Lakers fight until the final whistle, but lose in the opening game to Trigg | High Schools

“That's our mantra and one of our core values ​​is that no matter what the situation is and how bad it looks sometimes, we're never going to give up. That's what we've preached to our kids from weightlifting in the spring to now. We have a great group of kids that work their butts off and buy into what we do,” said Calloway head coach Chris Champion, whose team already faced an uphill battle as a number of injuries had taken some key players off the field.

But after a series of unfortunate events – an onside kick by Trigg that led to a point and some untimely penalties, including an illegal block that nullified a big play by the Lakers as they tried to recover the loss – Calloway found themselves trailing 32-7. With 5:11 left in the game, Calloway quarterback Matthew Briedwell hit a perfect pass to the right corner of the end zone that receiver Jay-Dynn Darcus caught for a 21-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 32-14.

At that point, however, Trigg's speed and size dominated the night and the Wildcats made sure there was no comeback with another point. With less than two minutes left on opening night, the Lakers decided to go for one final drive.

Briedwell (13 of 19 for 149 yards and three scores) then led the Lakers on a 65-yard touchdown drive. A 27-yard pass to Hunter Haugh put the Lakers in position and Briedwell finished the job by hitting Darcus with a pass just outside the end zone that the scrawny sophomore turned into an 11-yard touchdown play by fighting through a tackle and jumping over the goal line.

“I'm telling you … everyone on this team looks up to that kid,” Champion said of Briedwell, who grew in confidence as the game went on, which included several nice advances on scrambles after Trigg's pass rush penetrated the pocket. “He commands the field and keeps the tension up and he knows what it means to be a leader.”

“I am proud of his debut as a starter and I think there are no limits to what he can achieve.”

Trigg took a 7-0 lead after recovering from a near-disastrous opening drive that at one point left the Wildcats facing a first-and-26 from their own 6-yard line. However, crafty quarterback Timmy Williams found space and sprinted 44 yards to the halfway line. Finally, running back Davaree Gude fought his way into the end zone from three yards out and scored the game's first touchdown with 6:30 left.

However, Briedwell slowly recovered after being thrown for a drive-ending sack on his first possession, and his true potential began to shine in the second quarter. He led a 54-yard touchdown drive that ended with his slip screen to receiver Caleb Collins on 3rd-and-10, who made an 11-yard catch-and-score to tie the game at 7-7 with 6:12 left.

Trigg immediately answered, gaining 54 yards in just two plays, with Williams' block on the left side leading to Gude, who covered the final 48 yards to put the Wildcats back up 14-7 with 5:09 left in the half. Trigg then made the first of two onside kicks they recovered and tried to extend the lead, but the deflection of a long Williams pass by defensive back Jayden Edwards on fourth down gave the Lakers the ball near the halfway line with about three minutes left.

Briedwell's third-down run gave Calloway a 4th-and-1 opportunity at the Trigg 19, and his second, even third, attempt on a sneak gave the Lakers a first down in the red zone. But after another Briedwell run to the 10, he was sacked on the next play, running out the clock.

A Carter Tudor interception stopped a Trigg drive in the third quarter, but a bad punt gave the Wildcats a short field and led to a nine-yard sprint to the right by Williams for a 20-7 lead with 56.7 seconds left. That was followed by the second onside kick, which led to Williams' second touchdown of the night, this time from three yards out, and a 26-7 lead with 9:28 left in the game.

Williams finished the game with 103 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while Gude finished with 118 yards on the ground.