Lake Oconee Academy’s football team didn’t know exactly what to expect heading into Week 2 of the 2026 season.
The Titans hit the road Aug. 28 for a cross-state matchup with Greenville, marking the first meeting between the two programs. With limited film available on the Patriots, Lake Oconee Academy knew it would have to rely on its preparation and fundamentals.
The Titans (2-0) responded with one of their best performances of the young season, rolling to a 50-12 victory behind a dominant rushing attack that produced 294 yards.
Junior running backs Alden Barreras and CJ Stembridge combined for six of the Titans’ seven touchdowns as Lake Oconee Academy remained undefeated.
LOA head coach Patrick Stewart said the Titans had to “go in blind” during game preparation, with only about 40 plays of film available on Greenville.
The focus, Stewart said, was on continuing to “do what they do” while emphasizing the smaller details and fundamentals.
“It was good to see that the guys responded well to our first road game and especially that far of a trip,” Stewart said. “Everybody across the board did a great job, and Greenville was really athletic and talented.”
Lake Oconee Academy opened the scoring with an 8-yard touchdown run by Barreras. The Titans then converted a two-point try when junior quarterback Jake McDonald found senior tight end Jon Harris Funderburke.
Stewart said the two came up with the play on the fly after a botched field-goal attempt.
With the Titans leaning heavily on the run, McDonald completed 8 of 10 passes for 92 yards.
Greenville answered with a 1-yard touchdown run to cut the deficit to 8-6 at the end of the first quarter.
Stewart said the Titans began to find their rhythm in the second quarter after adjusting to the long bus ride.
Lake Oconee Academy took control from there, building a 29-6 halftime lead.
Barreras broke loose for touchdown runs of 40 and 38 yards, while McDonald added a 1-yard rushing touchdown before halftime.
Barreras was named the Titans’ offensive player of the game after rushing for 209 yards and four touchdowns on just 11 carries. His longest run came in the fourth quarter, when he broke free for a 55-yard touchdown to cap the scoring at 50-12.
Stembridge added 51 yards on nine carries and scored twice in the third quarter, both on 3-yard touchdown runs.
“[CJ and Alden] really open up the playbook for us because the defense had to really focus on them,” Stewart said. “It helps us be able to pass the ball later on, too, because the guys are coming up to be able to pass it.”
While the offense controlled the game, Stewart said the Titans’ defense faced some challenges from Greenville quarterback Zayden Kelly, who frequently used his legs to extend plays.
Senior defensive end Logan Davis was named Lake Oconee Academy’s defensive player of the week after recording two sacks, and five total tackles.
“[Greenville] had some speed and their quarterback was a really good ballplayer, so getting him on the ground was tough for us,” Stewart said. “As the game progressed, we were able to close in the pocket on him and get to him before he could throw it and get off his spot.”
With the 28-point victory behind them, the Titans will return home in Week 3 to face Crawford County.
Stewart said the team’s focus this week will be on improving its tackling as Lake Oconee Academy prepares for an Eagles offense led by a talented running back.
“What we harped on is just that we moved on from [Week 2], and so now we’re just trying to focus on today,” Stewart said. “Crawford County is a good opponent; they have a really talented running back, so we have to stop him.”