Buckeye Rally Falls Short in 28-21 Loss to Lakewood
| Quarter 1 | Quarter 2 | Quarter 3 | Quarter 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BUC | 0 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 21 |
| LAK | 6 | 14 | 8 | 0 | 28 |
Buckeye erased most of a 20-point halftime deficit with three third-quarter touchdowns, but Lakewood answered the Bucks’ surge with a 78-yard scoring pass and held on for a 28-21 victory Friday at Lakewood Stadium. The Bucks twice pulled within one possession after halftime, but neither team scored in the fourth quarter.
Lakewood built a 6-0 first-quarter lead on Lukas Stoll’s 2-yard touchdown run. Otto Wilhelmy then threw two touchdown passes in the second quarter, connecting with Stoll for 50 yards and Riley Verderber for 7 yards to send Buckeye into halftime trailing 20-0.
Buckeye’s ground game powered a rapid response. Denis Shevchenko opened the third-quarter comeback with a 3-yard touchdown run, and Gavin Waltos added the extra point. Liam Phillips then broke free for a 35-yard score, with another Waltos kick trimming Lakewood’s lead to 20-14.
Lakewood halted the momentum when Wilhelmy found Tyrese Gatling for a 78-yard touchdown. Wilhelmy’s two-point conversion pass to Stoll extended the lead to 28-14. Phillips answered again with a 6-yard touchdown run, and Waltos’ third extra point brought the Bucks within seven before the scoreless fourth quarter.
Buckeye rushed for 272 yards on 39 attempts and averaged 7 yards per carry. Shevchenko led the offense with 164 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries, including a 50-yard run. He also recorded nine tackles. Phillips gained 110 yards on 19 attempts and scored twice, while Nick Prouza contributed in several phases with 20 rushing yards, three receptions, 45 kick-return yards, five tackles and a pass breakup.
Tony Kobasuk led Buckeye with 10 tackles and forced a fumble, while Colton Homchik recovered a fumble and made five tackles. Lakewood finished with 426 total yards and converted 7 of 10 third downs, compared with 307 yards and a 2-for-6 third-down mark for the Bucks. Buckeye returns home to face Valley Forge on Friday, Sept. 25, 2026, at 7 p.m. EDT.
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