LaFayette drops tough contest to Loachapoka
BY DANIEL SCHMIDT
THE LAFAYETTE SUN
LAFAYETTE — Despite a valiant effort and noticeable improvement, LaFayette High School (0-4, 0-4) suffered a 32-7 loss on the road to Loachapoka High School (2-3, 2-3) on Sept. 17.
Z’niyah Boston again took on a starring role for the Lady Bulldogs with a rushing touchdown and an interception.
LaFayette head coach Demarco McNeil said even though the scoreboard may not indicate much improvement, the Lady Bulldogs have shown tremendous growth since their first game.
“We’re not making as many mental mistakes: we’re lining up, and the football operations are getting much better,” McNeil said. “Like I said there are some good things and some bad things. But we’re making steps in the right direction. We’ve just got to learn how to hone in and focus even though it’s hard to do anything for two and a half hours, especially with kids nowadays.”
At a small Class 1A school like LaFayette, resources and athletes are typically spread thin. McNeil said he and the program are trying to make do with what they have while building a sustainable foundation for future teams.
“It’s a process because you have to coach everything. There are things you think you might not have to coach, but trust me, you’ve got to coach them,” McNeil said. “Most of the time, we don’t have enough girls, so talking about it isn’t enough. We have to talk about it and show it to them. And sometimes we don’t have enough time or resources to do that. But it is what it is; that’s part of [coaching at a small school].”
Loachapoka’s Jalady Winchester struck first with 10:40 left in the opening quarter, ripping a bobbled ball away from a Lady Bulldogs receiver and returning it 23 yards for a score. She added the two-point conversion on the ground for an 8-0 Loachapoka lead.
She wasn’t done in the first. Jalady Winchester broke off a 40-yard TD run with 1:39 to play in the quarter, and although the extra point missed, the Lady Indians led 14-0 after one.
The second quarter turned into a defensive scrap. Jalady Winchester picked off a pass in the end zone with 11:41 left, but LaFayette’s defense answered with a pair of interceptions — Boston near the LaFayette 34 with 7:28 remaining and Tre’Kayla Powell near the 20 in the final minutes before the break.
Boston then finally put the Lady Bulldogs on the board, racing 45 yards for a TD as the first half expired and running in the extra point to make it 14-7 at halftime.
Loachapoka finally began to pull away in the third. Makayla Roberts raced 52 yards for a score with 8:52 on the clock, and Jaleah Winchester followed with a 12-yard TD run with 3:07 to go.
Destiney Core then closed the game out for the Lady Indians. She intercepted a pass and returned it to the LaFayette 14 with 6:36 remaining, then punched it in on a 6-yard TD run with 5:03 left to set the final margin.
The Lady Bulldogs will travel to Talladega to face Talladega High School (1-9, 1-2) on Thursday, Sept. 24, at 5 p.m. The Lady Tigers defeated LaFayette 27-20 on Sept. 3 at Bulldog Stadium.
