The562’s coverage of football in 2024-25 is sponsored by The Terry Donahue Memorial California Showcase.
The562’s coverage of Lakewood Athletics is sponsored by J.P. Crawford, Class of 2013.
The old adage goes, “If you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready.”
That was Lakewood’s mentality this week kicking off their CIF Southern Section Division 5 playoff journey with a 60-mile trip to Valencia.
From the opening drive, the Lancers were more than ready as they scored on six of their seven drives on their way to a dominating 50-26 win over the Vikings Friday night.
“You gotta be able to win on the road,” Lakewood coach Justin Utupo said. “And I thought we came out with the effort and enthusiasm needed to win a first-round game against a quality opponent.”
Senior running back Jojo Apisala got the Lancers going with four carries for 20 yards and a touchdown that was assisted by Casillas when he connected with Tiwan Jones for a 37-yard gain to put Lakewood inside the Vikings’ red zone.
The Vikings answered right back with their potent rushing attack led by Brian Bonner and the junior got loose for a 61-yard touchdown to tie the game 7-7 only four minutes into the game.
The Lancers went right back to their running game as Nytrell Miller rushed for 41 yards on Lakewood’s next drive and Casillas scored on a 13-yard draw.
The Red Swarm Lakewood defense got things going on the next drive as they forced the Vikings to punt and put the offense back on the field.
On the ensuing drive, Lakewood got all their playmakers involved as Apisala, Miller, Tiwan Jones and Caleb Tafua touched the ball during their 69-yard scoring drive that was capped by a Millar 5-yard touchdown to put the Lancers up 21-7.
Looking to get something going on offense, Valencia leaned into their run game as they drove 81-yards down the field and Brady Bretthauer made it a one-score game when he found Nico Funez behind the Lancers defense for a 15-yard touchdown to make it 21-14.
On the kickoff, Cecil Xavier Smith took the ball at Lakewood’s 16-yard-line and proceeded to cut to the outside and broke free for an 84-yard touchdown that put the Lancers up 28-14.
After trailing by two scores at halftime, Valencia went on a nearly 7-minute drive that was capped by Nick Seymour 6-yard touchdown.
Apisala answered the call on the next drive as he broke for a 68-yard gain that put Lakewood inside the Vikings’ 10-yard-line.
Casillas then threw his first touchdown pass when he connected with Tafua for a 12-yard score to push the Lakewood lead to 35-20 with three minutes left in the third.
“This week they went to double team everybody else, and they just opened it up for me, so yeah, kind of a big mistake,” Tafua said after his two touchdown, 69-yard performance.
After a fumble recovery, Miller scored his second touchdown of the night on a 9-yard scamper to put Lakewood’s lead to 42-20. Miller finished the night with 65 yards rushing.
The Lancers capped the night after Casillas found Tafua for another score, this time a 35-yard run and Apisala got in for the two-point conversion to put Lakewood up 50-26.
Apisala finished the game with 102 yards and two scores.
“(This Win) just shows the whole of the hard work we’ve been putting in over the week, and all the work we’ve been putting over the season, so it’s really meaningful to me that we came out here,” Apisala said.
Lakewood will be back on the road next Friday when they travel to Santa Ana to take on Foothill.
