MOUNT IDA – The Mount Ida Lions earned a share of the 7-2A Conference crown last Thursday with a 37-20 victory over the Lafayette County Cougars.
The Lions entered the game needing a win to assure themselves at least one home game in the playoffs. A victory over Lafayette County guaranteed them nothing less than second place with the outcome of the Dierks/Murfreesboro game weighing heavily on Mount Ida’s seeding going into the 2A playoffs.
Mount Ida looks as if they were ready to take care of business in the opening minutes of their game with the Cougars.
The Lions opened the game with a 93 yard drive that lasted all of six plays. Mount Ida marched downfield and scored on a one yard run by Jonathan Legrange. Tyler Allenbrand hit the PAT to give the Lions a seven point lead with 9:19 to go in the first quarter.
Lafayette County was forced to punt after failing to move the ball past their own 28.
Mount Ida took over on their own 30 and once again marched downfield and scored on another one yard run by Legrange with 2:45 to go in the quarter. The Lions chose to fake the PAT and went for two, but the pass fell short. The Lions led 13-0.
Mount Ida recovered an onside kick, but Lafayette County was able to intercept a pass inside their own territory. The Cougars raced to the Lion eight yard line before Cade Helms wrestled the ball carrier to the ground.
Four plays later the Cougars scored on a four yard play by LePatrick Miller. The two point conversion fell short and the Lion lead stood at 13-6 six seconds into the second quarter.
The next Lion series ended in a fumble with Lafayette County recovering the ball on the Lion 49. They pulled within one of Mount Ida on an 18 yard run by Cualan Williams with 5:47 to go in the half. Miller carried it in for the two point conversion to give them a 14-13 lead.
Lafayette County opened the second half with the ball on their own 42. They battled their way to the Lion 45, but turned the ball over on downs.
Mount Ida pushed their way deep into Cougar territory, but had to settle with a 23 yard field goal by Allenbrand. The kick gave the Lions a 16-14 lead with 3:12 to go in the third.
Their lead was short-lived thanks to a two play Cougar drive that ended with an eight yard touchdown run by Miller. The Lions stopped the Cougars on the two point conversion to hold Lafayette County to a 20-16 lead with 2:43 to go in the third.
Mount Ida was able to seize control of the game at this point, rattling off 21 unanswered points to earn the victory.
Cade Helms capped off a 12 play 65 yard drive with a seven yard touchdown run with 11:47 to go in the game.
A block in the back on the ensuing kickoff put the Cougars on their own seven yard line. Ethan Winkley recovered a fumble on the nine to give the Lions another chance at a quick score. An unsportsmanlike conduct call agains Lafayette County placed the ball on the four. Two plays later Legrange scored his third touchdown of the night.
Lafayette County battled their way to midfield on their next series, but a motion penalty and a sack by Dallas Weston ended their drive on the Cougar 20 yard line.
The final score of the night came at the 6:56 mark on a one yard run by Cade Jackson. Allenbrand was three for three on the final PAT attempts to help give the Lions the 37-20 victory.
Mount Ida amassed 347 yards rushing on 59 carries while holding the Cougars to 163 all purpose yards.
Jonathan Legrange led the Lions with 22 carries for 162 yards and three touchdowns.
Cade Helms had 19 carries for 121 yards and a score. Cade Jackson had five carries for 20 yards and a touchdown, while Gage Dyer had six carries for 21 yards. Bryson had two carries for 10 yards, Colton Yates had two carries for six yards and Tyler Hamilton had two carries for five yards. Bridger Farmer had one carry for two yards.
Tyler Allenbrand was 4-4 on PATs and connected on a 23 yard field goal.
The Lions enter the 2A playoffs as the one seed out of the 7-2A Conference thanks to a breathtaking finish in the Dierks/Murfreesboro game which saw the Rattlers defeating the Outlaws by a score of 26-20. Murfreesboro won the game in the final seconds when a reverse halfback pass bounced off the fingers of three Dierks defenders into the hands of a Murfreesboro receiver in the end zone. They scored on the two point conversion with four seconds left to give them the six point lead.
Mount Ida and Murfreesboro end the regular season as Co-Conference Champions in the 7-2A. Mount Ida wins the tie breaker thanks to a victory over Murfreesboro earlier in the season.
Mount Ida will host Johnson County Westside Friday night with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m.
