The Newton County Cougars kept the Southeast Lauderdale offense in check for most of the game, but two big passing plays in the second and third quarters made the difference in their 24-10 loss at home on Friday night.
The Cougars (0-4) took their only lead on a 39-yard field goal by kicker Garret Mills midway through the first quarter. The Tigers tied the game with their own field goal from Andres Alonso late in the second quarter and took the lead for good on Daquarius Ruffin’s 37-yard touchdown strike to Travis Moore with only 23 seconds left in the first half.
The Cougars got their first break early in the first quarter when Jarrius Huddleston recovered a Southeast Lauderdale fumble at the Tigers’ 25-yard line. Newton County only gained three more yards but Mills booted through the field goal to put the Cougars on top at the 3:45 mark.
The teams traded punts for most of the second, but a Newton County 15-yard pass interference penalty help set up Alonso’s 28-yard field goal to knot the game up at three all. Late in the second, a 42-yard punt by Mills pinned the Tigers at their own 17, but a 15-yard run by Malik Miller and a 21-yard scramble by Ruffin help set up the first of Moore’s two touchdown catches.
The Cougars attempted an onside kick to open the third quarter but the Tigers recovered at midfield. It only took two plays for Ruffin to hook up with Moore on a slant route and he outraced the Cougar defense for a 66-yard touchdown to put Southeast Lauderdale up 17-3. The Cougars responded with a methodical 16-play drive where running back Marcus Wash gained most of his 84 rushing yards. Wash capped it off with a 1-yard dive and Mills’ PAT cut the deficit to 17-10.
The Cougars’ offense stalled in the fourth, and Jomayo Sanford scored on a 14-yard scamper late in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach.
Wash led the offense with 22 carries and Makindal Evans added 45 yards on the ground. Huddleston and Skylar Porter both finished with 16 tackles to lead the Cougar defense, while Ethan Gentry added 14. Mills finished with a 36.9 average on seven punts for the night.
Miller led the Tigers’ rushing attack with 127 yards and Moore finished with four catches for 110 yards.
Newton County will make the short trip north on Hwy. 15 to take on county rival Union on Friday.
