With new turf on the field, a new conference affiliation, and heightened expectations for the 2007 season, the Lakewood Rangers took the field August 24 for their home opener against the Berea Braves. Game-time temperatures approached 90 degrees, but Head Coach Jim Slagle said the Rangers were prepared for the heat. “We practice every day from 3-9 pm in the hottest heat of the day. So we knew our kids would be prepared."

The Rangers controlled the game from the opening kickoff, with tailback Robert Trivett scoring three touchdowns, bringing Lakewood to a 37-8 non-league victory. Trivett scored both of the Rangers' first-half touchdowns on runs of 2 and 5 yards and impressed the fans at Lakewood Stadium with his ability to break tackles and fight for extra yardage. He finished the game with 186 yards on 19 carries and added a 52-yard kickoff return after Berea cut the Rangers' lead to 16-8 early in the third quarter.

Lakewood played nearly mistake-free football, committing just two penalties and playing a turnover free game. “The first game is always tough for penalties, and I was pleased how well our players kept their composure all night," Slagle said. However, the same could not be said for the Braves. Berea committed six penalties, including back-to-back unsportsmanlike conduct fouls that allowed the Rangers to set up their first score of the second half, and had three turnovers. The Rangers' new offense appeared to be running on all cylinders as the Rangers amassed 296 yards of total offense and moved the chains for 21 first downs.

While many high schools use variations of the spread offense with multiple receivers and numerous men in motion, Lakewood offense has a “Back to the Future” feel to it. “If you’re a fan of college football and you remember the 1971 Nebraska Cornhuskers with Johnny Rodgers, that’s the offense we are running,” Slagle said. “We use a four back offense; a halfback, a fullback, a tailback, and a quarterback.” Although the Rangers' offense brings back images of 8-track tapes, shag carpet, and daytime World Series games, they occasionally throw the football too - junior quarterback Dan Shannon connected with fullback Mike Harrington on a 5-yard touchdown pass on a fourth-and-four play to extend the Lakewood lead to 30-8. Shannon finished the night 4-of-6 passing for 62 yards.

On defense, the Rangers held Berea to just 71 yards and 3 first downs in the first half. However, the Braves engineered two long time-consuming drives in the third quarter. The first drive ended in a 51-yard Josh Reynolds touchdown run. Reynolds added a 2-point conversion to account for all of the Berea scoring. Berea’s second drive of the third quarter ended after 16 plays and nearly eight minutes, when Reynolds fumbled at the Rangers' 8-yard line. After another Reynolds fumble, Harrington, a senior, found the end zone for a second time on a 5-yard touchdown dash to close out the Rangers' scoring.

One of the most exciting moments of the night came just before halftime when kicker Ardjan Bako came on the field for his first career field goal attempt. Bako, who missed a PAT earlier in the game, connected on a 43-yard field goal into the swirling wind at the north end of Lakewood Stadium to put the Rangers up 16-0 at the half. Not only was the field goal attempt the first of his career, according to Slagle, Bako, who is also a starter on the Rangers soccer team, had never kicked a football before August 2 of this year. “In the past we have used many soccer players as kickers,” Slagle said, “and [Bako] came to us and said he wanted to kick.” Whether Bako can become the next Garo Yepremian remains to be seen, but if the Rangers' “Back to the Future” offense continues its impressive early season ways, every Friday night will be “That 70’s Show” on the corner of Madison and Bunts