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By Fred Guarino

The Lowndes Signal
The Lowndes Academy Rebels held on to defeat the Southern Academy Cougars 34-26 in a non-regional bout on the road Thursday night, Oct. 27 and now set their sights on the Alabama Independent School Association (AISA) Class A state playoffs.
The win in the only Thursday game of the season for the Rebels improved Lowndes Academy to 7-2 overall and 3-2 in Class A Region 1.
The Rebels will next face the Patrician Academy Saints from Class A Region 2 on the road on Friday, Nov. 4 in Butler, Ala. in the AISA Class A state playoffs. Tickets for the game are $7 and may be purchased at Lowndes Academy.
Lowndes Academy head football coach Bob Taylor said of Thursday’s contest against Southern, “It was a very physical game. I was proud of the way our guys responded. We got hit in the mouth and fought back. Southern is much improved from last year.”
Taylor said of 2016 football, “For us to finish the regular season at 7-2 is wonderful. I am happy for the guys to experience a winning season and making the playoffs for the first time since 2011.”
He continued of his team, “They have worked extremely hard and have been through so much this season. I am proud of each and everyone of them. Our coaches have done a great job also and I am happy for them.”
The statistics in this contest actually favored Southern Academy. Southern had 428 yards of total offense compared to 385 yards for Lowndes. The opponents had 75 yards passing and 353 yards rushing.
Lowndes had a slight edge with 88 yards passing, but came up short of Southern with 297 yards rushing.
But it is what the scoreboard says that counts. And Lowndes claimed an eight point margin of victory.
Lowndes Academy’s Jon Johnson completed six of 11 passes for 88 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed 15 times for 45 yards and one touchdown.
Also for the Rebels, Brandon Reid rushed 28 times for 239 yards and two touchdowns.
Others stepping up for Lowndes Academy were Brian Rayburn, who caught two passes for 22 yards and a touchdown and Ford Rosser who caught one pass for 16 yards and a touchdown.
John Taylor kicked two points after touchdowns and Jessie Foley rushed for one 2-point conversion.
Reid led the Rebels on defense with seven tackles, seven assists and one tackle for loss.
Johnson got things for the Rebels scoring on a 9-yard touchdown run to give Lowndes Academy a 6-0 lead. But the Cougars struck back with a 61-yard touchdown run to knot things at 6-6.
Rosser put the Rebels up on the scoreboard when he took in a 16-yard touchdown pass from Johnson, and Taylor booted the point after to give Lowndes Academy a 13-6 lead.
But the Cougars were hanging tough when they scored on a 21-yard touchdown run to make it a 13-12 contest in favor of the Rebels in the first quarter.
The Cougars took the lead 20-13 in the second quarter, however, on a 47-yard touchdown run and 2-point conversion.
But Reid would keep the Rebels ahead 21-20 at the half with an 11-yard touchdown run and Foley rush for the 2-point conversion.
Reid would pull the Rebels ahead with an 86-yard run in the third quarter to give Lowndes a 27-20 lead. And Rayburn would score the final touchdown of the night for Lowndes Academy via a 10-yard pass from Johnson. Taylor added the point after, and the Rebels led 34-20.
But the Cougars would not go quietly and added one final score on a 4-yard touchdown run to make the final Lowndes Academy 34 – Southern Academy 26.
It should be noted that Southern’s Tanner Rose rushed 27 times for 257 yards and three touchdowns for the Cougars.
Lowndes goes on the road Friday, Nov. 4 in the AISA Class A playoffs to face the Patrician Saints in Butler, Ala.