The Little Cypress-Mauriceville Battlin’ Bears celebrated homecoming on Friday night with the team’s first win of the season in a 45-26 victory over the visiting Yellowjackets from Iowa, La.
The Bears opened the scoring with an 11-play, 79-yard drive on its first possession of the game as running back Jonah Fuller punched it in for a 3-yard run and a 7-0 LC-M lead.
The Bears defense got in on the action on Iowa’s first possession as defensive back Kaden Boatman picked off a Reed Dupre pass and rumbled his way 45-yards to paydirt to give LC-M a 14-0 lead.
LC-M added another touchdown on its next possession as Evan Worster capped off a 76-yard drive with a 1-yard plunge and 21-0 Bears advantage late in the first quarter.
The second quarter was more of the same as LC-M’s Fuller added a one yard touchdown on a 68-yard scoring drive that took over four minutes off the game clock and a 28-0 lead.
Kicker Isaiah Watzlavik booted a strong 37-yard field goal late in the second-quarter to extend the LC-M lead, 31-0.
The Iowa offense finally found its footing as quarter back Reed Dupre only needed two plays to get the Yellowjackets on the board. Running back Jeremiah Bushnell roared around the right end and ran 47-yards to the Bears 12-yard line. On the next play Dupre threw a 12-yard scoring pass to running back Jonathan Walker and cut the Bears lead to 31-6 at the break.
Iowa scored on a 33-yard touchdown pass from Dupre to Bushnell midway through the third quarter, which was followed up with an 85-yard interception return by Yellowjackets defender Andrew Duhon on the Bears next possession. The two point conversion cut the LC-M lead to 31-20.
The Bears answered on its next possession as Worster scored on a 1-yard sneak up the middle. Worster added another touchdown on the next LC-M possession and put the game away.
The Yellowjackets added a late touchdown in the game’s final minutes as Dupre threw a 7-yard pass to CJ Bellow.
LC-M had more than 480 yards of offense on the night. Quarterback Braylon Lewis threw for 114 yards on seven completions and one interception. He added 101 yards rushing on seven carries.
Running back J’Lynn Morris had 17 carries for 187 yards rushing on the night, while Fuller added 46 yards and two touchdowns. Receiver Khayden Reed had four catches for 67 yards and 15 yards rushing.
LC-M (1-2) will be on a bye next week, as well as the rest of District 10-4A Div. 1, as they prepare for the start of district competition on Sept. 27. The Bears will travel to Vidor to face the Pirates (1-2) in the first district game of the 2024 football season. Vidor lost to the Hamshire-Fannett Longhorns, 53-27, on Friday night in the team’s final non-district game.
-Tommy Mann, KOGT-
The 1994 undefeated District Champion Bears were recognized during the game Friday.
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