As Lebo broke its postgame huddle, coach Butch Jones sought out his senior running back Cole Brockelman for a celebratory hug.
Not only did Friday night’s 30-16 win over Madison put Lebo in the driver’s seat in the Eight-Man I District 2, they now have a signature win that proves their comeback season is legit.
Lebo’s senior class had never won against Madison — dating back all the way to seventh grade — and they battled through a disappointing 3-6 season last year, which included a 60-12 mercy-rule loss to Madison.
“You talk to these seniors and they’ve got tears in their eyes and justifiably so,” Jones said. “It’s been a big step in the right direction and it’s been a lot of work for them. The whole community and the school ought to be proud of the way they’ve turned it around.”
Brockelman and the Lebo senior class have played a big part in the turnaround, but it was Lebo’s sophomore quarterback Trevor White that Jones decided to lean on against Madison’s defense.
“We knew they were going to try to stop our run because that was our key all year,” White said. “So we just decided to open up the playbook a little bit and throw it down the field.”
White threw for 156 yards and three touchdowns. He was especially big in the second half, completing 7-of-10 passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns. He outplayed Madison quarterbacks Collin Kile and Henry Ott, who combined to throw four interceptions and completed only 7-of-19 passes.
The Bulldogs completed only two passes in the second half as Lebo made an adjustment that took away Childers down the seam.
Without its passing game working, Madison (7-1) became one-dimensional running the football, which allowed Lebo to use its team speed to swarm to the ball.
The Wolves held the high-powered Bulldogs scoreless in the second half, which usually only happens when Madison mercy-rules its opponents by halftime.
Lebo (8-0) trailed 16-14 at half and took the lead on its opening possession of the second half, with White running or passing on eight of the nine plays of the drive. White started it off with a 20-yard pass to Caleb Weiss and found Weiss again on the final play of the drive for a 12-yard touchdown pass.
White came up big again on Lebo’s first possession of the fourth quarter. He connected with Alex Linsey on two straight passing plays. First, White hit Linsey for an 11-yard gain. On the next play, White found Linsey streaking down the field and hit Linsey over his shoulder perfectly in stride for a 38-yard gain to the Madison 8-yard line.
Two plays later White threw a swing pass to Brockelman for a nine-yard touchdown that put the game away.
Jones said he had not opened up the passing game this season because the Wolves usually build big leads early and then stick to the run, but they had faith in White.
“He did pretty good,” Brockelman said. “I’m pretty proud of him, and he’s come a long ways since last year. I’m proud to say that he’s my quarterback.”
With Crest losing to Southern Coffey County on Friday night, the Wolves should make the playoff regardless of what happens on Thursday at Crest. They’ll do so with a team that knows it’s capable of beating the best — with the run or the pass.
“It’s a big turnaround obviously, because last year was a 3-6 season, but we’ve got to keep it going,” White said. “It’s not over yet. Got to try to get in the playoffs and get farther.”
Friday at Lebo
Lebo 30, Madison 16
Madison 8 8 0 0 — 16
Lebo 8 6 8 8 — 30
First quarter
MHS — Childers 65 pass from Kile (Nowell run)
LHS — Brockelman 1 rush (Weiss pass from White)
Second quarter
MHS — Ott 1 run (Ott run)
LHS — Weiss 23 pass from White (conversion failed)
Third quarter
LHS — Weiss 12 pass from White (Perry run)
Fourth quarter
LHS — Brockelman 9 pass from White (Linsey pass from White)
GAME STATISTICS
MHS LHS
First downs 10 15
Rushes-yards 33-86 34-123
Comp.-Att.-Int. 7-19-4 10-17-2
Passing yards 170 156
Total plays-yards 52-256 51-279
Fumbles-lost 3-1 2-1
Penalties-yards 5-30 8-52
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing — MHS: Kole Schankie 14-63, Ott 10-20, Nowell 3-4, Kile 2-1, Childers 2-0, Fox 2-(minus-2); LHS: Brockelman 13-65, White 10-18, Perry 8-34, Strawder 3-6.
Passing — MHS: Kile 5-11-3 129, Ott 2-8-1 41; LHS: White 10-17-2 156.
Receiving — MHS: Childer 5-144, Ko. Schankie 1-8, Nowell 1-18; LHS: Linsey 5-63, Weiss 3-55, Perry 1-19, Brockelman 1-9.
Comments
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Posted by Tell (anonymous) on October 24, 2009 at 9:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Maybe Madison should quit mercy ruling everyone and give their young kids some time on the field. Its interesting when they have to play a whole game they don't seem prepared. Egos?
Posted by alfalfa (anonymous) on October 24, 2009 at 2:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)
From the outside looking in I think Fred McClain is a class act and I don't believe intentionally mercy rules anyone. Madison has just been fortunate to have depth and power. I think he has let younger kids play, and still end up in mercy rule territory.
Posted by seriouslyfolks (anonymous) on October 24, 2009 at 2:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"Lebo seniors avenge record against Madison"
It's sad that folks from Madison had to go to Lebo and break the Lebo seniors records. I'm glad that those feisty Lebo seniors got their revenge. You don't mess with an old persons music. You just don't. Hopefully someone will show them how to download MP3s on their ipods so they can still listen to whatever old people listen to, Pat Boone or Bing Crosby or whatever.
R.
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