GREENE COUNTY
Lake Oconee Academy’s football team defeated Loganville Christian Academy in a high-scoring 46-38 victory last Friday night.
The Titans put on a rushing clinic, outgaining the Lions 333-52 on the ground. It was the most yards head coach Patrick Stewart’s team had earned on the ground all season.
After the game, Stewart told the Lake Oconee News that he was proud of the way his players fought for results late in the contest.
“I am extremely proud of the way our guys fought in the second half and found a way to win,” Stewart said. “We didn’t play to our standard of football, but instead, played down to theirs, so it was great for our guys to learn from this and how to have a humble spirit at all times, no matter the opponent.”
Cameron Kelley, Walker Poyner and Hayes Fleming were some of the bright spots in the Titans’ backfield last Friday.
Fleming led all rushers with 107 yards on 11 attempts, adding two touchdowns to the scoreboard. Poyner also found the end zone twice on 12 carries for 72 yards. Kelley, who was also the team’s leading tackler, rushed nine times for 75 yards and a score.
On the other side of the ball, Lake Oconee Academy’s defense did what it needed to do in situational moments.
The Lions specialized in throwing the ball down the field and ended up scoring four times off of 246 yards through the air – three of which came in the first half.
Stewart attributed most of Loganville Christian Academy’s success to big plays down the field.
“If you take away the four big passes LCA had, then they would have only had 55 yards of offense and one kick return for a touchdown,” Stewart said. “They had four explosive plays where our defensive backs’ eyes got in the backfield instead of their man due to our rush. We have definitely worked on the deep ball and doing your job while the quarterback is getting rushed.”
The Titans found themselves down by one point at halftime and a full eight points after the third quarter, but their effort brought them back.
Not only did Stewart’s team outscore Loganville Christian Academy 26-10 in the fourth quarter, but their determination got them three straight two-point conversions that came up big for their result.
The Titans’ defense ended the contest matching that energy by securing a safety on the Lions’ last drive of the game. Stewart acknowledged that is the kind of desire his guys will need to be successful going forward.
“Our guys have to continue to have great practices and great effort going forward,” Stewart said. “It is easy to get complacent in a long season, so we have to find something to get better at each day. It would mean so much to our school and community if we finished the season out strong. The constant phrase all the time is how amazing it is to watch this Year 2 varsity program hang with these tenured football programs.”
With the win, the Titans are back at .500 with a 3-3 record with another road game coming up this Friday at Crawford County.