POLAND — The Poland football team was looking to pick up its first win of the season in front of a homecoming crowd, and the Knights did not disappoint.

They capitalized on five turnovers and a blocked punt en route to a 32-20 win over Lake Region in Friday night football action.

Poland rushed the ball for 190 yards and got three scores from the air in the winning effort.

Senior tailback Austin Bouchard led the attack with 165 yards for the Knights (1-3), including a pair of 1-yard scores.

“He’s tough, runs hard,” said Poland coach Gene Keene.

Gawain Tibbetts completed 5-of-7 passes, finding the end zone with three different receivers.

“The kids have worked hard these last six or seven weeks,” said Keene. “They deserve this.”

Lake Region opened the game with a nine-play 63-yard drive that included four first downs, punching it in with a 3-yard score from Ethan McMurray.

After a quick three-plays-and-out for Poland, the Lakers continued driving the ball down field with their option running attack, opening up the pass game in which quarterback Derek Mondville connected on a 45-yard score with True Meyers that was called back due to a Lake Region penalty.

Two plays later, Brady Downing intercepted Mondville with a diving grab.

After a Poland turnover, Mondville fired his second interception in as many pass attempts to Levi Lawrence, who returned it to the 1-yard line, setting up Bouchard’s first score of the evening.

Downing intercepted his second pass of the night on the ensuing drive, setting up a 3-yard touchdown pass from Tibbetts to Cody Comeau.

Lake Region’s mishaps continued on the following drive when Poland’s Garrett Griffin blocked a punt, giving the Knights the ball on the Lakers’ 12-yard line.

“I wasn’t touched, felt pretty awesome to get to the ball,” said Griffin. “I’d never blocked a punt before.”

A pair of holding penalties negated a pair potential scores, Poland could not punch it in before turning over on downs. After another defensive stop by the Knights’ defense, Lake Region was forced to punt.

“We knew they ran the option, and it’s tough to practice against it when we don’t run it,” Keene said. “I think once they got used to seeing it, they played a lot better on defense.”

Sophomore receiver Zach Cote leaped to grab a Tibbetts throw for the Knights’ final score of the half. Tibbetts grabbed Mondville’s fourth interception of the half to end a potential Lakers scoring drive to run out the half. 

Poland continued its attack in the second half with Bouchard’s rushing game and his second score of the night. After another Lakers turnover, Poland wasted no time scoring on a 10-yard touchdown catch from Tyler Tucci that gave the Knights a 32-7 lead after the two-point conversion.

Mondville and Meyers would score on a 63-yard pass over the defense for the Lakers’ (0-4) second score of the game.

Lake Region scored again in the fourth to pull within a pair of scores, but the Poland defense did not allow the Lakers to get any closer.