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Cam’ron Lacy
The Stephens County Indians avenged 2020’s heartbreaking loss to Franklin County with a 37-0 whitewash of the Lions here last Friday. In the 2020 game in Carnesville, the Indians gave up eight points in the last minute of play including a touchdown on the last play of the game to lose to the Lions. This year, it wasn’t even close as the Indians dominated the Lions from the opening kickoff. In the win, Indian running back Tyson Everett rushed for 137 yards and scored a touchdown to spark the Stephens offense.
“It feels great, obviously. This was one that we had circled since the Saturday of last year, after we lost to them last year,” SCHS head coach Wesley Tankersley said. “So, it is definitely nice to win and to win in this fashion, too, in a pretty dominant performance overall,” he said.
The victory pushed the Stephens record to 6-1 overall, 1-1 in Region 8-AAA play. In the blowout win, Indian starting quarterback Ben Stowe went down with an injury right before the half. Stowe couldn’t play in the second half, so Tankersley inserted wide receiver Cam’ron Lacy at quarterback to finish the game. Lacy, a former quarterback in middle school, played his relief role well as he totaled 59 yards rushing at quarterback along with 42 yards in receiving. The Tribe was able to rely on the emergency quarterback as he added two second half touchdowns.
“Cam has been having a great year,” Tankersley said. “That is no secret. I think he’s third in the state in receiving. You know that was our plan if Ben did go down at any point.” “We felt like Cam would give us the best opportunity to make plays out there,” Tankersley said. “He and T.J. (Tyson Everett) and Javin (Gordon) and the offensive line did a great job right there in the second half to help us put the game away,” he said.
Before Lacy began making offensive plays against the Lions, he started the game making a defensive play. For the second game in a row Lacy intercepted the ball on Tribe’s opponents’ opening drive. After Lacy’s interception, the Indians scored after a short drive. Starting at the Lions 28-yard line, the Indians quickly maneuvered for the score. A key play in the march came when Stowe completed a 14-yard pass to Corey Richie on the 3-yard line. After that play, Stowe punched it in on a quarterback sneak in the end zone. Indian kicker Colton Bartmas tacked on the extra point making it a 7-0 SCHS lead early in the first quarter.
That’s the way it stayed until the second quarter when Everett scored on a two-yard rushing touchdown to give the Tribe a 14-0 lead over Franklin. The next score was a defensive score by the Indians. It happened when FCHS opened its possession on the 10-yard line due to a holding call on the kickoff. The Indian defensive line pressured the Franklin backfield which resulted in Aaron Maxwell tackling Franklin County quarterback Chris Goode in the end zone and causing him to fumble. A Lions lineman jumped on the ball giving SCHS a safety and stretching the lead to 16-0. It appeared that FCHS quarterback Goode hurt his ankle on that play and never returned to the game.
Later in the second quarter, SCHS tacked on another touchdown when Stowe scored on a 2-yard quarterback keeper. On that play, Stowe injured his shoulder but toughed it out on the hold for the extra point making it a 23-0 Stephens lead. Stowe left the game after the extra point and did not return. Lacy came in at quarterback on the next SCHS drive. The Tribe nearly scored on his first play at quarterback. Lacy took the snap, scrambled to the right then went to the left side and shook loose for an apparent 52-yard rushing touchdown. However, score was negated when the Indians were called for a blindside block. That was the last piece of excitement in the first half with a score of 23-0 with SCHS up.
In the third quarter, the two teams traded possessions without scoring. Late in the period, the Indians struck for another touchdown. Starting at the Indian 33, Lacy covered 47 yards with a dazzling burst, but it was called back due to a holding penalty. Everett rushed for 20 yards on the next play to move the Indians into Franklin territory. Then Lacy finished the drive with a 20-yard touchdown dash. Bartmas booted the PAT for a 30-0 Stephens advantage. Lacy added another score in the third quarter, this one a 10-yard rushing touchdown. Bartmas again booted the point after and the Indians prevailed 37-0.The Tribe has a bye week this Friday and will go on the road Friday, Oct. 22, against region foe Hart County.