Career night from Tzamouranis leads Lake Park over Bartlett

George Tzamouranis scored five total touchdowns as he led Lake Park to a 42-20 road victory over Bartlett (0-2) on Friday night.

“Two weeks in a row, [George] has played really good football,” said Lancers coach Chris Kirkpatrick about his senior quarterback. “He's made great decisions, but he's really trusted his legs. He had a great off-season, and he's not afraid to use them.”

That off-season work paid dividends in this Week 2 matchup, as Tzamouranis opened the scoring by finding Lancers senior running back Kendan Ratini for a 20-yard touchdown pass to give his team a 7-0 first quarter lead.

“We’ve got some studs out there, but it all starts with those guys in front,” said Tzamouranis, crediting his offensive line. “Without them, nothing would happen.”

Tzamouranis raced through the Hawks defense for a 7-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, before finding Rantini again for a 43-yard touchdown pass and finding senior playmaker Niko Menos later on for a red zone strike to give Lake Park a 28-14 advantage before the half.

Tzamouranis finished his scoring for the evening with a 46-yard dash midway through the third quarter that broke the game open late.

However, the Hawks certainly battled and kept the game within two scores most of the way.

They struck back early when Bartlett senior standout Tyler Meziere broke off a 65-yard scramble to briefly tie the game late in the first quarter.

Meziere, typically a two-way player at wide receiver and defensive back, was pressed into duty at quarterback this week with the Hawks’ Week 1 starter, Vincent Yario, sidelined with a leg injury.

“On Tuesday morning, I was like, ‘Uh, you're the quarterback.’ And [Tyler] goes, ‘OK’,” said Bartlett coach Milan Vuckovich, with a grin on his face.

“There was no hesitation. It was smooth, which I found very…relaxing…that he wasn't worried,” added Vuckovich. “We had the best week of practice we’ve had all year. We had the most fun in practice.”

Meziere commanded the Hawks offense and kept his team in the game throughout the contest despite the adversity they were facing under center.

In addition to his 65-yard touchdown, he also battled his way into the end zone on a second quarter play that began with a fumbled snap. He picked up the pigskin and spun through the Lancers defense from 6 yards out to make the score 21-14 Lake Park with under a minute to play before halftime.

Later on, Meziere flashed his defensive skills as he picked off an errant Tzamouranis pass to open the fourth quarter before punching the ball into the end zone a few plays later on a 4-yard carry.

All things considered, it was a game that Vuckovich was proud to have coached. “I would say that today was a huge stepping stone,” said the Hawks coach. “We lost this game, and I honestly felt better than I did after the Glenbard North game.”

The Lancers (2-0) hope to keep their hot start going as they face Wheaton North next week, eyeing a repeat of last years victory over the Falcons.

“I have a ton of respect for that program,” added Kirkpatrick, about Wheaton North. “There's no secret sauce. It's just got to be a good week of prep and you got to play a good game.”