Both Newton County and Lake got to see what they wanted to see on Friday night.
Both teams got to line up against another team and see where they were at heading into the regular season.
The Cougars appeared to be a little further ahead as they came out with a 14-0 win in a two-quarter scrimmage with the homestanding Hornets on Friday night.
Both teams are coming off winning seasons but are in different situations heading into the seasons. The Cougars have 20 starters returning and will one of the most experienced teams in Class 4A.
“We had our ups and downs,” County coach Bobby Bass said. “I thought we played better on the offensive line. We came off the ball better and have to continue to get better up front. On defense, we did some good things but have to do some things better. We have to get lined up right and take better angles. We had some busted assignments and that’s typical of a jamboree. We have to do a better job of tackling in space and those types of things. I’m just thankful that we played in a jamboree and were able to see those things and hopefully get them corrected before Friday night.”
The Cougars got the ball to open the game and went 70 yards in six plays as Damon Mapp hit Tyron Henderson on a 27-yard touchdown pass. Lee Hill hit the PAT and Newton County led 7-0.
After a pair of Lake punts, the Cougars got on the scoreboard again late in the first quarter. The Cougars went 68 yards in seven plays to find the end zone. After a big 30-yard pass play to Henderson, Deyvon May scored on a 6-yard run. Lee Hill booted the PAT to lead 14-0.
“I don’t think we had one pre-snap penalty and I was glad to see that,” Bass said. “I thought we threw the ball well at times and made some got throws and catches. We left a few opportunities out there. We have to be more consistent up front, that’s one things we are looking for. We did put the ball on the ground a few times and that’s something we have to work on.”
The Hornets did get the offense moving more in the second quarter but were unable to find the end zone. But coach Tate Hanna said he saw some good things.
“We got a lot of film on kids that we needed to get film on,” Hanna said. “It’s obvious we have a long ways to go and still have some spots to nail down. I thought we struggled on the offensive line and didn’t move the ball much. We played a lot of guys on defense as well. Newton County is really good right now and have a lot of guys returning. I thought we competed well with them. I’m just glad we got to play.
