Orloff, Lawrence Academy roll
ASHBURNHAM - Like pretty much every other football team in the free world, Mike Orloff said he and his teammates set out in August with the goal of an undefeated season. Only, few could have predicted they’d have made such a dominant run.
The Lawrence Academy junior quarterback and safety scored four times in the first half of a 42-12 win over previously undefeated Kimball Union to put a stamp on one of the more impressive seasons by a prep team in recent years.
By winning the Samson-Lorden Bowl at Cushing Academy’s Quimby Field yesterday, the Spartans (9-0) concluded 2009 as bowl and ISL champs, having outscored the opposition, 390-71. They scored at least 42 points seven times and, excluding the 28-26 thriller over BB&N last week for the ISL championship, their closest margin of victory was 28.
“It’s unbelievable, man,’’ said Orloff, who heads into the offseason with interest from schools in the ACC, along with Stanford and Vanderbilt. “This is it. Everyone on our team worked so hard to get here. That was our goal from the preseason, to go undefeated and get over these humps, and it feels good.’’
A slew of skill players have provided electric scores all season, but at the heart of yesterday’s win was Orloff (110 yards, 14 carries). He was a force on both sides, and his 61-yard pick-six on the game’s opening drive set the tone.
“They call him, ‘The General,’ for a reason,’’ coach Mike Taylor said. “He’s a good leader, he keeps his head about him, he’s a hard worker. You just can’t ask for more from a quarterback.’’
Running back Anthony Knight (178 yards, 23 carries, TD) offered slightly more colorful prose.
“He’s a beast. He knows how to get it done,’’ Knight said. “He works so hard. He’s probably the hardest worker on this team.’’
Orloff scored on a keeper from 11 yards out on Lawrence’s first drive, dragging a defender on the way in. After helping stall the Wildcats (8-1), Orloff railroaded a Kimball player to spring Denzel Brito for a 27-yard punt return. Two plays later, Orloff scored from 28 yards out, making it 21-0 to start the second quarter.
Kimball cut it to 21-12 in the second quarter on two touchdown throws from Grant White to Akeem Labitue (137 yards of total offense), from 64 and 42 yards away, but it was all Lawrence after that.
Knight - who missed the BB&N game with mononucleosis, and was just cleared Friday morning by doctors - scored from 6 yards out, followed by a 7-yard scamper by Orloff for a 35-12 halftime lead.
Brito scored late in the fourth, giving him and Knight 15 touchdowns each on the year.![]()



