William Yerkes, Jason Santana combine for 7 TDs to lead Lane

William Yerkes and Jason Santana have effectively traded positions and both have a strong identification with the roles and responsibilities.

On a wet and windy night, the two Lane seniors created their own personal highlight reels as quarterback Yerkes accounted for five touchdowns and Santana rushed for a career-best 132 yards and scored a touchdown running and receiving.

Coming of a sluggish start, the two powered the host Indians past winless Bogan 41-6 in a Public League nonconference game Friday night.

A converted quarterback, Santana scored on a nine-yard touchdown pass from Yerkes and also blasted in a nine-yard touchdown run as the Indians (2-1) erupted for 35 unanswered points in pulling away in the second half.

Santana fumbled on the second carry of the game, his only negative play on an otherwise sterling night. “Ever time I stepped on the field after that fumble, I wanted to show I could help the team,” he said. “It’s different now, playing fullback, I have different priorities, but I know how to trust the quarterback to make the right read.”

Yerkes produced only modest personal statistics. His impact on the game was tremendous. Yerkes (46 yards passing, 38 yards rushing) scored three rushing touchdowns on bursts of one-yard, nine yards and 19 yards. He also connected with Santana on the nine-yard swing pass and the backbreaker, a 38-yard dart to speedster Bright Boachie

Lane scored on all four of its meaningful second-half possessions, except for the kneel down series that ended the game. “We didn’t have the best week of practice, and the first half was pretty awful by our standards,” Yerkes said as the Indians allowed Bogan to trail just 14-6 at the break.

“The coaches told us to figure it out and we did.”

Yerkes orchestrated the read option perfectly to start the third quarter, running for 14 yards and then turning on the jets around the right edge for the 19-yard touchdown run. “I saw the lane and just took it,” he said.

His running helped create some open lanes for the long touchdown pass as well. “It’s nice to be able to be two-dimensional like that, because it really opens stuff up for the rest of the team,” he said.

Bogan basketball star Luwane Pipkins is back playing on the Bengals’ football team. “I’m pretty excited to come out here my senior year,” the Massachusetts recruit said. “I played two games last year and then stopped to concentrate on basketball.

“These are my brothers and they expected me to come out here, and I had to do it.”

Pipkins’ great quickness also extends to the football field. His 44-yard kickoff return following Lane’s first touchdown set up the Bengals’ only score, an eight-yard pass from quarterback Jerome Jessup Jr. to wideout Kahadaffie Green.

The momentum changed midway through the second quarter. Pipkins exploded on a counter for a 53-yard touchdown, though it was nullified by an illegal blocking call. Bogan (0-3) never got closer again. “We have to play through adversity,” Pipkins said. “That call affected our momentum, and after that the game changed around.”