The Lone Tree football team was able to grind out a couple of touchdown drives in the first half at HLV. But in the third quarter, the Lions found another gear. 

Jack Buser’s fumble recovery gave Lone Tree the ball at its own 8-yard line, trailing 15-14. The Lions gained 196 yards and scored three touchdowns over the next nine offensive plays in a 41-30 win over the Warriors. 

The Lions had some penalties, turnovers, and gave up a few big plays on the ground. But they responded the way that coach Joe Donovan wanted.

“We gave opportunities away, but our kids played extremely hard,” Donovan said. “I’m very proud of how hard they play. We played a lot of kids again, and some kids were banged up a little bit, but they just kept playing. And I think that perseverance is what got us through the end there.”

The Lions took a 22-15 lead on Ethan Bockelman’s third touchdown pass of the game — a 34-yard completion to freshman Emmett Burke. The Warriors tied the score just three plays later with a 39-yard Brody Sternhagen touchdown, his third rushing score. The 22-22 tie lasted for just one play. 

Bockelman’s first 15 carries had produced just 39 yards when the Lion offensive line opened up a big hole for the swift quarterback. Bockelman won a 65-yard race to the endzone to give Lone Tree the lead for good. 

“I saw an opening to the right and I just took off from there,” Bockelman said. “There was really good blocking in the second half,” 

Bockleman finished with 155 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He was 9-of-15 throwing the ball for 200 yards as well. 

“Being able to get our passing game going, that opened it up for us to run the ball better,” Bockelman said.

His first pass attempt of the game was caught by Jader Sanchez for a six-yard touchdown with 33 seconds left in the opening quarter. 

HLV went back up 15-7 with a 40-yard touchdown run by Sternhagen, but Lone Tree would answer 12 seconds later. A short pass was a little behind Sanchez, who corralled it with one hand, evaded the defender, and took off. 

“I bobbled it for a second,” Sanchez said. “I saw him right there in front of me — went off to the left, and ran. I saw Caden (Smith) blocking and I just had the sideline open.”

Sanchez also made a great play on a ball that was nearly intercepted when Bockelman threw a ball into double coverage. The ball hit the HLV defensive back’s hands first, but Sanchez battled a pair of Warriors for the ball. To the ground he maintained joint possession of the ball, which was awarded to the offense by rule. 

He finished with four catches for 85 yards and two touchdowns. 

Burke finished with three catches for 54 yards and a touchdown. He also scored a 2-point conversion. As the holder on a point-after-try, Burke scooped up a bad snap and outraced the Warrior defense to the pylon. 

Drew Gauley had catches of 27 and 29 yards in the third quarter. Maddox Jondle had six carries for 30 yards and a touchdown that put the Lions up 41-22 with 95 seconds left. 

Donovan was also happy with their contributions on defense. 

“I thought Drew Gauley made some very nice plays on offense when we needed him to,” Donovan said. “And I thought Maddox Jondle came in on defense when Braden Viers went out and played a phenomenal game.”

Leading 28-22, Lone Tree got a critical stop on 4th-and-3 in the redzone with Bockelman making the tackle for a two yard loss. 

Bockelman also picked off a pass in the fourth quarter and Brody Magruder’s second fumble recovery gave Lone Tree its fourth takeaway.

Seniors Joe Boxwell and Caden Smith made key tackles for the Lion defense as well as Lone Tree scored three straight touchdowns before the Warriors answered with 30 seconds remaining. 

“Their blocking was honestly really good,” Smith said. “They knew how to get some people in front of you and they got solid four or five yards every play.

“But we locked them down on defense and then came back with offense in the second half. We were tied there in the second half and they only scored one more.”

The Lions (2-1) are looking to extend their winning streak to three games, hosting Tri-County (1-2) in a homecoming contest on Friday.  

Scoring Summary

HLV: Brody Sternhagen 3 run  (Kyler Gorsh run)

LT:  Jader Sanchez 6 pass from Ethan Bockelman (Sanchez kick)

HLV: Sternhagen 40 run (Camden Kennebeck kick)

LT: Sanchez 60 pass from Bockelman (Drew Gauley kick)

LT: Emmett Burke 34 pass from Bockelman (Burke run)

HLV: Sternhagen 39 run (Kennebeck kick)

LT:  Bockelman 65 run (kick blocked)

LT: Bockelman 20 run (2-point failed)

LT: Maddox Jondle 13 run (Sanchez kick)

HLV: Jack Cheney 25 pass from Gorsh (Landon Hall from Gorsh)