Lakes High scored on a pair of kickoff returns Friday night as the No. 3 Lancers spoiled Bonney Lake coach Chad Barrett’s debut 48-18 at Sunset Chev Stadium.

It was the season and South Puget Sound League 3A opener for both teams.

The Lancers took the opening kickoff and drove 57 yards in eight plays, capped by a 25-yard touchdown pass for a 6-0 lead with 9:09 left in the opening period.

Bonney Lake, using a new spread offensive package installed by Barrett, was a little shaky in its first series. Quarterback Cole Schuler fumbled the first snap, the Panthers were whistled for a penalty and two incomplete passes forced a punt.

But the Lakes player fumbled the punt and Bonney Lake’s Hunter Colegrove picked up the ball and carried it to the Lancer 41.

Schuler completed five passes – three to Austin Marshall – in the 10 play drive. Marshall’s 11-yard TD pass tied the score 6-6 with less than five minutes in the first as the extra-point kick hit the crossbar.

It didn’t Lakes long to recover as Jamal Kearse scored on a 76-yard kickoff return.

Lakes added a pair of TDs and two-point conversion in the second period and went into intermission with a comfortable 28-6 lead.

The Panthers took the second-half kickoff at their 29 and drove to the Lakes’ 23 as Schuler hit Aaron Quevedo for a 15-yard completion and found Colton Nash for a 31-yard gain. A Lakes’ interception halted the threat.

Schuler was 11-of-28 passing for 145 yards and was intercepted twice.

Marshall and Lee Bogan each had four catches for 37 and 45 yards, respectively.

After a scoreless third period, Lakes scored on a 5-yard run for a 35-6 lead.

The Panthers took the ensuing kickoff and marched 64 yards in eight plays for their second TD – a 23-yard run by Quevedo.

After Lakes scored on a 71-yard kickoff return and 9-yard pass play, Quevedo scored his second TD on a 33-yard scamper with less than two minutes remaining in the game.

“We had some mistakes that hurt us, but we’ll fix them,” Barrett said. “Our kids played hard and never quit against a good team like Lakes.”

Even though Lakes gained more than 370 yards offensively, Barrett said his defense, lead by Colegrove, Sam O’Leary and Dion Bertch, performed well.

“We were able to stop their running game several times during the course of the game,” he said. “There are some things we need to work on, but we’ll get better.”

The Panthers will play their second SPSL 3A game at 7 p.m. Thursday at Auburn Mountainview.

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