For the second year in a row, the Silver Lake High football team won a playoff game.
This time, they defeated Dighton-Rehoboth, 20-18, in the first round of the MIAA Division 4 South playoff bracket in the last minute of their bout last Friday night.
With 52 seconds remaining in the game, the Lakers were able to take the lead on a 1-yard touchdown run from quarterback Tanner Boyd. Following the score, there was not enough time left on the clock for their opponent to respond. Before Boyd’s touchdown, the Lakers did not lead at any point in the game.
The Lakers’ defense set up that go-ahead scoring drive. Dighton-Rehoboth had a 4th-and-1 on the Lakers’ 42-yard line with about three minutes in the game and, unsurprisingly, they went for it. They did not convert, however. Linebacker Matt Powell, one of the Lakers’ captains, came up with a huge tackle for a loss to give his team a shot at a winning drive.
In the early part of the game, Dighton-Rehoboth was in control. They scored on a 55-yard run in the first quarter. Later in the quarter, they took advantage of a Lakers fumble in the red zone and turned that into a scoring drive to go up 12-0.
The Lakers did not get shut out in the first half; with less than a minute remaining, Boyd threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Bobby Ohlson to make it a 12-6 game.
Midway through the third quarter, Dighton-Rehoboth intercepted the Lakers and ran in a 23-yard touchdown the next play. The Lakers nulled the score though since Diamini Williams returned the next kickoff for a touchdown. Boyd then threw a 2-point conversion pass to Ohlson, to make the score 18-14.
The Lakers move on to face Milton in the second round of the playoffs on the road (Friday, Nov. 3, 7 p.m. start time).