Lake Oconee Academy came up on the unfortunate end of a recent loss to Greene County, ending its postseason hopes.
The Titans fell to the Tigers 27-7 on Oct. 24, finishing the season with a program-worst 2-8 overall record.
“There’s nothing better. This was what Friday nights are about, facing in town rival,” LOA head coach Patrick Stewart said after the loss to Greene County. “Just competing with guys that you played with each other since rec ball, so fun for the kids. But yeah, obviously, we lost — that hurts big time — and it hurts for these seniors. But like I told the guys at the end of the game, we can use this as motivation for the offseason.”
Stewart, who just finished his fourth season, knew going into this year that it would be challenging. The team was very young, after graduating a strong senior class in 2024, and only a handful were on the roster in 2025.
Stewart thinks the future is bright, as a talented junior class returns next season with significant experience.
“Our junior class is really stout,” Stewart stated. “They’re like last year’s senior class. And so those guys are going to be really, really good for us and probably really similar. So there’s no hesitation in competing next year. I think we compete in everything we do, and if not, change the trajectory of this upcoming season.”
LOA returns a ton of players who gained invaluable playing experience this season.
Sophomore quarterback Jake McDonald replaced former starter Ike O’Neal and navigated the struggles of a new offensive system this season. The Titans transitioned to a more run-first approached based on returning personnel. They struggled to score, averaging only 11 points per game, but they moved the ball effectively.
LOA just couldn’t capitalize and finish drives, especially in the red zone. Turnovers and penalties were also a problem.
LOA’s offense returns its top five leading rushers – CJ Stembridge, Marcus Rhodes, Kam Geter, Alden Barreras, and McDonald – next season. The Titans also return a good amount of talent on the offensive line in 2025.
Defensively, LOA made strides as the season went along. The Titans held opponents to 22 points per game.
LOA returns four of the team’s leading tacklers, including Griffin Stanford, Logan Davis, Geter, and Parks Higham.
In the offseason, a significant emphasis will be placed on leadership, which Stewart said was lacking earlier in the year. However, as the season progressed, new guys started to step up each week, which was encouraging.
“We lost our really good leaders, and I was worried about who was going to be those guys that fill those shoes, if not get better,” Stewart said. “And each week, what’s funny about it is, it was new people every time.”
LOA is a small school, so many players participate in multiple sports, but the team still holds offseason workouts. The Titans hope to come back strong in 2025 and qualify for the playoffs for the first time in program history.
“Use this (season) as motivation going into those other sports and just keep it going,” Stewart said. “Then we got a really good group coming back next year.”