Citizen Staff/James Wold
Wayland's Austin Williams (33) goes 65 yards for a touchdown on this play in the Big Red's win over Green Lake Friday.
Wayland Academy can breathe deeply and brace for the Indian Trails slate.
Green Lake botched a swing pass on the potential tying conversion with 1 minute, 15 seconds to play. The Big Red, after securing its first football playoff berth in school history last year, improved to 2-0 with Friday's 28-26 nonconference thriller.
Austin Williams led the way on the ground for Wayland.
He took the third play from scrimmage 65 yards to the house and finished with 159 yards on 15 carries.
He added two key conversion runs in the fourth quarter.
With the Lakers focused on Williams and his breakaway ability, the Big Red crossed them up at key junctures in the fourth quarter.
Brennan Fitzgerald slammed up the gut from three yards out on the first play of the fourth quarter after Green Lake pulled even at 12.
When the Lakers tied again, Wayland's mixture of ball carriers again found success. Quarterback Brendan Rhatican took a keeper 30 yards on 3rd-and-2 to set up Adam Bunkoske's counter from 21 yards out with 4:48 to play.
Green Lake's Brad Brooks took charge with his running and throwing to march the Lakers down the field for another score. His swing pass went behind his intended receiver for a lateral and by the time Cal Grams retrieved it, Wayland's pursuit hemmed him in.
Wayland took a 12-0 lead in the first quarter when Fitzgerald piled in from a yard out. The Big Red host Alden-Hebron in next week's battle of league contenders.
Green Lake slipped to 0-2.
WAYLAND 28, GREEN LAKE 26
Green Lake 0 6 6 14 - 26
Wayland Academy 12 0 0 16 - 28
WA - Williams 65 run (pass failed)
WA - Fitzgerald 1 run (pass failed)
GL - Morgan 8 run (run failed)
GL - Reyes 21 pass from Brooks (kick failed)
WA - Fitzgerald 3 run (Wiliams run)
GL - Neubauer 6 pass from Brooks (Morgan run)
WA - Bunkoske 21 run (Williams run)
GL - Grams 18 pass from Brooks (run failed)
GL WA
First downs 16 9
Total Net Yards 365 308
Rushes-yards 36-180 45-282
Passing 185 26
Comp-Att-Int 15-28-0 1-5-0
Penalties-Yards 4-24 5-50
Fumbles-Lost 1-0 1-0
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS: RUSHING - GL, Reyes 8-53. WA, Williams 15-159. PASSING - GL, Brooks 15-28-0-185. WA, Rhatican 1-5-0-26. RECEIVING - GL, Reyes 6-101. WA, Bunkoske 1-26.