First responders help bolster Lakewood football's Meet the Team Night

HEBRON ― It had been a while since Connor Shook had played high school football. Twelve years to be exact.

Now a Licking County Sheriff's deputy, he took the turf at Lakewood's Calhoun Memorial Field with local first responders against the current Lancers in a 7-on-7 Saturday night.

It was part of a meet the team event that also featured 40-yard dash, tire toss, football toss and sled pull skills challenges for all ages, as well as a dunk tank and face painting. Shook was more than happy to get together a team that included deputies and West Licking Fire Department members, along with some Lakewood alumni.

"Lakewood reached out and wondered if we could do something for the football team, and it fit perfectly with what we're trying to do," said Shook, who played fullback, nose guard, punter and kicker on Newark Catholic's 2012 Division VI state runnerup team and is community relations officer for the sheriff's office. "We're very much set on supporting not only varsity age players, but the little kids and junior highs. Anything we can do to help local schools. We do a lot with elementary schools, and we're always trying to bridge that gap."

On Saturday, that meant putting together a team that included Luke Myers, a stellar Johnstown performer on the 2018 state runnerup team who is now a West Licking fireman, as well as former Lakewood players Adam Crawford and Tyler Christman.

Myers caught a TD pass and shoveled another to deputy Sarah McCreery, while Shook not only grabbed a touchdown, but returned an interception for a score. Crawford, last year's Lancer QB, hit Christman for two TDs, threw another touchdown to deputy Brad May on a throwback play, and had two interceptions.

Meanwhile, Lakewood current roster showcased junior Jalen White, who made two leaping interceptions. With Lakewood playing without starting quarterback Garrett Hardway, White also found senior Logan Bush for a score, with Bush taking the pass over the middle and using some fancy footwork to turn the corner. Junior Graham Lohr hooked up with senior Ethan Romine for a TD. Romine had a hand in another touchdown when he avoided the rush to flip a pass to junior Kyzic Overbey.

"It was great to get the cleats on again and get on the field with some high school athletes," Shook said. "It was a blast, but I think all of us got winded by the end of it. We'll probably be sore."

New Lakewood head coach Tyler Brown is trying to spark interest in the program from K-12, so on Saturday, the middle school players were introduced along with the varsity. Brown said the idea for meet the team came out of the first parents' meeting.

"We're doing grades 7-12 together, and all of the coaches know exactly what we're doing," Brown said. "We're working on the whole system, including the new buddy school program, and trying to spread the word."

The Lancers have gotten into the 7-on-7 summer routine, going up against Sheridan, Fairfield Christian and Millersport, and on Wednesday, they'll compete in a 10-team event at New Lexington.

"Some kids have missed, here or there," Brown said. "We've stressed to them about enjoying the summer and finishing up their other sports before getting into this. We don't want them to get burned out before two-a-days."

Bush, a running back-middle linebacker, missed the first seven games of 2023 with a broken foot, but returned to start in the final three contests. Despite losing several key players to graduation, including Crawford, Christman, Isaiah Mitchell and Keegan Jacks, he likes where the program is headed.

"We're feeling good," Bush said. "We have a lot more underclassmen, and we're able to coach them up. My little brother Austin is a sophomore, and he's playing. Last year, things were pretty spaced out, and this year, it feels more connected. We want to go out, win some games and have fun."

Brown acknowledges those players will be hard to replace.

"But our senior group has grown a little bit. It helps that some have come out who haven't played," he said. "We had a young line last year, and they're a little more experienced. We have a big freshman class. We just have to fill the numbers gap in between."

dweidig@gannett.com

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This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: First responders help bolster Lakewood football's Meet the Team Night