Mistakes prove costly in Cape football’s first loss

The battle of light blues was won by Lake Forest, as the Spartans delivered Cape football its first loss of the season 35-14 in Felton Sept. 12.

“They just executed better than we did,” said Cape coach Chip Knapp. “They also have some really good athletes. Put those two together and you're going to be in for a battle.” 

Both teams started a bit slow, as the first quarter had a few plays each side would probably like back, starting with a failed surprise onside kick by Lake Forest to start the game. But pre-snap penalties, primarily delays of the game, played a part in the Vikings not capitalizing, and the result was a scoreless first quarter.

“We were not focused; penalties we don't see in practice, they were coming out in the false starts and things like that,” Knapp said. “We took too long to get into the flow of the game, like we should have been, and that's on me.”

Halfway through the second quarter, Lake Forest made its way to the goal line, but the Vikings showed their toughness by keeping them out of the end zone when senior Robbie Payton pounced on a fumble.

Cape was forced to punt deep in their own territory, leading to the Spartans’ first touchdown of the game with 45.6 seconds left in the first half. The Vikings quickly sailed down the field to put themselves on the doorstep with just seconds to go. Attempting to capitalize on junior quarterback Jameson Tingle’s immense athleticism, Cape tossed Tingle a jump ball in the corner of the end zone, but sophomore Lamier Wright made an incredible play to end the half with an interception.

The Spartans took the second-half kickoff and marched down the field to expand their lead to 13-0. Ty Handy electrified a stagnant Cape offense and energized the sidelines when he erupted for a 62-yard touchdown run that showcased how slippery and fast he is all in one play. The senior ended the contest with 120 yards on 10 carries. 

Trailing 13-7, Cape put out an APB for another big play and Mikiah Jackson answered the call when he recovered a fumble deep in Spartans’ territory. Junior Oz Batson, noticeably itching to make a play for his team, flashed his power and agility when he absorbed contact, power-spun off the ill-fated tackle and charged his way into the end zone. Junior Austin Tyndall gave the Vikings their first lead of the game with the extra point and 6:45 left in the third quarter. It would be the last points Cape scored.

“We didn't coach well enough; we didn't play well enough; we didn't deserve to win that game,” Knapp said. “We weren't far. There was a point in the game where a couple plays could have maybe changed a little bit, but at the end, they were just too talented for us.”

Lake Forest regrouped after absorbing the comeback and responded with a touchdown and two-point conversion to take a 21-14 lead that would expand to 35-14 before the final snap.

“This is a chance to build, and we learned about our team,” Knapp said. “We have a bye week. We also have some new key injuries this week that were problems for us, and so it gives us a chance to regroup, have a great week of practice and get ready for our our next opponent.”

Cape’s next matchup is its Homecoming game, set for 7 p.m., Friday, Sept. 26 against Hodgson Vo-Tech.