Lakeland Pulls Away in Second Half to Hand Lake-Lehman First Loss
By: Matt Flanagan | SportzWire | September 5, 2026 | Photo courtesy Sportzwire
LEHMAN TWP. — Lake-Lehman stood toe-to-toe with Lakeland for two quarters Friday night, but a decisive second-half surge allowed the Chiefs to leave Edward H. Edwards Stadium with a 42-22 nonconference victory.
The Black Knights entered halftime tied with Lakeland at 14 before the Chiefs scored 28 of the game’s next 36 points. Lakeland improved to 2-0, while Lake-Lehman dropped to 1-1 under first-year head coach Mike Mully.
Lakeland opened the scoring late in the first quarter when quarterback Jackson Pochas connected with Luke McFarland for a 30-yard touchdown. The extra-point attempt failed, leaving the Chiefs with a 6-0 advantage.
Lake-Lehman responded with a major special-teams play early in the second quarter. Senior Anthony Magnotta blocked a Lakeland punt in the end zone, and sophomore lineman Devon Wright recovered the ball for a touchdown. Kolby Shook added the extra point to give the Black Knights a 7-6 lead.
Pochas quickly put Lakeland back in front with a 21-yard touchdown run before adding the two-point conversion to make it 14-7.
Lake-Lehman answered with one of its best possessions of the night. The Black Knights drove 75 yards in 12 plays, with junior Cordyn Harris powering through a tackle and scoring from nine yards out. Shook’s extra point tied the game at 14 with just 29 seconds remaining in the first half.
The Chiefs took control after the break.
Pochas scored on a one-yard keeper during the third quarter before finding McFarland for a 14-yard touchdown just six seconds into the fourth. Evan Lonzinski followed with a 42-yard touchdown run, extending Lakeland’s lead to 35-14.
Lakeland’s defense then delivered the finishing blow when senior Chase Rosenkrans returned an interception 65 yards for a touchdown.
Lake-Lehman continued competing despite the deficit. Junior fullback Damon Bond scored on a six-yard run with 4:13 remaining and powered in the ensuing two-point conversion to produce the final margin.
The Black Knights finished with 207 rushing yards on 42 attempts. Harris led the team with 79 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries, while Dylan Heinrich contributed 64 yards on nine attempts. Bond rushed 14 times for 53 yards and a score.
Lake-Lehman quarterback Jesse Strenfel completed 4 of 9 passes for 52 yards but was intercepted twice.
Lakeland accumulated 402 yards of offense, including 216 on the ground and 186 through the air. Lonzinski rushed for 120 yards on only six carries, while Pochas completed 12 of 16 passes and accounted for four offensive touchdowns.
Despite the loss, Lake-Lehman showed encouraging signs against a talented Lakeland team. The Black Knights matched the Chiefs with 16 first downs and remained within striking distance until Lakeland’s fourth-quarter surge.
Lake-Lehman will remain home next Friday when it attempts to rebound against Riverside. Lakeland will host Lackawanna Trail as it looks to maintain its undefeated start.
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