn't drink water all day Saturday before the game and the resulting cramps sidelined him.

"We didn't have any water at home," he said. Jeremiah is lousy at making excuses.

With only 10 boys playing 8-man football, Lighthouse Christian Academy really couldn't afford to lose one player, let alone of it stars.

But the Saints had to do without because Jeremiah didn't drink water.

Eye roll.

In Jeremiah's absence, the Saints threw on a Korean student, Jong Ho Lee, whose understanding of football lags behind his understanding of English.

They threw on inexperienced and weak players.

They were hurting.

Somehow, the depleted and wasted force still mustered a victory.

Not only did the Saints muster the victory, they solidified it. Early in the first half, LCA was losing 6-20 as New Design's three athletic stars made twisting, turning runs for yards and TDs.

By the end of the first half, the Saints had clawed their way back into the game. It was 22-20, a slight lead that freshman Ismael Diaz kept by some smart defending on a pass.

But if the Saints were battered and beleaguered by half time, down a key player, New Designs were also showing signs of being ground down.

While Jeremiah was sidelined, the Neos Brothers -- Justice and Shaughnessy -- came alive with busting runs. Of everyone on the field, Neos Bros did not appear to tire.

Seeing the game's momentum turn in their favor, newbies got hungry. Sophomore Jasu Diaz complained about the tackle that got away at half time. After half, he started making tackles.

Morgan Miles made a sack. Jong Ho made a tackle. Caleb Campos made extra points.

The story of Lighthouse every year is poor tackling in the first game. This year the story was different. Lighthouse limited TDs in the first half and all but shut them out in the second.

Lighthouse forced turnovers on fourth down, pinned New Designs back in their own ten yards and came to dominate the game.

"Jeremiah had an excellent first half, but we need him four quarters," Coach Justin Kayne said. "They did a lot better than in previous years. The thing they did better was everybody got to the ball."

Michael Ashcraft teaches writing at the Lighthouse Christian Academy.