SYRACUSE -It wasn’t quite the hype of Friday night lights but when the Lakeview and Wawasee eighth grade football teams met on Thursday night, the excitement was just as real.

The two teams met in a Northeast Lakes Middle School Conference contest at Wawasee Middle School and it was the Warriors that left with bragging rights. Wawasee controlled the clock and trenches en route to a 30-6 victory over its rival.

The schools played to a scoreless tie in the first quarter but Lakeview only ran one play from scrimmage, which resulted in the first of its four turnovers, the only other time the Tigers touched the ball, they muffed a punt return.

Wawasee’s Kyle Gunkel broke the scoreless tie with 5:05 left in the first half with a one-yard run. Ben Kowalenko hit his first of three extra points on the night to but the Warriors up 8-0.

Lakeview struggled to move the ball effectively in the first half, but that didn’t stop Mauricio Calderon from having a nice 35-yard kick return that showed off the youngster’s speed. Calderon ran backwards about 15 -yards before turning it up field and getting his team great field position.

With 39 seconds left in the half Wawasee would expand its lead with a 46-yard touchdown strike from Brayden Johnson to Gage Landrum. Wawasee led 16-0 at the half.

Warrior tail back Alex Castro proved to be the ultimate Achilles heel for Lakeview as he refused to go down after the first hit seemingly ever time he touched the ball. Castro would score twice in the second half, carrying defenders into the end zone with him on each score.

The Tigers moved the ball much better in the second half but could on manage to get six points out of the improved ball movement. That one score was quite impressive, however.

Lakeview quarterback Mason Reber pinpointed an 18-yard touchdown to teammate Branson Byrer to get the Tigers on the board. Warsaw’s other second half highlight was a blocked extra point by Daytona Hill.