Lee County meets top-ranked Houston County in heavyweight battle

LEESBURG — The Lee County High School football team is used to playing big football games in October.

In 2013, Lee traveled to Thomas County Central to play a Yellow Jacket squad that many considered one of the best in the state when former quarterback and current Clemson Tiger Adam Choice ran TCC’s option to perfection.

In 2014, the Trojans made a trip to Moultrie to face eventual state champion Colquitt County in a battle of unbeatens.

Then, last year, undefeated Colquitt County came to Leesburg and routed the Trojans en route to a second consecutive state championship.

On the first Friday night in October of the 2016 season, the Trojans will see another championship-caliber opponent when top-ranked Houston County comes into Trojan Field for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff. And the Bears will bring a high-powered offense led by Georgia commit Jake Fromm at quarterback.

“I remember seeing him at the Nike regionals because I went there,” Lee County linebacker Shaun Rountree said of Fromm. “I saw him a long time ago, and I knew that he was going to be an elite quarterback. He’s definitely living up to what everyone says, and he is the best quarterback in the state. We’re preparing for the best. That’s what we’re getting ready for.”

Houston County is a complete team, but the Bears score so many points on offense that their defense often gets overlooked. Linebacker Justin Favors said Lee County can’t get caught up in the hype.

“You can’t let this quarterback get to you,” Favors said. “Do what you’ve got to do to put the pressure on him so he can mess up. He’s an elite quarterback, but don’t let the hype get to you.”

Houston has scored 24 points or more in all six of its wins this season.

“We’re just going to have to do a good job of playing discipline-assignment football,” Lee coach Dean Fabrizio said. “And we’ve got to do a good job playing the next play because he does such a good job of exposing any weaknesses, and you know he’s going to hit a play or two and we can’t lose our composure. We’ve got to be able to refocus and get back to our fundamentals.”

Houston’s passing attack will present Lee County’s secondary with its stiffest challenge of the season. But Rountree is excited about the opportunity.

“We’ve got to find a way to get to (Fromm) and get one-on-one matchups throughout the game because if he has enough time, he will throw a perfect ball to his receivers,” Rountree said. “They are a passing team; that’s what they do. We’re kind of not used to it because we’ve mainly concentrated on stopping the run, but I trust our DBs will hold them up.”