Growing pains show as Lanett falls to Loachapoka
BY Samuel Jones
FOR THE LAFAYETTE SUN
LANETT — Coming off an appearance in the Class 2A state championship game last season, Lanett High School looked to make a statement on the road against former region foe Loachapoka High School.
Instead, the Indians (1-0) showed why they were the No. 10 ranked Class 1A team in the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s preseason poll, relying on hard running, turnovers and special teams to defeat the Panthers (0-1) 40-20 on Aug. 21 at Jones-Tate Stadium.
P.J. Stiggers tallied 10 carries for 62 yards and two TDs, Damein Hurston had 13 tackles and Braylon Chambers finished with nine tackles and four tackles for loss for Lanett.
University of Alabama commit Ryquan Butler showed why he’s committed to one of the nation’s most storied college football programs. The junior linebacker rushed for a TD, recorded 16 total tackles and had three tackles for loss for Loachapoka.
Lanett head coach R.J. McDonald, whose team started as the No. 7-ranked Class 2A team, attributed the performance to early-season mistakes by younger players.
“We just made a lot of young mistakes. When you look up and you’ve got 10 or 12 seventh-, eighth- and ninth-graders out there, it makes a big difference,” McDonald said. “But that’s not an excuse, and we’ve got to continue coaching those guys hard. They’re taking coaching and applying it, and you can see the growth in those guys every day.”
McDonald also said he was encouraged by the fight his team showed after going down early, and then punching back late in the game when the result seemed out of reach.
“I’m really proud of those guys for that,” McDonald said. “A lot of our players have been in big games because we’ve played in a lot of big games the last few years. You could just tell the demeanor was there. A lot of the older players were pulling the younger guys along and calming them down.”
After Derrion Calloway helped force a fumble on Lanett’s opening drive, Loachapoka turned the turnover into a 4-yard rushing TD by Echols to take a 7-0 lead five minutes into the game.
The Indians’ defense came up with another big play on Lanett’s next possession. Harvey intercepted a pass and returned it 64 yards for a TD, giving Loachapoka a 13-0 lead after the missed extra point.
Lanett responded in the second quarter, turning the momentum in its favor. The Panthers cut the deficit to 13-7 after the Indians were forced to punt from inside their own end zone, setting up the Panthers with good field position inside the Loachapoka 20 yard line.
Stiggers took four straight carries before reaching the end zone on a 1-yard rush for the Panthers’ first points of the night at the 9:02 mark of the second quarter.
Lanett followed with another defensive play on the next Loachapoka possession when R.J. Tucker intercepted a pass and returned it inside the Loachapoka 5 yard line. Stiggers finished the drive with a 3-yard TD run, giving the Panthers a 14-13 lead with 7:55 left in the first half.
After each team’s next drive was halted by penalties, Loachapoka answered with its biggest offensive play of the night. With 2:33 left before halftime, Harvey hauled in a 56-yard TD catch from Cruz Hall to give Loachapoka a 19-14 lead heading into the break.
The second half then belonged to the Indians’ special teams and rushing attack.
A muffed Lanett punt gave Loachapoka possession at the Panthers’ 32 yard line early in the second half. The Indians took advantage of the short field and extended their lead to 26-14 with a 5-yard TD run by Echols.
Loachapoka’s special teams created another scoring opportunity later in the half when Travis Andrews returned a Lanett punt 40 yards, setting up the offense inside the Panthers’ 5 yard line.
Butler then finished the drive off with a 4-yard quarterback keeper, pushing Loachapoka’s lead to 33-14 with 1:21 left in the third quarter.
Despite the deficit, Lanett continued battling. The Panthers converted a fourth-and-six late in the game before breaking off an 18-yard TD run with 5:40 remaining, cutting the deficit to 33-20.
However, Loachapoka quickly answered. A 37-yard run by Echols moved the Indians to the Lanett 7 yard line before Jaden Mabson finished the drive with a TD run, giving Loachapoka its final score of the night.
After coming up short against the Panthers 41-7 last year, Indians head coach Branden Hall complimented Lanett’s current team and praised the program’s overall history.
“I’m just happy to have an opportunity to get a win early in the season against a good football team,” Hall said. “The foundation they [Lanett] have is a great tradition. And I’m just happy our guys were able to come out on top tonight.”
Lanett will return to Morgan-Washburn Stadium for its first home game against Valley High School on Friday, Aug. 28 at 7 p.m. CT for the anticipated return of the “Battle of Highway 29.” The Rams defeated Handley High School 14-0 at home on Aug. 21 in a modified jamboree game that did not count toward either team’s official record.
“It’s good for the community, and I think it’s a big thing to get it back going and have the community galvanized around it,” McDonald said. “Hopefully we can get out there, put on a good show for the Lanett faithful and give them something to be proud of.”
Loachapoka will look to keep things rolling when it hosts Lee-Scott Academy, also on Aug. 28, at 7 p.m. The Warriors are coming off a 7-0 home loss to Glenwood School in a game that was called midway through the first quarter due to inclement weather.
