Lebanon wanted to send their seniors off on a high note in what was their last regular season game on their home field on Friday night when the Tigers hosted the Southmont Mounties. Thanks to dominant offensive line play and junior running back Brendan Shockley the Tigers did just that in holding off a gritty Southmont team in what ended up being a 41-28 Tigers win.
Lebanon (4-4, 4-2 SAC) needed just two plays to score when it got the ball to begin the game when Jackson Folden found a wide open Trey Ries for a 42 yard score just 47 seconds into the game. Lebanon made it 13-0 on the first play of the second quarter when Taig Williamson scored on a two yard run. That capped an 87 yard scoring drive for the Tigers. With the Mounties threatening in Lebanon territory, Southmont QB Nolan Boyer’s passed was intercepted and the Tigers got the ball back at their own three. 97 yards later Lebanon made it 20-0 after a 20-yard Shockley TD.
“It’s tough to run the ball against a team like Southmont because those are big physical kids who are senior-led,” Tigers coach Jeff Smock said. “All year long we’ve been able to hold our own up front even against teams like Zionsville. Those guys did such a great job opening up running lanes and Brendan Shockley continues to impress us with how well he ran it.”
Shockley ended the game with 19 carries for 171 yards while the Tigers ran for 253 yards in the win. Lebanon tallied 401 total yards with Folden ending the night 7-9 for 148 yards.
The Mounties got on the board right before halftime when Boyer found Aaron McMasters for a five yard score. It was one of three receiving TD’s caught by the junior wide-out. Southmont (4-4, 2-4 SAC) got the ball to begin the second half but couldn’t do anything with it as the Tigers forced a punt. Lebanon drove 77 yards and Kaden Lark scored on a 12 yard pass from Folden to make it 27-7 late in the third quarter. McMasters hauled in a 22 yard TD as time expired in the third to make it 27-14. Kyler McCandless for the second straight week had a long receiving TD, the senior hauled in a 72 yard score to make it 34-21 with 10:54 left. Southmont recovered an onside kick and looked like they were in business until a Wyatt Woodall fumble sealed the game for the Tigers. Sam Kyker scored the final Tiger touchdown of the night on a 38 yard pass from Folden.
Southmont coach Desson Hannum noted how his team game-planned to try and stop the run and even tried multiple things throughout the game to stop the Tiger rushing attack. Just nothing seemed to work.
“We knew that we were going to have to stop their running game if we wanted to be successful and we couldn’t do that tonight,” Hannum said. “They’ve ran it on every team we’ve seen on film and run it well. It wasn’t for a lack of trying. We tried different fronts and different looks, we just weren’t able to get the stop we needed on defense.”
The Mounties did tally 385 yards on the night. Boyer has his best game of the season throwing the football going 18-28 for 251 yards and 4 TD’s and the one interception. South rushed for 134 yards led by Woodall’s 95 on 21 attempts.
Even in the loss there was a special moment that happened at the 8:25 mark of the fourth quarter. Woodall for his career eclipsed 3,000 yards rushing for his career. It’s a feat that Hannum knew was achievable for his senior fullback coming into the season.
“There’s a lot of great things that Wyatt’s been able to accomplish while wearing a Mountie uniform,” Hannum said. “This accomplishment couldn’t happen to a better kid than him. He’s meant so much to our team, so much to our program and honestly to me personally. I’m very happy for him.”
For Lebanon it was also senior night where they honored their nine seniors. Smock noted how Friday was a special one and even better that they got to send their seniors off with a win.
“It’s tough before the game when you’re tearing up before the game talking about these guys while also trying to get them fired up,” Smock said. “Everyone sees the games, but no one sees the practices and our day to day interactions in school, our weight room workouts in the off-season. That’s why I get emotional because knowing the amount of effort these guys have put into our program. That’s why this game is so great and why high school sports are so special.”
Southmont will conclude the regular season next week when they’re back home against Tri-West.
Lebanon will make the short trip to take on their Boone County rivals in the Western Boone Stars.
