Photo: A break in the action during Friday Hernando-Lewisburg football game at Lewisburg. The Patriots claimed the Region 1-7A battle 17-7 with a strong second performance. (Bob Bakken/desotocountynews.com)
Note: This story will be updated with more details and statistics as they become available.
It was a night of firsts for the Lewisburg High School football and came at the expense of neighborhood rival Hernando.
The Patriots won its first game of the season and won its first game for coach Rusty Cagle, the school’s athletic director who moved himself from baseball coach to football coach with last year’s departure of Dustin Hectorne to Horn Lake.
Most importantly, it was the first win of the Region 1-7A schedule for Lewisburg and the victory leaves Southaven as the only winless prep football team in DeSoto County.
All of the scoring happened in the first half, but it was what happened in the second half that became the difference in the contest.
Lewisburg opened the game in the first quarter, taking the opening kickoff almost into the end zone. However, the Patriots got close enough for Robert Becker to hit a 41-yard field goal with 2:46 left in the quarter.
Hernando would respond in the second quarter with a touchdown to take a 7-3 lead. Terronce Walton finished the Tigers’ drive with a 12-yard scoring run with 9:50 left in the half for the lead.
The final minute of the half became a virtual “house of horrors” for Hernando, however. Lewisburg first scored a touchdown on a touchdown pass from quarterback Sam Thomas to Cael Riden with 58 seconds left in the half for the 10-7 advantage.
Then, just seconds later, sophomore Noah Riley was able to strip the ball and recover it back to the Tigers’ 17 yard line. Thomas struck again, with a pass play of 17 yards to Andrew Hendrichovsky for another touchdown to eventually put the game out of reach before halftime.
However, the Patriots needed strong performances from the defense in the second half to preserve the victory. Twice, the Lewisburg defense held Hernando from scoring any points inside the Patriots’ five-yard line. That, plus a couple missed kick attempts in field goal situations kept the Tigers off the scoreboard and gave Lewisburg the win.
Lewisburg also won just its third game in 10 meetings against the Tigers, a team that beat Lewisburg 24-13 last season.
Oct 3, 2024
Prep football
Center Hill 22, Olive Branch 14
(Center Hill: Lawrence Autry – 3 TDs, 186 rushing yards on 30 carries.)
(Lewisburg: First win for head coach Rusty Cagle.Levi Presley – 18 carries for 56 yards. Lukas Edwards – 7 carries, 55 yards. Sam Thomas – 6 of 9 passing for 87 yards, 2 TDs. Andrew Presley – 2 catches for 18 yards.)
(Hernando: Saxtin Douglas – 9 carries for 30 yards. Terronce Walton – 6 carries for 22 yards, 1 TD. Brandon Overstreet – 14 of 25 for 156 yards. William Liston – 6 catches for 112 yards.)
Grenada 35, DeSoto Central 7
Northpoint Christian 24, USJ-Jackson 21
(Northpoint Christian: Cooper Mansell kicked a 28-yard field goal as time expired for the Trojans’ victory.Devontae Dillard – 24 carries for 194 yards, 2 TDs. Justin Henderson – 10 carries for 90 yards, 1 TD.)
