Lee County Gets Past Upset-Minded Cavaliers – Jackets Score Late to Win 26-22

The Lee County Yellow Jackets scored on a 4^th and goal from the 2-yard line with 2:31 to play to take a 26-22 lead and then stopped the final Cavalier drive to win the Brick City Bowl for the 12^th time.   JoJo Jennings’s late score overcame a 22-20 Cavalier lead and Lee County went on to win for the 6^th straight time in the crosstown series.   The Yellow Jackets finish the regular season at 7-3 and will travel to 6-4 Currituck County for a 1^st round matchup in the State 3A Football Championship.  Southern Lee will finish the season at 1-9.

Lee County took the opening drive down the field in 9 plays and finished with a 5-yard TD pass from Mark Schlesinger to Kendal Morris and the Yellow Jackets seemed on their way.   But the Cavaliers would put together a drive of their own that ended at the Jacket 4-yard line and would finish it with an 21-yard Bryan McCollum FG to pull within 7-3.  The Cavalier defense would stop the Yellow Jackets 3 & out on their next 2 possessions and Southern Lee dominated the field position for the remainder of the half and the teams went to the break at 7-3.

Southern Lee would get the 2^nd half kickoff and march 71 yards in only 6 plays to take a 10-7 lead and the momentum on a 5-yard TD catch by Kamaree Butler.  Lee County would respond just over two minutes later with a 53-yard TD pass to Logan Walker to go back up front 14-10, but Southern would respond as well – this time on a 14-yard Anthony Robinson run and suddenly Southern Lee led 16-14 at the end of the 3rd.

Kendal Morris would get his 2^nd TD reception on a 5-yard pass just :58 seconds into the 4^th quarter to push Lee back in front at 20-16.   When Tyrice Douglas, who finished with 115 yards on the night, would score from 7 yards out with just 5:43 remaining to give Southern Lee a 22-20 lead, the Cavaliers were in position to pull the upset at Paul Gay Stadium.

But a clutch 8-play drive by the Yellow Jackets would win it, with Jennings getting the night’s final score.   Jennings led the Yellow Jackets with 112 yards on 13 carries as Lee County rolled up 261 yards on the ground – without the services of leading Jacket rusher BJ Brown who was out with injury.

Scoring

Southern Lee     3     0    13    6     22

Lee County         7     0     7    12    26

Scoring Summary

LC – Kendal Morris 13 pass from Mark Schlesinger (Hernandez kick)

SL – Bryan McCollum 21 FG

SL – Kamaree Butler 5 pass from Robert Sims (McCollum kick)

LC – Logan Walker 53 pass from Schlesinger (Hernandez kick)

SL – Anthony Robinson 14 run (kick failed)

LC – Morris 5 pass from Schlesinger (2-pt conv failed)

SL – Tyrice Douglas 7 run (conversion failed)

LC – JoJo Jennings 2 run (2-pt conv failed)

Rushing

SL – Tyrice Douglas 23-115, Anthony Robinson 8-62, Robert Sims 9-23  Totals 40-200

LC – JoJo Jennings 13-112, Jermaine Banks 9-81, Mark Schlesinger 15-58, Kendal Morris 1-10  Totals 38-261

Passing

SL – Robert Sims 12-25-167

LC – Mark Schlesinger 9-14-111

Receiving

SL – Tyrice Douglas 2-14, Kamaree Butler 4-37, Brett Tate-Blanks 3-47, Jordarian Hamilton 3-69  Totals 12-167

LC – Kendal Morris 5-35, Logan Walker 2-60, Isaiah Peoples 1-3, Jennings 1-13  Totals 9-111

First Downs

Southern Lee 18

Lee County 16

Total Yardage

Southern Lee 367

Lee County 372

3^rd Down conversions

Southern Lee 5 of 12

Lee County 4 of 11

4^th Down Conversions

Southern Lee 2 of 3

Lee County 3 of 4

• The Normann Financial Group/Bubba Subs Offensive Player of the Game for Lee County was JoJo Jennings.   Isaiah McKendall was selected as the Defensive Player of the Game for Lee County. These were selected by the Lee County Radio Crew.
• The Southern Lee Radio Crew selected the entire offense and entire defense as the Normann Financial Group/Bubba Subs Players of the Game.
• Each team will have a Coach’s MVP announced this coming Tuesday night.
• Congrats to Lee County Head Coach Steve Burdeau for his 50^th win as a Yellow Jacket Coach.   Burdeau, in his 5^th year at Lee County, is now 50-10 as Coach for the Yellow Jackets.
• The Lee County Coach’s Show will air at 7:00 pm on Tuesday night.   A season wrap-up show for Southern Lee will follow at 7:30 with Mike Fowler and Austin Thomas.
• Lee County’s 1^st round opponent should be known by Saturday afternoon and will be posted on the WFJA website.