Lamb, Lee County Comeback to Beat Cleveland 34-27 – Host New Hanover in Eastern Final

The Lee County Yellow Jackets trailed 20-3 late in the 1st half but dug in and finished on a 31-7 run to race past Cleveland 34-27 and move into the Eastern 3AA Finals next Friday night.    Lee County improves to 14-0 on the season and will face New Hanover, a 47-21 winner over Grays Creek, next Friday at Paul Gay Stadium.   

After an opening drive 32-yard FG by Trey Underwood gave the Yellow Jackets the first score of the game, the Rams ripped off 20 unanswered and led 20-3 with under 3:30 left in the half.   But a bruising 12-yard TD run by AJ Boulware gave Lee County new life.  The defense held Cleveland on a quick 3 and out and got the ball back with 2:30 left and 58 yards away.   After 5 plays picked up a 1st down and had the ball at the Cleveland 43, QB Colin Johnson hit Jackson Lamb over the middle for a 43-yard score with 3.7 seconds left in the half.   It got the Yellow Jackets to within 20-16 at the break with the momentum.

Underwood added a 40-yard FG for the only score in the 3rd to get Lee County within one only to have Omarion Hampton explode for a 23-yard score to push to lead to 27-19.   Colin Johnson found Timmy Lett wide open in the end zone from 10 yards out and the two-point conversion tied the game at 27.  Lee County got the ball back on an interception by Jackson Lamb and 5 plays later Johnson found Jayden Chalmers across the middle for another score to take a 34-27 lead.  The Lee County defense held Cleveland on the final two possessions – once on downs and the final time on Lamb’s 2nd pick to seal the game.

Lee County became the 1st Yellow Jacket team to win 14 games in a season and will play in an Eastern Final for the 1st time since 2005.   Cleveland will finish the season at 12-2.

Scoring

Cleveland        7     13     0     7     27

Lee County     3      13    3     15   34

Scoring Summary

LC – Trey Underwood 32 FG

CL – Omarion Hampton 5 run (Starling kick)

CL – Skyler Locklear 81 pass to Jacquez Durham (kick failed)

CL – Hampton 19 run (Starling kick)

LC – AJ Boulware 12 run (Underwood kick)

LC – Colin Johnson 43 pass to Jackson Lamb (kick failed)

LC – Underwood 40 FG

CL – Hampton 23 run (Starling kick)

LC – Johnson 10 pass to Timmy Lett (2-pt conversion good)

LC – Johnson 24 pass to Chalmers (Underwood kick)

Rushing

CL – Hampton 24-92, Locklear 6-(-8)   Totals 30-84

LC – AJ Boulware 25-74, Johnson 9-45, Larry Baldwin 2-3, McKendall 1-4  Totals 37-126

Passing

CL – Locklear 14-23-210, Roccia 0-1   Totals 14-24-210

LC – Johnson 19-30-190

Receiving

CL – Durham 6-112, Artis 3-22, Sawyer 2-3, Roccia 3-73   Totals 14-210

LC – Tyric McKendall 7-55, Chalmers 3-36, Lett 4-18, Lamb 3-63, Boulware 1-9   Baldwin 1-9 Totals 19-190

  • Lee County Receiver/Defensive Back Jackson Lamb finished the game with 3 catches for 63 yards, 2 interceptions and a break-up on a halfback pass late in the game and was named the Normann Financial Group Player of the Game for Lee County.   Lamb’s 43-yard catch with 3.7 seconds left in the half was the F&W Playhouse Play of the Game.
  • Lee County finished with 316 yards of total offense to 294 for Cleveland.   The Yellow Jackets had 16 1st downs to 14 for Cleveland and Lee County won the turnover battle 2-1.

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