Lions Regional Semi-Final Champs After Big Win

By Lawanna Monk

Special to The Messenger

LOVELADY – The undefeated Lovelady Lions won the regional semi-final champion title after their 50-14 win over Tenaha Tigers Friday, Nov. 25. Here is a play-by-play rundown of that game. 

The Lions took the opening kick with Travis Cook covering a short kick on the Lion 32. Lovelady took control of the ball and the game, marching the ball down the field in eight downs scoring with 8:16 on the clock. Dayvian Skinner started off with a gain of eight. On second down, Skinner made it to the Lion 46. A pride of Lions had Skinner’s back and pushed him over mid-field to the Tiger 47 on his next carry. Jordan Blackmon came in and moved the Lions on to the 42. Blackmon gained the Lions a first down to the 32. Breaking tackles, Blackmon took the ball into the red zone and a Tiger face-mask penalty put the ball on the eight. In two downs, Skinner was up the middle and in for the TD. QB Lance Pierce carried the ball in for the extra two. Lovelady 8 – Tenaha 0.

McCullough’s high kick was fielded by Tenaha at the Tiger 37. The hard hitting Lion defense caused a Tiger fumble. Tyler Gilchrist covered the fumble on the Tiger 39. Back in possession of the ball, the Lions took charge and again had a goal of making it to the goal line. Skinner gained six yards through an opening made by a block by Ben Monk. Skinner powered on to the 27 on his next carry. Blackmon gained a hard two yards. Pierce was stopped for no gain. It took three Tigers to take one Lion, Blackmon, out of bounds at the 10. Skinner was stopped at the six, but scored on the next down with a stand up TD with 5:29 on the clock. The conversion failed. Lovelady 14 – Tehaha 0.

McCullough’s kick was fielded at the 25 and Alan Baskin immediately made the tackle. Baskin, Terelle Easterling and Monk set the Tigers for a two yard loss on their first down. The Tigers completed a pass to the 34. It looked like the Tigers might break away but Skinner pushed the running back out of bounds at the Lion 40. In two downs, the Tigers got another first down at the 30. Lane Wilson dropped the Tigers for a loss of two. The Tigers went back to the air with a pass that was intercepted by Skinner and returned to the Lion 35. 

Blackmon got warmed up with a gain of five. On second down, he mowed down Tigers to the 45. On the next down Blackmon broke away to the Tenaha 33. Silas Strength and Gilchrist opened up a hole for Skinner to gain nine yards. Again, a pride of Lions got behind Skinner and pushed him on to the 13. Blackmon moved the Lions inside the 10 as time expired in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Blackmon followed a block by Wilson and up the middle for the TD only five seconds into the second quarter. Blackmon also was in for the two-point conversion. 

Lovelady 22 – Tenaha 0. 

The Tigers answered back and returned the kick off for a TD with 11:40 on the clock. The kick was blocked. Lovelady 22 – Tenaha 6.

Lovelady’s next score came with 5:32 on the clock. Skylar Pipkin intercepted a tipped Tiger pass on the Lion 30 and returned it 70 yards for the TD. Gilchrist scored the extra two points. Lovelady 30 – Tehaha 6.

McCullough’s kick went out-of-bounds and the Tigers took over on their own 40. The Lion defense kept the Tigers from scoring and took over on downs at the Lion 19 as time was close to running out in the half.

In the third quarter, the Lion’s next scoring drive was set up by a Tiger fumble caused by Monk and recovered by Cason Watson on the Lion 21. Kye Terry started the Lions off with a gain of eight and then a great run to the Tiger 13. Blackmon gained four yards on two consecutive downs. Terry followed the offensive line in for the TD with 5:46 on the clock. The kick failed. 

Lovelady 36 – Tenaha  6.

The Lions’ defense shut the Tigers down on their next possession, taking over on downs at the Lion 49. Terry gained two yards and then four downs. Blackmon made it to the Tiger 39 before being tripped up. Courtney Whitaker got into the action advancing the Lions for a first down to the 29 in two downs. Blackmon took the hand-off from Pierce and broke through the line, cut back across the field and was in for the TD with 0:26 on the clock.

McCullough’s kick was fielded deep and Aiden McIntyre was there to make the tackle on the Tiger five yard line. 

In the fourth quarter, C. J. Wiley, Terry and Watson all made tackles keeping the Tigers from getting to Lion territory. Wiley broke up a Tiger pass on second down. Wilson made the tackle bringing up fourth and six yards to go for the Tigers. An incomplete pass turned the ball over on downs at the Tiger 47. Whitaker had six great runs moving the Lions to the 11 yard line. McIntyre gained the 11 yards spinning in for the TD with 5:02 on the clock. Lovelady 50 – Tenaha 6.

The Tigers fielded the kick at the goal line and returned it out to the Tiger 18. Wiley stopped the Tigers on their 29. Lucky Holbrook and Cameron Lovelady shut the Tigers down on first down. A Lion penalty advanced the Tigers to the Lion 46. Wiley and Case Pennington took the Tiger running back down at the Lion 35. The Tigers completed a pass to the 15 and on the next down, scored with 2:44 on the clock. The two-point conversion was good. Lovelady 50 – Tehaha 14.

The Lions used up the clock to finish out the game and took a knee.

The Lions will face Mart Friday, Dec. 1 at Athens High School at 7 p.m., with the Lions as the visiting team.

Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]