Trojans, Ramblers battle in tune-up
Gordon Lee's Zack (24) looks room to run during last Thursday night's scrimmage against LaFayette. The Trojans open the season on Thursday at home versus LFO. (Messenger photo/Scott Herpst) CHICKAMAUGA — The LaFayette Ramblers and Gordon Lee both had their good and bad moments in Thursday night’s football scrimmage at Billy Neil Ellis Stadium, but the Trojans would come away with a little more good than bad in a 19-7 victory over their south Walker County neighbors. Gordon Lee would score twice in a 2:31 span of the first quarter to take a 13-0 lead, while LaFayette’s lone points would come on a quick, but effective drive late in the first half. The Trojans’ junior varsity offense would tack on the final touchdown with just over five minutes remaining. Both teams were nearly equal in total offense. Gordon Lee rushed 32 times as a team for 185 yards while completing 4-of-7 passes for 60 additional yards. LaFayette picked up120 yards on 39 carries and got 111 through the air on 5-of-13 passes with one interception. LaFayette’s Cody Dallas led all ball carriers with 42 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries, while Zack Cobb paced Gordon Lee with 40 yards on eight attempts. McKenzie Kelehear was 5-of-12 for all 111 yards and the pick for the Ramblers. Garret McAllister was a perfect 3-of-3 for all 60 of the Trojans’ aerial yards, including the first score of the game, while Hayden Casteel was 1-of-3 for zero yards. “We saw some really good stuff, offensively and defensively, with our older kids,” said Gordon Lee head coach Charlie Wiggins. “And we saw some younger kids get in, scrap, and make some plays. That was really good for us. We kind of knew, going in, what our older guys had the potential to do, so we were able to get them in, get them through, and get them out so they could
those early get over ters.” The Trojans scored on their second series as a 48-yard Garret McAllister pass to Hayden Moore and three Zack Cobb runs set up McAllister's 11-yard TD strike to tight end Bryce Bailey. The extra point attempt missed wide. The Gordon Lee defense established itself early on as well, holding the Ramblers to just four plays in each of its first three series while allowing minus-four yards of offense. They forced two punts, stopped two runs for negative yardage, and got a sack from Bailey which cost the Ramblers jit- more yards. Following LaFayette’s second punt, Adam Vandiver ripped through the Rambler defense for a 40-yard touchdown scamper, and Dallas Alder’s PAT gave the Trojans a 13-0 lead with 2:14 left in the opening quarter. After their ensuing drive fizzled at the Gordon Lee 15, the Ramblers forced a punt and needed just 2:30 to put up their only seven points of the night. Kelehear was 2-of-3 on the 75-play drive, hitting Dallas on a screen pass that covered 40 yards, and getting a nice leaping 24-yard catch by Patrick Simmons in traffic to put the ball at the Gordon Lee 11. Two plays later, Dallas 10 dragged four would-be tacklers across the goal line and Nick Queen booted the extra point. LaFayette missed a chance to tie or take the lead late in the half when a deflected pass bounced off a Rambler receiver and into the hands of Trojans' defensive back Scott Royal at the Gordon Lee 2. The Trojans would record the final touchdown of the night with 5:06 left in the game on freshman Andrew Towns' 12-yard run. Dalton Owens and Dallas Goodlet also recorded sacks for Gordon Lee, while Queen had a fumble recovery for LaFayette. LaFayette head coach Tab Gable said his team performed pretty much as expected as they gear up for their season and home opener on Sept. 7 against Trion. “Our youth showed up a little bit and we played pretty conservative,” he said. “We’ve got a long way to go and we know that, but I still like this group. We’ve got two weeks before we open up, and we’re just going to keep working.” Gordon Lee senior linebacker Blake Teeters (knee) and Gordon Lee senior receiver/defensive back Connor Coakley (leg) were held out of the scrimmage for precautionary reasons, but Wiggins felt that both would be ready for Thursday night’s opener against LFO. “Everything should be a go," he said.