Lake City cruises past CV, improves to 3-0

The Lake City Timberwolves are 3-0 for the first time since 2006.

Winning is nice, but the Timberwolves are also providing great entertainment along the way.

“As a coach or a spectator, it’s got to be fun to watch (Connor) Newby and Jerry (Louie-McGee) run around,” Lake City coach Van Troxel said Friday after his team’s 57-21 nonleague win at Central Valley’s Sig Hansen Field. “How can you not like that part of the game? … Those two little scat backs just fly around.”

Newby, in one half of play, rushed for 101 yards on 12 carries, with touchdowns of 1, 25 and 10 yards. He also caught a TD pass of 21 yards from Michael Goggin to open the scoring.

“I feel like we were a lot faster and just more up-tempo,” the senior said. “I feel like they couldn’t hang with the speed of our players.”

Louie-McGee’s night was also done by halftime, with LC leading 50-14. The senior and state 400-meter track and field champion ran for 63 yards and one TD on five carries. He also returned an interception 37 yards for a score and caught a 69-yard TD pass from Goggin, a senior.

Goggin, sharing time with junior Colin Hunter, completed 5 of 6 passes for 129 yards and two TDs. Troxel said Goggin is 34 for 39 in his first three games.

“I’m excited about both quarterbacks and I really like what Mike’s done reading and throwing the ball to the open guy,” Troxel said.

The Timberwolves’ hurry-up offense could have piled up more points if not for four turnovers.

The Bears (0-2) were limited to 71 rushing yards and 13-for-35 passing. Junior QB Tanner Sloan threw a pair of TD passes but was picked off three times, twice by Louie-McGee.

CV’s best chance came late in the first quarter, after sophomore Braedon Orrino’s 3-yard TD run cut LC’s lead to 14-7. On their next possession, the Timberwolves fumbled away the ball deep in CV territory, but the Bears couldn’t move the ball.

CV sophomore Ryan Rehkow boomed away a 71-yard punt, aided by plenty of bounce, that LC returned to its 31. On the next play, Goggin threw the 69-yarder to Louie-McGee for a 21-7 lead.

“Winning is contagious and that’s what we talked a lot about,” Troxel said. “They became an elite group, because it’s been a long time since we had a group 3-0. You have to go back to 2006 when we were 12-0.”

Lake City’s path to 4-0 will be challenged by the potent pass-happy attack of Shadle Park. The teams will meet at 7 p.m. Friday at Lake City.