Camdenton Lakers

The Lakers took care of business at the Jaws of Death on Friday with a 21-13 win over the previously undefeated Rolla Bulldogs, and were forced to await the outcome of the Waynesville-Lebanon game to find out whether they'd make the playoffs or not.

Finding themselves in the rare position of rooting for Waynesville, the Lakers got what they need as the Tigers beat Lebanon 57-41 to give Camdenton it's first district championship since 2005 when they won the state title.

Shane Hardman led the Lakers with 110 yards rushing and two touchdowns, including one to put the Lakers up 21-7.

Had the Lakers won by at least 13, they would have automatically clinched the district.

But midway through the fourth quarter, Rolla blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown. A blocked extra point still had the Bulldogs down just 21-13.

But with things now settled in the district, the Lakers will now enjoy a bye game in the first round before hosting a second-round game on Monday Nov. 9 against the winner of the district 7 and 9 runners-up.

The Lakers came about two feet from a win on Friday night.

After marching 99 yards down the field for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter, the Lakers cut the lead to one.

On the ensuing extra point try, the snap went over the head of kicker Jeff Dorhauer. Dorhauer scooped the ball up around the 35 yard-line and evaded a couple of would-be tacklers.

Much to the surprise of the crowd, Dorhauer stayed on his feet and started charging toward the endzone, he took a hit inside the 5-yard line but kept moving, only to be brought down inside the 1-yard line.

Lebanon ran out the remaing 3:16 by running the ball up the middle.

Shane Hardman rushed for 99 yards and three touchdowns in the game, while Jacob Dines rushed for 96.

Lebanon quarterback Cole Matlock was 24-37 for 288 yards and three touchdowns.

For more on this game and others, pick up a copy of Monday's Lake Sun.

Despite trailing at halftime 14-7, the Camdenton Lakers stayed focused and managed to knock off district and conference foe Waynesville on Friday night, 16-14.

After a touchdown tied it, defensive lineman Clayton Melville made a tackle in the Tiger endzone for a safety and the eventual winning score.

Camdenton is now 6-2 on the season and 1-0 in the district. They'll travel to Lebanon next week.

Thirteen seconds into the game, the Lakers took a 7-0 lead and never looked back.

A fumble on the opening kick return by Parkview was recovered by Eric Jones at the 5-yard line. Chris Sullens ran it in on the next play for a touchdown.

The Lakers would score twice more in the first quarter, first on a 60-yard Jacob Dines run, and then on a 5-yard Shane Hardman run.

The Lakers ended the first quarter up 21-0, and went into the half up 30-0 after a Dylan Watts TD run and a safety.

Dines led the offense with 11 carries for 85 yards.

Cayden Shockley and Lee Tenenoff each had 7 tackles to lead the defense. Alex Craig and Levi Calvert each had 6.

The Lakers are now 5-2 on the season and will go on the road to play Waynesville next week.

The Camdenton defense was able to hold Nixa down all night, but a fourth quarter score gave the Eagles a win.

In the second quarter, Camdenton defensive back T.J. Scott recovered a blocked punt in the endzone for a touchdown. After a missed extra point, the game was 6-0.

It stayed that way until the fourth quarter when Nixa rushed for a three-yard score. A good PAT gave them the lead and the win, 7-6.

The Camdenton Lakers fought off West Plains on Friday, literally and figuratively, in a 28-14 win.

On back-to-back plays in the second half, senior offensive lineman Aaron Frederick and Nick Hale were ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Coach Bob Shore said it's the team's responsibility to stay under control, but he's never had a player ejected before and the two calls tonight where the softest he's seen.

Still, the Lakers filled in nicely on the offensive line, and even sprung running back Kevin Montgomery for a 50-yard touchdown after that.

Montgomery and Jacob Dines each had over 100 yards rushing in the game. Dines had 112, most of which came on a 94-yard touchdown run. The school record is 95.

Montgomery had 106 on just 8 carries.

After three and a half quarters of offense, a big play on defense gave Camdenton the win on Friday night in Joplin.

Senior Shane Hardman caught a deflected pass for an interception and raced 30 yards to the endzone to put the Lakers ahead 54-48 with about 2 minutes to go in the game. An extra point would seal the victory for Camdenton, 55-48.

The touchdown was Hardman's fifth of the night, after rushing for four touchdowns as the quarterback, part of his 78 yards rushing.

But the gaudiest number of the night belonged to running back Jacob Dines, who rushed for an astounding 293 yards on 22 carries, scoring three touchdowns.

The back-and-forth game was tied at 41 with about 6 minutes to go in the game.

Joplin took the lead, 48-41 with just over 3 minutes to play, but Camdenton answered with a touchdown run from Dines to tie it with 2:20 to play.

Joplin lead comfortably, 28-14 at halftime, but a 41-20 second half from Camdenton brought the Lakers to 3-1 on the season and handed the Joplin Eagles their first loss of the season.

Rather tongue in cheek, head coach Bob Shore gave his assessment of the game.

"Just another day at the office," he said.

Against their toughest opponent of the season so far, the Lakers had perhaps the perfect day at the office, in what could be the turning point of the season for Camdenton.