Sweet, sweet revenge

STAUNTON — The opportunities were there all night long, but Stuarts Draft could not capitalize on turnovers, falling to Robert E. Lee, 35-20, Friday night.

The first quarter belong to Lee’s Dae’ Quan Scott. On the first play from scrimmage, Scott ran to the near sideline, sprinted up-field 60 yards only to reverse his momentum back to the right in order to dodge a final Cougar defender en route to an 80-yard touchdown run.

After a quick three-and-out by the Cougars, the Leemen started with the ball on their own 47-yard line.

Following runs by Scott and Mark Anderson, Scott completed two screens to Terrell Mickens for a total of 32 yards and another Leemen touchdown.

On Lee’s final drive of the first quarter and the ball on the 43, Scott lofted a pass across the middle, finding Draft’s Michael Hicklin for the interception.

Draft marched the ball down to Lee’s 35-yard line, but on Ryan Moore’s first pass attempt he also found a member of the defense in Mickens.

“We just couldn’t convert the turnovers,” Stuarts Draft coach Rod Bowers said. “The missed opportunities were the story of the game.”

The Cougars would claw back in the second quarter after falling behind 14 points early in the first.

With Lee pinned back in their own territory, Scott attempted a screen pass across the middle, once again getting picked off, this time by Cole Beyeler, who returned the ball to the 14 of Lee.

Draft took advantage of this turnover on back-to-back runs by Travis Shifflett to get the ball close to the goal line. DJ Hines punched it in from 2 yards out to give the Cougar fans something to cheer about.

Draft tried an onside kick to catch the Leemen off sides and get the ball back with momentum.

The ball bounced around in the scrum only to be picked up by Mickens for the 50-yard return for a touchdown.

“It was a nice onside kick,” Lee coach Dave Tibbs said. “Our kid caught the ball, their kid hit his helmet right on the ball, it bounced to Terrell and I guess it bounced to the right guy.”

Draft came right back up the field following the heartbreaking return.

The Cougars ran the ball up the field on every play, pounding the ball up the middle with Shifflett and hitting the edge with Hines. Shifflett took the handoff and broke through the defense for a 28-yard touchdown run to finish off the drive in style for the Cougars.

Neither team would score again until the fourth quarter.

Lee travels to Spotswood next Friday. Draft is off.