C.B. East wins with linebacker Lamb at quarterback

Late in Week 4, when starting quarterback Connor O'Keefe went down with an injury and backup Matt Szczypiorski was unavailable for the same reason, Central Bucks East had no choice but to hand the reins to an emergency signal-caller.

With that, Jack Lamb, previously a full-time inside linebacker and part-time running back for the Patriots, went under center for the first time since he was an eighth-grader at Holicong Middle School.

"I was a little bit rusty at first, but I'm improving with each week," the 6-foot, 200-pound junior said. "It's been an adjustment. You have to go into each game with a different mind-set."

Lamb, wearing an odd-looking No. 45 jersey at QB, has completed 26 of 47 passes for 311 yards in the last three games. He has carried 16 times for 93 yards.

"I worked in the offseason with the other quarterbacks, so it's not like I'm entirely new to the position," the 16-year-old said.

In Thursday's matchup vs. Suburban One League Continental Conference rival William Tennent, Lamb's 41-yard touchdown run on a zone-read play helped C.B. East snap a four-game losing skid with a 15-13 triumph.

On Sept. 27, Lamb connected on 16 of 26 throws for 201 yards in a 46-40 conference setback against Council Rock South. He also ran for a pair of scores.

"Jack is a polished kid, smart, and makes good decisions," Patriots coach John Donnelly said. "And the guys have rallied behind him."

Since switching to QB, Lamb has played about 35 percent of the snaps on defense. Through six games, the third-year starter has notched 42 tackles, including 18 solos. He made 28 stops, with 15 solos, in the squad's first three contests.

Last year, despite missing four games with a high-ankle sprain, Lamb was involved in 53 tackles and earned third-team all-Continental Conference honors.

A midfielder in lacrosse, Lamb has strong football bloodlines. His father, Scott, played linebacker at Monacan High (Va.) and Delaware. His grandfather, Bob, was a tight end at North Carolina.

C.B. East, which has been hit relatively hard by injuries, is 2-4 overall and 1-2 in the conference entering Friday night's home game vs. Norristown (3-3, 1-2).

"We can still achieve all the things we set out to achieve at the beginning of the season," Donnelly said. "It's all up to us."

Notes. In La Salle's thrilling, 35-31 victory Friday night over Archbishop Wood, Explorers linebacker Aiden Kerrigan was involved in 10 tackles. Next in line were linemen Anthony Piscopo (six) and Fletcher Grady (five). . . . Wood's defense was keyed by Penn State-bound linebacker Jake Cooper, who posted 81/2 tackles. . . . Vikings senior center Ryan Neher will miss up to six weeks with a broken wrist. The standout was replaced Friday by ex-guard Jack Kenney. . . . La Salle holds a 21-13-1 lead in the series and has won 13 straight meetings.

In Bonner-Prendergast's 21-20 win Saturday over Catholic League AAA foe Archbishop Ryan, safety Zakee King (six) and linebackers Tom Becker (five) and Hunter Ragin (five) combined for 21 tackles. Friars senior wideout Joe Oquendo made six catches for 70 yards, including a 10-yard TD. In forcing a three-and-out series down the stretch, B-P lineman Tim Klingerman and Mike Larsen stopped Samir Bullock (34 carries for 180 yards) after gains of 3 and 2 yards, respectively. . . . Raiders outside linebacker Bobby McDevitt registered 10 tackles, with eight solos, in a losing cause. . . . Afterward, B-P boss Greg "Bubba" Bernhardt presented the game ball to Friars offensive coordinator Mike Melvin. Melvin and his wife are proud parents of a newborn son, Mike.

Trivia time. Wood's last win over La Salle came in 1987, when the Vikings downed Jack Stanczak and the Explorers, 27-21.

Who was Wood's QB that year, and what player was the Vikings' leading receiver? The first to e-mail the correct answer to the address below will win a Rally T-shirt.