Lake Oconee Academy cruised to a 21-3 victory over George Walton Academy last Friday, improving to 2-0 on the year.
This is the first time in program history that the Titans have started a season 2-0 and secured a win over George Walton. The first two times these teams met, the Bulldogs won 42-6 and 14-0.
“I believe this was a huge statement for our program,” LOA head coach Patrick Stewart said. “It was really special, especially for our seniors.”
The Titans’ offense came to life in this game after struggling against Mount Paran Christian. They totaled 254 yards, with 171 yards coming on the ground. They also converted 8-of-13 third-down situations they faced.
Walker Poyner led the team in rushing with 97 yards on 19 carries, including a 21-yard score in the fourth quarter to extend LOA’s lead.
Senior quarterback Ike O’Neal went 8-of-16 through the air for 83 yards with a touchdown and added another score on the ground.
Cameron Kelley hauled in two receptions for 16 yards and tallied 43 yards on the ground. Kelley got the scoring started for the Titans after catching an 11-yard strike from O’Neal in the first quarter. Their team never looked back.
The message Stewart preached to his team all week was physicality.
“George Walton is a run-heavy offense, so we’ve got to stop the run and see if we can pull it out,” Stewart said earlier in the week. “It’ll for sure be a physical four-quarter ball game.”
He said postgame that he felt like his team rose to the occasion.
The Titans’ defense had another stellar performance. They held the Bulldogs to 132 yards total and didn’t allow a single third-down conversion.
“They flew to the ball, were physical, and tackled really well,” Stewart said. “They’re playing really well right now.”
Lake Oconee Academy forced three turnovers, including an interception from junior Cason Bennett, which sealed the game. Dylan Hiter and Reid Davis also recovered fumbles.
Stewart attended George Walton Academy, so this game had a different feeling than most.
“I know a lot of those guys over there,” he said. “It was definitely personal and awesome to get this win.”
The Titans return to Tucker Field this Friday to play Hancock Central at 7:30 p.m.