ALMA, Mich. –
Dylan Van Straten (
Sr.-Shiocton, Wis.) connected with
Richard Micheaux (
So.-Taylor, Mich.) for an eight-yard touchdown pass with 24 seconds left in the game and the Lakeland College football team capped a furious comeback with a 21-20 win Saturday afternoon.
The Muskies rallied from a 20-0 deficit in the second quarter and scored two touchdowns in the final 8:23 to get their first win of the season. Lakeland picked up a non-conference win for the first time since 2010 and defeated Alma for the first time in four all-time meetings.
Van Straten captained a terrific final drive, starting with just 1:51 left in the game. He took the Muskies 86 yards in eight play, gaining most of the yards in three big plays.
The biggest play was a huge 4th-and-13 completion good for 24 yards to
Kezlow Smith (
Fr.-Pontiac, Mich.) to keep the Muskies alive. That play got Lakeland out to its own 39-yard line, and from there it took just two plays to get inside the red zone.
Van Straten found Smith again for 30 yards, and then connected with
Michael Wynn (
Fr.-Detroit, Mich.) for 23 yards to the Alma 8. Van Straten's pass on 1st-and-goal from fell incomplete, but on the next one he connected with Micheaux for the sophomore receiver's first career touchdown reception.
Ramsey Riehl (
Jr.-Appleton, Wis.), a former soccer player who recently just joined the team, converted his third consecutive extra point in the game for the winning margin.
Lakeland's comeback came after a bad start in which it fell down 20 points by early in the second quarter. Alma (0-3 overall) scored touchdowns on three of its first four possessions, including getting on the board first on a 47-yard touchdown run by quarterback Jarrett Leister just 3:22 into the game.
The Scots scored again on a long drive late in the first quarter, with a 10-play, 79-yard drive taking more than five minutes and ending in a seven-yard touchdown run by Grant Wilson. Alma then scored again early in the second quarter, taking advantage of a fumble on a punt return in Scots' territory and getting a touchdown pass from Leister to Tyler Watters to make it 20-0.
The Muskies started to rally late in the second quarter, getting on the board when Van Straten and Smith hit on their first big gain of the day, a 60-yard touchdown pass with 4:09 left in the first half to make it 20-7.
Attempts at making further headway were struck down in the second and third quarters by turnovers. Lakeland drove down to the Alma 7 in the final seconds of the first half, but a Van Straten pass was intercepted by Eric Strickler. The Muskies also took over possession inside Alma territory late in the third quarter at the Alma 42, but Van Straten was intercepted again to keep the score at 20-7.
The senior quarterback began to redeem himself in the fourth quarter. Taking over with 10:59 left in the game, he led a nine-play, 84-yard drive.
Antwan Burks (
Fr.-Muskegon, Mich.) rushed three times for 31 yards to get the drive moving, and Van Straten finished it with a 44-yard touchdown run to get the Muskies within 20-14.
The Lakeland defense needed to come up with a pair of stops late and was up to the task, allowing two first downs but forcing a pair of punts. The defense also came through on the final drive after the go-ahead touchdown, holding the Scots to just two yards and finishing the game when
Trevor Tanck (
Jr.-Baileys Harbor, Wis.) pressured Leister into an incomplete pass on fourth down from the Alma 37 to end the game.
Van Straten completed 16 of 38 passes for 287 yards and also led Lakeland in rushing with 57 yards. Smith had a big day receiving with six catches for 143 yards, while Wynn added four catches for 50 yards. Burks also added 55 yards rushing on eight carries.
Cody Lemke (
Sr.-Kewaskum, Wis.) had a huge day defensively with 17 tackles (11 solo), including two tackles for loss.
Romain Johnson (
So.-Pontiac, Mich.) and
Jake LaFleur (
So.-Mishicot, Wis.) both added eight tackles and
Demonta Hall (
So.-Detroit, Mich.) had a pair of fumble recoveries.
Saturday's game was part of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association/Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Challenge. The MIAA won five of the seven games Saturday, with Lakeland and Benedictine (Ill.) University scoring the two wins for the NACC.
The Muskies are idle next week but begin NACC play the following week when they host Wisconsin Lutheran College at 1 p.m. at Taylor Field.
