Lakes Football Opens Season with Rout of Rival Clover Park

No Cedric Dozier.

No problem.

The Lakes football team did not need senior starting quarterback Cedric Dozier against their cross-town rival Clover Park at Harry Lang Stadium on Friday night. The offense didn't need to punt, either.

Dozier watched his No. 2-ranked team demolish the Warriors 63-8 from the sideline. It was a precautionary measure Lancers head coach Dave Miller made to ensure a full recovery from a helmet-to-helmet concussion about two weeks ago in practice.

Minus Dozier, Lakes still looked like the offensive juggernaut many expect it to be in 2011. The Lancers offense moved the ball with ease against Clover Park, scoring on all nine of their possessions.

 Leading the way for Lakes was senior quarterback David Wood. Wood was impressive in his first career start, completing 10 passes for 237 yards and 6 TD's. Wood hit Mane Manaea for three consecutive touchdowns, including two 21-yard strikes just 8 minutes into the game.

"There was a spot on the field we wanted to attack," Wood said. "Mane did a good job of getting there and the (offensive) line did a good job giving me time. It was a good team effort and good coaching."

As for Manaea's return to the field—he missed most of last year with a major concussion—he caught four passes for 120 yards and four TD's.

He said he felt blessed to be out on the field again.

"Our running game wasn’t as phenomenal," Manaea said. "This year, I’m telling you, we are going to be a two-dimensional team, passing and running."

The plan is for Wood to share snaps with Dozier, who is expected to start the next game against Evergreen of Vancouver.

Last year's offense was run-heavy, but Wood and the defense shined. Lakes' defense held Clover Park to 9 total yards in the first two quarters, forcing two fumbles and providing excellent field position for the offense. The Warriors collected just 33 total yards in the game.

The Lancers running attack generated 114 total yards against Clover park, less than half the ground attack averaged last year (320).

Levonte Littlejohn—who rushed for nearly 2,000 yards on the ground in 2010— sat out the second half with a minor ankle sprain. Miller said it's a lingering injury, but he'll be ready next week.

Clover Park senior DeShaun Green scored the team's lone touchdown on a a 7-yard rush with 2 minutes 40 seconds left in the game.

The Warriors will host Foster of Tukwila at 7 p.m. on Sept. 9. Lakes is scheduled at Evergreen on the same date.