Leesville Road football
PHOTO BY CHRISTIAN WORSTELL
With a 48-0 rout of Southern Lee Friday, QB Josh Stanley and the Pride improved to 5-0.
Leesville stomps Southern Lee
Given the tenacity that the Leesville Road football team exhibited to block a field goal in the final minute of Friday’s contest, you might’ve thought the game was actually riding on it.
At 48-0 it surely wasn’t. But the pride of the Pride was.
Southern Lee became the latest victim of Leesville Road’s stellar defense in a blowout that read 41-0 by halftime. For the Pride, who have allowed just six points in the last four games, protecting the zero on the scoreboard quickly became priority No. 1.
“It feels good to get that goose egg up there. We take pride in that,” said Leesville safety and running back Ryan Mangum, who rushed for a pair of short touchdowns on his only two carries of the game.
“They’re playing well,” said Leesville coach David Green of his defensive unit. “We played a bunch of guys on defense and it feels good to play a lot of different guys and still get the shutout. They’ve been doing a good job every week.”
Oh yeah, and the Pride's offense wasn’t too shabby either.
After a stop-and-go first quarter, the Pride scored four touchdowns on a total of six offensive plays during one stretch in the second.
It’s a note that’s worth repeating: six plays, four touchdowns.
“I thought it took us a little while to get going but once we did we started rolling pretty good,” Green said.
After Mangum scored on a five-yard burst, a Brandon Pittman interception and return set up the Pride with a first-and-goal from the Cavalier two-yard line. Mangum's number was again called, and the junior reached the end zone on the next play.
A Southern Lee punt then gave Leesville the ball back and it took only two plays for Nate Whittington to score from 16 yards out.
Another Cavalier punt set up the Pride once again. This time Josh Stanley connected with Thurston Cox for a three-yard touchdown pass on the second play of the drive.
In just 7:45, the Pride lead swelled from 14-0 to 41-0. Leesville did all that despite taking just 27 first-half offensive snaps.
Dylan Edwards and Bradley Moody scored on short runs in the opening quarter and reserve running back Leon White tacked on the only touchdown of the second half.
“Every week, coach tells us it’s not about who we’re playing," Mangum said. "It’s about what we do. It’s about how Leesville Road plays."
Cox, Tariq White and Cody Pyper joined Pittman with interceptions as the Pride defense recorded four picked passes and forced five punts.
But the defensive play that drew the most fist pumps from the Leesville sideline was the blocked field goal with 45 seconds left, preserving the second straight shutout. It is Leesville's third this season.
“There was no way we weren’t going to block it,” Mangum said. “Every game we try to be more physical than the other team. We go out on the first play and put them on their heels and keep backing them up.”
Stanley threw for 96 yards while rushing for 54 more before being relieved early in the third quarter. Whittington racked up 67 rushing yards on just five attempts and Cox reeled in three catches for 53 yards.
Leesvile Road opens up its Cap-7 Conference schedule next week, visiting Enloe (3-2) Friday, Sept. 25. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
