It has been a scary season for the Lakers — scary close to the edge of elimination, and a scary good win to make history.
Playoff hopes were on the line in the last week of the regular season. If the Lakers beat Allendale, they were in.
Spring Lake not only rolled past Allendale, but took down Godwin Heights on Halloween to seal their place in school history as just the fourth Spring Lake team to win a playoff game.
The Lakers fought a back-and-forth battle for the dramatic finish, as Owen Smies’s interception late in the fourth quarter led to a Landen O’Donnell touchdown to secure the 42-35 win over a perennial power.
The road to postseason victory was long and winding leading. Varsity kicked off its season with a great game against the crosstown rival Fruitport Trojans on August 28, a 42-14 victory. While this made back-to-back Battle of the Bayou victories, it was one of few wins for the Lakers last season. Going into the season’s opener, the Lakers had been building their team chemistry since the beginning of the summer.
Head coach Cody Mallory said, “This group of boys has one of the best team chemistries I have ever coached.”
During the team’s run to a playoff berth, Mallory said the team doesn’t look too far beyond their next opponent.
“It’s about us and not about who we are playing,” Mallory said.
The football program had the benefit of using the new Laker Athletic Center at the high school campus, where the team has access to an indoor 70-yard practice field and new weight-lifting equipment.
The Lakers advanced to face Unity Christian in the second round of the playoffs.
