Friday Football: Lakeland 20, Deep Creek 0

CHESAPEAKE

After just one win in the past decade over Southeastern District foe Deep Creek, Lakeland turned in a dominating performance Friday at Nathan T. Hardee Stadium.

Walter Boykins threw for two touchdowns as the visiting Cavaliers (6-2, 5-2) beat Deep Creek 20-0, despite failing to capitalize on five possessions deep in their opponent’s territory, including two missed field goals of 36 and 22 yards.

“This has been happening to us all year long,” Lakeland coach Glenwood Ferebee said. “It’s in showing them the process of how to win. We’ve just been squeaking by.”

Cedric Johnson, who was the second-leading rusher in South Hampton Roads entering the game, opened the scoring for the Cavaliers with a 7-yard run in the second quarter. Johnson, though, was held to 53 yards on 16 carries.

“Deep Creek is big and they controlled the middle of the field,” Ferebee said. “They pressured our (quarterback) into making plays.”

And the Cavaliers’ Walter Boykins made the plays he needed to in the second half. On third-and-12, from his own 35, he connected with Jaquan Demiel on a 61-yard heave down the middle to set up first-and-goal from the Deep Creek 4. Three plays later, Boykins hit Donovan Wright on a 2-yard slant to extend the lead to 14-0 midway through the third quarter.

In the fourth, Wright intercepted Deep Creek’s Kameron Stewart and returned it to the Hornets’ 7. Two plays later, Boykins fired a 7-yard scoring strike to Demiel for the game’s final score.

“I told my receivers and line that coach said we weren’t here for nothing,” Boykins said. “We came to play our game and we made plays.”

Boykins finished 8-of-22 passing for 107 yards, including 5 of 13 for 86 yards after the break.

The Cavaliers, who have now won two of the past three meetings in the series, limited Deep Creek (4-4, 4-3) to just 83 total offensive yards and forced seven turnovers.

“There are a bunch of these kids that haven’t been successful,” Ferebee said. “But it’s coming along well. If the kids do everything we ask and trust the coaches, we’ll control the outcome of our games.”

Darrell Cuenca, (757) 446-2366, darrell.cuenca@pilotonline.com