Football Recap: Lakeside Comes Up Short

Dragons

Team Score (Highest)

10/17/25 vs Conneaut	49
09/19/25 vs Orange	43
10/03/25 vs Jefferson Area	28
09/26/25 @ Madison	21
09/12/25 @ Harvey	19

Lakeside scored the most points they've had this season on Friday, but it wasn't enough. They and the Conneaut Spartans were almost perfectly matched up, but the Dragons suffered a 50-49 defeat. The Dragons were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Spartans apparently hadn't forgotten their loss the last time these teams played back in October of 2024.

Despite the defeat, Lakeside saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Jj Murphy threw for 314 yards and five touchdowns. The Dragons' leading receiver Matthew Wagner was Murphy's top target yet again, picking up 171 receiving yards and one score.

Even if they lost, Lakeside's defensive line still kept up the pressure with three sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Christopher McEachin, Zion Thomas, and Tristan Westerfield, who each picked up one sack apiece. Lakeside received some extra help from Dae'Veon Gaines, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.

This is the second loss in a row for Lakeside and nudges their season record down to 1-8. Those losses can't be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 31.5 points over those games. As for Conneaut, their win bumped their record up to 4-5.

We've got plenty of inter-conference action coming up soon. Lakeside will face off against rival Edgewood at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. That game will pit two of the most dominant signal callers against one another: Murphy and JJ Dufour. Meanwhile, Conneaut is set to square off against their familiar foe Madison at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.