Prep Football : Oliphant Catches 2 TD Passes, Blocks a Punt for Loara (4-0)

Adrian Oliphant caught 2 touchdown passes from Jeff Gordon and blocked a punt and made an interception to set up 2 more scores, leading Loara High School to a 30-0 nonleague victory Friday over host Lakewood.

Loara (4-0) took advantage of 2 turnovers by Lakewood (1-2) to score twice in the first quarter. The Saxons then put the game out of reach with touchdowns in the second and third quarters and a field goal late in the second.

Lakewood, which played without its leading rusher, Fred Maxwell (injured ankle), managed just 49 yards on offense and had 4 turnovers, including 2 interceptions.

Robert Fonseca, the Lancers’ starting quarterback, was sacked 3 times for 35 yards. He completed 1 of 6 passes for 6 yards before he was replaced midway through the second half by Matt Paige.

“We got things going and the defense played well all night,” Loara Coach Herb Hill said. “We were able to get pressure on them all night, and we were able to get some big plays in the process.”

The Saxons got their first break 3 minutes into the first quarter when Oliphant made a diving interception of Fonseca’s pass at the Lancer 31. Eight plays later, Coy Collins scored on a 7-yard run.

Five plays after the kickoff, Loara defensive end Eric Smith recovered a fumble by Lakewood’s Theo Wright at the Lakewood 32. Seven plays later, Jeff Gordon threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to Oliphant to give the Saxons a 14-0 lead with a minute left in the first quarter.

Loara, which played the entire first half in Lakewood territory, extended its lead to 21-0 five seconds into the second quarter when Shonn Clancy recovered a Lancer punt blocked by Oliphant in the end zone for a touchdown.

The Saxons, who held Lakewood to minus-28 yards offense in the first half, extended their lead to 24-0 6 seconds before halftime on Chris Hoffman’s 30-yard field goal.

Gordon, who completed 7 of 11 passes for 104 yards, closed out the Saxons’ scoring midway through the third period when he threw a 28-yard pass to Oliphant. The score capped off a 72-yard, 9-play drive on which Gordon completed all 4 of his passes for 49 yards.