By BOB ETTINGER
SAYBROOK TOWNSHIP — For the Chardon football team, it doesn’t matter who piles up the yardage or points, so long as everybody does the job they’re supposed to when called upon.
The Hilltoppers all managed to accomplish their assigned tasks in a 55-28 Premier Athletic Conference win over Lakeside at Lakeside Stadium on Friday night.
“It doesn’t really matter (who gets credit),” Chardon coach Jim DiPofi said. “We just take what the defense gives us. We just scratch what itches. As long as the guy called does his job. With this offense, that’s the way it has to be. Everyone has to do a job.”
Chardon (6-3, 3-1) rolled up 546 yards rushing on 45 carries (12.1 yards per carry) on the night.
“(Lakeside is) not that bad on defense,” DiPofi said. “We just came to play tonight. When we come to play, we’re a good football team. When we don’t (come to play), we’re not a good football team. The line played a good game.”
The win keeps the Hilltoppers in contention for a piece of the PAC title. If Chardon can defeat South on Friday and Riverside can knock off Madison, which claimed its share of the PAC title with a 20-9 win over North, the Hilltoppers, Blue Streaks and Beavers would create a three-way title tie.
Quarterback Chad Davis led the Hilltoppers’ attack with 204 yards and three touchdowns on 10 attempts. He was followed by Isaiah Charlton, who ran for 179 yards and a pair of scores on 12 carries. Fullback Mason Bishop added two touchdowns and 85 yards on 10 carries and Kyle Petersen tallied 78 yards on a team-high 13 carries.
“That’s their system,” Lakeside coach Van McWreath said. “Give them credit. They work very hard and always have. They had different guys step up and do a job. We threw a couple of different defenses at them, but (Davis) always made the right decisions and they had great play calling.”
“We wanted to throw the ball a little more,” DiPofi said. “They were spread out (on defense) and were giving us our inside game. (Bishop) was very tough tonight.”
Chardon led, 21-0, before Lakeside (2-7, 0-4) was able to get its offense firing on all cylinders.
“Their line in the first quarter made a lot of holes for them to run through,” McWreath said.
“If you don’t play defense, you don’t win,” DiPofi said. “(Lakeside) has some great athletes. (Kevin McCaleb) is a tremendous player. So is (James) Christian and (Jordan Sandidge) is making a name for himself. They have some good players here. Our defense was important in setting the tone early.”
The Dragons broke through for their first score with just over six minutes remaining in the first half. McCaleb scored on an eight-yard run to cap a 10-play, 65-yard drive that took 3:34 off the game clock.
McCaleb finished with 129 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries and added 49 yards and two touchdowns on four receptions.
Chardon answered the Dragons, however, on its very next play with an 80-yard scamper by Davis for a touchdown.
On their first possession of the second half, the Dragons held the ball for nearly six minutes and marched 78 yards in 14 plays. McCaleb scored again, this time on a seven-yard pass from Christian to draw Lakeside to within 14 points, 28-14, with 2:48 to play in the third period.
But Davis again struck on the first play of the Hilltoppers’ ensuing possession, this time for an 81-yard touchdown run.
“It’s amazing, but the kids didn’t break down,” McWreath said. “Their heads might have been down from the initial shock, but they went out for the next play and they played on.
“We weren’t broken down over it. (Chardon) executed on that next possession (after the score). That’s what good teams do. When they do, it is frustrating.”
Sandidge answered on the Dragons’ next possession with a 72-yard scoring run to make it 35-21 with 1:30 to play in the third.
Sandidge rushed for a touchdown and 124 yards on 14 carries and caught two passes for 19 yards.
Chardon took control of the game with rushing touchdowns from Bishop and Davis. Charlton put the game out of reach with a 70-yard interception return for a touchdown.
Christian found McCaleb for a five-yard scoring pass in the final minute for the final points of the game.
