Lanett tramples Randolph County on emotional evening
BY DANIEL SCHMIDT
THE LAFAYETTE SUN
LANETT — It could have been easy for Lanett High School’s football team to allow the passing of head coach R.J. McDonald’s mother to overshadow the task at hand.
Instead, the Panthers (3-2, 3-0) rallied behind their grieving leader and rolled past Randolph County High School (2-3, 1-2) 40-7 on Sept. 18 at Morgan-Washburn Stadium behind a powerful rushing attack.
It was the third straight Class 2A Region 4 Lanett won by double digits after starting the season with an 0-2 record.
“We stayed true to the mission,” McDonald said. “We always preach about picking each other up when we’re down. The kids picked me up this week, so I’m very grateful for them.”
P.J. Stiggers carried the Panthers’ rushing 19 times for 247 yards and four touchdowns, while R.J. Tucker added 101 yards and a score on seven carries.
Javeion Washington supplemented the run game by going 10-for-14 for 114 yards, Tre Frazier caught four passes for 82 yards and T.J. Tucker had 12 total tackles and two tackles for loss.
Lanett set the tone early. Jayden Stiggers picked off a Randolph County pass near the Lanett 37 with 9:42 left in the first quarter, and P.J. Stiggers capped the ensuing drive with a 2-yard TD run for a 7-0 lead.
The Tigers answered on Bryant Lee’s 1-yard plunge with 2:46 to play in the period with their only points of the night. But the Panthers reclaimed the lead for good in the final minute of the quarter, when R.J. Tucker broke free for a 65-yard TD run with 43 seconds left.
Randolph County had a chance to climb back in it early in the second quarter after Seth Massey intercepted a pass near the Lanett 30 with 10:16 remaining, but Lanett’s defense stiffened and forced a fourth-down stop at its own 21.
From there, the Panthers pulled away. P.J. Stiggers scored on an 11-yard run with 5:17 left before halftime, and after Deontra Jackson recovered a fumble at the Randolph County 47 on the Tigers’ next possession, Stiggers found the end zone again from 27 yards out with 2:05 left to make it 28-7 at the break.
Content to lean on its ground game with a comfortable lead, Lanett bled the clock in the second half.
P.J. Stiggers ripped off his fourth TD of the night — a 54-yard run — with 5:49 to go in the third quarter, and T.J. Tucker capped the scoring with a 2-yard run early in the fourth. While both extra points were unsuccessful, the result had effectively been long settled by then.
McDonald was quick to credit an offensive line that leans on three underclassmen and University of Missouri commit Jaylen Hill up front.
“We trust them a lot and put a lot on their shoulders,” McDonald said. “I thought they blocked their butts off tonight. We’ve got a lot we can still work on and clean up, but they kept us in the good part of the chains.”
P.J. Stiggers, who has 906 yards and 13 TDs on 74 total carries and emerged as the Panthers’ workhorse back, pointed to the same group and a beneficial week of preparation.
“My running back coach [Brandon Smith] pushed me at practice,” P.J. Stiggers said. “We worked on our ‘touchdown cuts’ all week, and it helped us a lot. Oh, and the [offensive line] blocked really good for me, too.”
The Panthers’ turnaround has been powered by their youngest players. According to McDonald, more than half of the roster is made up of eighth- and ninth-graders, and their growing confidence has fueled the recent winning streak.
“The young guys are starting to cut it loose,” McDonald said. “Those guys are trusting themselves and our coaching, and we’re putting them in good spots. Every single snap, honestly, it’s just getting better and better.”
The defense has come along with them, forcing multiple turnovers and swarming to the ball.
“We’re playing fast, very simple and relentless, and they’re tackling well right now,” McDonald said. “Up front, we’re eating blocks so our linebackers can flow.”
Now comes one of the biggest weeks on the entire schedule. Lanett, which had played three of its previous four games on the road, will host bitter rival LaFayette High School on Friday, Sept. 25.
“It’s a great rival game. All of our kids know them — they’re friends with their players, cousins, all that jazz,” McDonald said. “There’s always a good crowd and environment, and the bands are great. That’s what the kids need and deserve. It’s exactly what high school football is all about, and I’m just really excited to be at home and to see that game keep going.”
The Bulldogs (1-3) are coming off a bye week and last played Sept. 11, a 39-19 home loss to Fayetteville High School. Kickoff at Morgan-Washburn Stadium is set for 7 p.m. CT.
