By Ken Pivernetz

Mike Rae picked right up where he left off last year as he passed, ran and kicked Lakewood High to a 21-12 win over Westminster in a season opener Friday night at Veterans Stadium. Rae, All-Moore League quarterback as a junior in 1967, threw touchdown passes of 29 yards to Gary Rankin and 38 yards to Rick Gillies, then wrapped up the scoring with a 35-yard rollout late in the third quarter.

For extra measure, he also kicked three PATs and played the entire game on defense. It wasn't an easy win for the Lancers, who had trouble running against the Lions and had to rely on Rae's arm for the big plays on most occasions. Except for two lapses in the second quarter, Lakewood held the Lions when it had to and forced junior Eddie Bane to take to the air more than he wanted to in the second half.

Rae completed 13 of 24 passes for 196 yards while Bane was 15 for 21 and 147 yards. The Lancers held Westminster to 21 yards net rushing in the second half.

After a slow start, both teams opened up in the second quarter. It took the Lancers only five plays to go 75 yards for its first score. Rae had runs of 11 and 26 yards to set up a first down on the Westminster 29, then found Rankin on a sideline pattern for the first score with 11:20 remaining in the half. The Lions came back 70 seconds later on a 58-yard run by Mike Haynes.

Haynes, a 5-5 150-pound senior, got a breakaway block by Steve Bliss 10 yards beyond the line of scrimmage and had free sailing to the goal. But Borje Darpo's PAT attempt was wide to the left and the Lions never got as close again. Rae brought the Lancers right back, completing passes of 15 yards to Kim Hannaford, 13 yards to Jim Nash, and then throwing the 38-yard TD strike to sophomore Gillies. A wingback reverse from 14 yards out by Daryl Berg brought Westminster within two points (14-12) with 3:10 left in the half.

Lakewood's insurance TD came with 2:10 to go in the third quarter when Rae hit the line, found an opening, rolled out to his right and romped 35 yards. It was a 10-play, 83-yard drive that saw the ever-present Rae hit Hannaford for 13 yards, Al Lemmerman for 19 more and a 13 yard bust by Lemmerman.