Lee County Trojans make statement in Moultrie

MOULTRIE — By now, the formula is becoming familiar.

Keep the game within reach. Get to halftime. Make the adjustments. Then take over.

No. 2 Lee County dominated the second half for the third consecutive week Friday, breaking a 21-21 tie and pulling away from Colquitt County for a 48-30 victory at Mack Tharpe Stadium.

This time, junior running back Quay Sheard supplied the spark.

With starters Dominique Ball and Jordan Bush sidelined by injuries, Sheard rushed for 202 yards and four touchdowns. His biggest run came on the first play of the second half, when he broke free for an 80-yard touchdown that put the Trojans ahead for good.

“I think our kids are really well-conditioned,” Lee County coach Dean Fabrizio said. “And our coaches are doing a great job of halftime adjustments.”

The evidence is becoming difficult to ignore.

Lee County trailed nationally ranked Carol City before shutting down the Chiefs in the second half and rallying for a 23-20 victory. A week later at Sequoyah, the Trojans trailed by 11 points with three minutes remaining before scoring three times to win 43-32.

Against Colquitt County, the Trojans did not need a dramatic late comeback. They simply took control after halftime, outscoring the Packers 27-9 over the final two quarters.

Sheard made the most of an opportunity created by injuries to Lee County’s top two running backs. Ball is expected to miss four to six weeks with a broken bone in his foot, while Bush could return after the Trojans’ upcoming open-week bye.

Quarterback Cohen Lawson also played a significant role in Lee County’s return to Moultrie.

Lawson, who transferred from Colquitt County, completed 13 of 20 passes for 186 yards in his first game at Mack Tharpe Stadium since leaving the Packers. He briefly exited after a hard hit knocked the wind out of him but returned to help the Trojans finish the victory.

Senior receiver Jaden Upshaw again showed his versatility. The Texas A&M commitment caught six passes for 86 yards and added 78 yards and two touchdowns on seven rushing attempts.

Behind Sheard, Lawson and Upshaw, Lee County piled up 516 yards of offense while holding Colquitt County to 289.

The Trojans also took advantage of three Colquitt County turnovers in the first quarter, although Packers quarterback Khi Mitchell kept his team in the game by accounting for three touchdowns.

Once the second half began, however, the night belonged to Lee County.

The Trojans now receive a well-timed open week before defending state and region champion Thomas County Central visits Leesburg on Sept. 25.

Fabrizio expects Bush and defensive back Champ Brown to return for that showdown. Ball will remain sidelined.

If the rankings hold, it will be No. 1 against No. 2 in Leesburg — and Lee County will enter it having shown three weeks in a row that no halftime deficit is safe.