Deer Lakes football team rolls over Southmoreland

By: Paul Brittain
Friday, September 22, 2023 | 10:25 PM

Southmoreland needed a bounceback performance against Deer Lakes on Friday night after being shut down last week by Knoch.

But after an even first half, the Lancers scored 17 second half points to cruise to s 24-7 victory.

After both teams scored on their initial possessions, it looked like a high-scoring shootout might take place.

Southmoreland (3-2) took the opening kickoff and drove 57 yards to score in seven plays after Cameron Phillips’s 29-yard kickoff return to the Scotties 43-yard line.

A 10-yard pass from Kaden Keefer to Ty Keffer fueled the drive, and Da’sjon Craggette carried for consecutive 16-yard gains before scoring on a 4-yard run.

Jake Kaylor’s conversion kick made it 7-0.

But the Scotties wouldn’t score the rest of the night, and the Lancers shut down Craggette.

Deer Lakes (4-1) responded with a 96-yard scoring drive in nine plays, with quarterback Derek Burk completing three passes for 56 yards and Zier Williams gaining 40 yards in five carries, including the final 4 yards to the end zone. Noah Shurina’s conversion kick tied the score 7-7.

Williams carried 27 times for 199 yards and two touchdowns.

Southmoreland had three takeaways in the half but couldn’t capitalize.

Phillips intercepted a Burk pass at the Scotties’ 26-yard line, Wyatt Richter recovered a fumble at the Southmoreland 38 and Keffer returned an interception to the Deer Lakes 39 late in the half. All three opportunities ended in Deer Lakes territory.

Tied at halftime, Deer Lakes drove 90 yards to score with the second-half kickoff, capped by Burk’s 35-yard catch-and-run connection with Ryan Cochran for a 14-7 lead after Shurina’s kick.

Two possessions later, the Lancers drove to the Scotties’ 20. But on a third-down pass, Southmoreland was flagged for s late hit in the end zone. Four plays later, Shurina’s 29-yard field goal made it 17-7.

Williams added a 1-yard touchdown run to cap a 60-yard drive, and it was 24-7.

Late in the game, Richter was injured and taken by ambulance to the hospital. The extent of the injury was not known.

The Scotties open the conference schedule next Friday when they travel to Elizabeth Forward.

Tags: Deer Lakes, Southmoreland