Lake Oconee Academy sophomore CJ Stembridge put the team on his back this past Friday at Hancock Central.
Stembridge rushed for 146 yards and three touchdowns on 19 attempts, leading the Titans to a 21-7 victory over the Bulldogs. The sophomore running back averaged 7.7 yards a carry in LOA’s first victory of the season.
LOA head coach Patrick Stewart thought his team performed well, but credited Stembridge for leading the charge.
“Hancock was a really athletic and good team. It was a good win for us,” Stewart said. “And our guys, offensively, we’re continuing to improve week in and week out. Regardless of wins or losses, our offensive line has been really improving. And then CJ Stembridge had three rushing touchdowns and did a great job for us.”
LOA’s offense didn’t score a touchdown in the first two games. But Stembridge finally added six points to the scoreboard for the first time this season with an 8-yard touchdown run midway through the second quarter.
The Titans’ defense pitched a shutout in the first half as the score was 7-0 at the break.
LOA put together a strong drive in the third quarter, capped off by a 20-yard touchdown scamper by Stembridge. The 6-foot, 180-pound bruiser broke tackles and shook off defenders on his way to the end zone.
Hancock Central responded with a 27-yard touchdown run later in the third quarter, making it a close game. The Bulldogs attempted a two-point conversion and failed, but only trailed 14-6 heading into the fourth quarter.
LOA returned to the well and relied on its running game, which had been successful all night. The Titans moved the ball effectively, ate up some clock, and Stembridge came through again, this time with a 6-yard score.
Stewart was happy his offense finally found a consistent way of running the ball, crediting the offensive line.
“Our offensive line is starting to mesh well with our new system, and the same with our backs,” Stewart stated. “And every week we’re just trying to enhance our physicality up front, and they’re doing a great job.”
LOA posted a season-high 308 yards of total offense. The Bulldogs rushed for 259 yards, with Stembridge leading the way. Alden Barreras, Marcus Rhodes, Jake McDonald, and Kam Geter also ran the ball effectively.
McDonald completed 3 of 4 passes for 49 yards. Ty Hiter led in receiving with two receptions for 25 yards.
The Titans’ defense limited the Bulldogs to just 142 yards and forced several turnovers.
Stewart said the unit had an outstanding performance with only a few missed tackles.
“Our defense did a great job and has always done well with tackling,” he said. “And we had to get those guys on the ground and let them get in space. We were in the right place every time and made very few mistakes.”
This week, Lake Oconee Academy (1-2) will travel to Sandersville to face Brentwood Academy for its fourth-straight road game. The War Eagles (3-0) are a talented team and won last season’s GIAA Class AA state title.
Stewart anticipates this will be another tough matchup for his team.
“We’re getting better, and that’s the main thing, regardless of wins or losses,” Stewart said. “We have a really good Brentwood team coming up, and they’ll probably be the best team we’ve seen this season. They’re really good, really disciplined, and they won the state title last year. So they’re a championship team.”