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 1^st 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 1^st 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 3^rd 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 2^nd pick to seal the game.

Lee County became the 1^st Yellow Jacket team to win 14 games in a season and will play in an Eastern Final for the 1^st 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 1^st downs to 14 for Cleveland and Lee County won the turnover battle 2-1.