Youth showed in the first game of the season for Lee Academy, but so did the toughness and don’t-quit attitude of the Colts.
Lee opened the season in front of the home crowd Friday and took one on the chin as they fell 13-6 to an older and bigger Magnolia Heights Chieftains team that made a few big plays, but struggled to get their offense going against the Colts’ defense.
“I was pleased with the way we didn’t quit and how we were hitting hard until the end,” said Rick Johnston, Lee Academy football coach. “We made some mistakes and got behind in the first half, but I didn’t see anything that we can’t correct.”
The Colts’ roster is full of sophomores and juniors, Gage Russell and Vance Johnson are the only seniors this year. But despite their youth, the Colts only drew two penalties all night.
The defense tends to come around first and Lee hit hard and stopped Magnolia Heights’ running backs and pressured and sacked the quarterback. The Colt offense, while they had some success, never seemed to get going, blocking was not crisp and the passes were missed.
The Colts did look to be in shape with only a few cases of leg cramps late in the game.
Lee got the kickoff but punted in four after the running game did not materialize and there was a bad snap.
On the Chieftains first play from scrimmage, running back Ross Thompson broke left and never slowed down for a 33-yard touchdown. The point-after was no good and Magnolia Heights led 6-0 at the 9:27 mark of the first quarter.
Lee set their jaw and came back with one of their best drives of the ballgame, a seven-play, 32-yard drive with Colt running back Bryan Ray running left and right and quarterback William Walker hooking up with receiver Aidan Byrd.
The second quarter was a defensive struggle with Lee’s Carlos Diaz getting a sack and Justice Duraj making several stops.
The Colts made their second mistake of the game late in the second half and Magnolia Heights running back Thompson bounced off several defenders to score from 25-yards out. The PAT was good and the Chieftains carried a 13-0 lead into the halftime locker room.
The third quarter saw Lee’s defense stop the Chieftains on their first two possessions and Lee’s Sam Stonestreet made an interception to stop the Chieftains’ third drive.
The fourth quarter saw Byrd show some speed on a run to the right that covered 31 yards.
Two plays later, Walker hooked up with Ray on a pass over the middle and Ray stretched his arms out to plant the ball in pay dirt and put the Colts on the scoreboard.
The PAT was no good and the score stood at 13-6 with 10:53 left in the final frame.
The Colts went to the pass as the clock wound down, but to no avail.
Magnolia Heights took a knee their last two plays from scrimmage to seal the game.
“It’s a learning curve and we’ve got to speed it up,” said Johnston. “We need to get a little more physical and toughen up.”
Johnston made no excuses for the score, but said his Colts kept the game close and they fought to the end. Johnston, who has carried the Colts to the playoffs the last four years, said he was pleased with that desire not to quit.
“I thought we played better in the second half and were actually the aggressor,” said Johnston. “We worked hard this summer and we seemed to be in pretty good shape late in the game.”
Johnston said mistakes were made.
“We’ll clean up the negative things and be ready Friday,” said Johnston.
Lee travels to Indianola Academy this week to play the Colonels in a non-conference game. The Colonels lost to Tri-County Academy 47-7.
