By MATT KING
Daily Journal Sports Writer

Published: Saturday, August 30, 2008
Updated: Saturday, August 30, 2008 8:07 AM CDT

FREDERICKTOWN - Fredericktown senior Joey Lewandowski scored three rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter, including the game-winner with 1:01 remaining, and the Blackcats defeated former coach Kent Gibbs and the Sikeston Bulldogs, 42-29 on Friday night.

Lewandowski finished with 183 yards on 27 carries with much of that damage done during a wild second half. Senior Zach Sohn added 71 rushing yards and made a pair of TD receptions for Fredericktown (1-0).

Sikeston (0-1) trailed 28-13 after Lewandowski scored from 21 yards out and tacked on the subsequent two-point conversion with 9:31 to play, but rallied to take the lead with two straight explosive drives.

Quarterback Charlie Bohannon lobbed a 30-yard completion to Jordan Williams, and junior Eli Jackson broke free down the right side two snaps later for a 27-yard scoring run. Jackson then made a fighting effort across the goal line on the conversion to make it a seven-point game.

After Sikeston recovered a fumble at midfield, Jackson was pushed across the goal line by a band of teammates with 4:30 remaining, and Jarian Wims scored untouched on a direct snap to put the Bulldogs ahead 29-28.

Sophomore signal-caller A.P. Lewandowski began the decisive drive with a 21-yard scramble, and Fredericktown ran the football exclusively from there. The Blackcats lined up in a three-back formation on a critical fourth-and-two play, and Joey Lewandowski bolted through the secondary from 18 yards out.

The senior tailback capped his big night with a 20-yard scoring sprint with 35 seconds left after Ryan Gifford intercepted a deflected pass to seal the outcome.

A.P. Lewandowski ended his varsity debut 6-for-10 overall for 64 yards. He led the Blackcats on a 17-play opening march that covered nearly eight minutes. Sohn punctuated the impressive drive with a 3-yard catch from Lewandowski for a 7-0 lead.

Sikeston drew even with a successful fourth-down gamble in the second quarter, as Bohannon found Williams behind the Fredericktown secondary for a 53-yard scoring strike.

Bohannon stopped a potential scoring drive on defense with an interception before halftime, but his pass into the end zone moments later was tipped by Glen Anthony and picked off by Jake Sikes, resulting in a 7-7 tie at the break.

Fredericktown regained the lead on the opening possession of the third quarter when Sohn made his second short TD catch, but Demetrious Jackson returned the ensuing kickoff 80 yards to bring Sikeston within 14-13.

A.P. Lewandowski scored on a 12-yard keeper as the Blackcats continued to wear down a tired Bulldogs defense. After linebacker Nick Franks forced a turnover on downs with an excellent shoestring tackle on Jackson, the home team would extend the margin to 15 points early in the fourth.

Jackson posted a solid performance for Sikeston with 147 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries. Bohannon completed three passes for 109 yards after sharing the early quarterback duties with Rico Ivey.

Sikes recovered a fumble in the final minute, and lineman Ethan Humphrey made tackles for loss to lead the Fredericktown defense.