Lake Central and Hobart play each other with fallen classmates on their minds
By Ryan Haskell Post-Tribune correspondent August 10, 2012 11:34PM
Lake Central's Jake Turngren misses a deep throw downfield during the Hobart/Lake Central scrimmage at Hobart High School on Friday August 10, 2012. | Jim Karczewski~for Sun-Times Media
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Updated: September 12, 2012 6:08AM
HOBART — Flags were flying at half-staff to commemorate the life of Lake Central band drummer Levi C. Evans II at the Lake Central-Hobart scrimmage on Friday night at the Brickyard.
Evans, who had just turned 17, was found dead just feet away from Lake Central property around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday night.
So the Hobart community extended an olive branch to the Lake Central community by honoring Evans. Originally, the Lake Central football parents had planned to hold a ceremony to reflect on the teenager’s life, but heavy rains Thursday night and Friday morning forced Lake Central to move the game to Hobart.
Purdue-bound running back David Yancey, who scored three touchdowns in Friday’s scrimmage, summed it up best for his classmates and teammates.
“Rest in peace,” he said. “I knew him a little bit. He was a great person, always a smile on his face, always talked to me. He always congratulated me after football games, telling me, ‘Good luck.’”
As for football, the co-defending Duneland Conference champions showed signs of greatness on both sides of the ball. Besides Yancey’s three touchdowns, quarterback Alec Olund connected with Antoine Davis for a 50-yard TD on the team’s first possession and a 10-yard fade in the end zone on the team’s goal-line possession.
“It was great (being out there),” Yancey said. “We have a great O-line. They’re kind of young but I think we’re going to get the job done this year.”
Hobart didn’t look too bad itself out on the field. The Brickies didn’t look like the 3-8 squad they had a year ago as they hung tough with LC.
Hobart scored four touchdowns total — including a 37-yard pass from Anthony Burgos to Nick Bokun. But it might have been the Brickies defense that was more impressive. Senior Levi Spencer had two interceptions, while Burgos intercepted a pass in the end zone.
Hobart coach Ryan Turley praised his team’s efforts after the game, then reflected on the tragic incident in the Lake Central community. The Brickies’ family lost Sam Moore — a three-year varsity football letterwinner — over the summer when he collapsed jogging over the summer.
“You hate to see anything like this happen,” he said. “We lost one of our own earlier in the summer with Sam Moore. We know what their community is going through. Our community went through a rough time. You hate to see this happen to young kids.”
