Quick hits: Lawson wants to put Patterson on the map

Patterson running back Michael Lawson rushed for 140 yards, scored three touchdowns and preserved a 53-34 victory over Escalon on Friday with a late interception.

The victory elevates the Tigers into The Bee’s large-school rankings and sets up another intriguing matchup next week with another Trans-Valley League contender, small-school No. 1 Ripon.

Bee reporter James Burns caught up with Lawson to talk about the thrill of opening night, honoring lost loved ones and the football culture on campus.

Q: Patterson and Escalon haven’t been league rivals for years, but it always feels like there’s more at stake when you two get together. Why is that?

A: Playing Escalon, that game specifically is mixed emotions for me. Everyone hypes up Escalon. They’ve always been one of those good teams, so it’s a huge game for us. People get excited; they’re ready and pumped up for the Escalon game. When they hear it’s Escalon coming to town, they want to step on the field … like now.

Q: You impacted the game in so many ways as a running back and defensive back. Of all your plays, on both sides of the ball, which was the most important to the final scoreboard?

A: I’d have to say the one that mattered the most was the fumble. (Lawson picked up a Patterson fumble and ran 83 yards for a touchdown late in the third quarter to break a 27-all tie.) It was an option play. Our quarterback (Kevin Todd) tried to flip it, but an Escalon lineman batted it down. I saw it there and picked it up. I knew I had to reverse field and cut up the sideline. Reversing field is all about speed and agility and instincts. All of that plays a part in it; that play was the spark.

Q: Did you have special motivation for last week’s game, beyond it being the season opener?

A: (Last) week was the birthday for three of my cousins that passed away two years apart, so I felt I had to show out and put Patterson on the map. (All three cousins were born on Aug. 27. One died last year; the other two died three years ago.) Everyone has been saying we’re going to go 5-4 and won’t make the playoffs. I want to prove them wrong. I think this team can go all the way.

Q: To make a run like that, whether it’s in the Western Athletic (Conference) or the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs, it takes depth and contributions from so many. Which teammates inspire that kind of confidence?

A: We’re small, but we’ve got a lot of athletes. (The team has 38 players.) We have more than just one weapon. On the defensive side, there’s Nikolaus Priester, our inside linebacker. He’s got a nose for the football, and he just attacks it. Our defensive lineman, Thomas Turner, is a bull. On the offensive side, Alec Espos is our other slot. He’s got speed. Running back Jamal Broussard, he’s got size. Our outside threats are Jon Okitukunda – he’s only a sophomore – and Pierre Williams. They both have big bodies and can really move with the ball in space.

Q: How has Rob Cozart’s return from the college ranks changed the football culture on campus?

A: Everything’s really organized and set in stone. We go step by step through everything. He’s a coach that knows what to do with speed – and that’s what we have on our team. His experience shows in our practices and in the game.

This story was originally published August 29, 2015 at 7:45 PM with the headline "Quick hits: Lawson wants to put Patterson on the map."