The football season came to an end Friday night for the Little Cypress-Mauriceville Bears. The Henderson Lions built a big first quarter advantage to win the bi-district playoff game with the Bears 48-12 at Monte Jack Driskell Stadium in Crockett.
Two turnovers on consecutive LC-M possessions in the first quarter broke open a close game in favor of Henderson (10-1). Facing fourth-and-short from their own 40 the Bears elected to punt. The snap went past the punter giving the Lions the ball at the LC-M 13. On the next play La’Kendrick Van Zandt ran the ball in for the touchdown. The score gave Henderson a 21-6 advantage which only got bigger as the first half progressed.
On the second play of the next possession for Little Cypress-Mauriceville (5-6) a fumble was recovered by the Lions’ Jaylon Henson at the Bears’ 9. This time it took two plays before quarterback Trae Hall scampered 6 yards for the touchdown to make it 28-6 with just 57 seconds left in the first.
Henderson would tack on 10 more unanswered points in the second quarter. Van Zandt busted a run up the middle for 63 yards and a score. He was the leading ball carrier with 12 carries for 171 yards and three touchdowns.
The Lions added a 26-yard field goal by Axel Romero on the final play of the half. Hall completed five straight passes for 80 yards and rushed once for 15 yards in the last 99 seconds to get Henderson close enough for the field goal.
Second teamers played most of the second half for Henderson. Lynn Freeney scored late in the third quarter on a 3-yard run. Chester Jones booted a 27-yard field goal in the fourth quarter running the Lions consecutive point streak to 40 and a 48-6 lead with 7:03 left in the game.
The Bears got a little respect back driving 70 yards on eight plays to score the final points of the game. Quarterback Beau Bickham completed two big first down passes on the drive. The first was for 19 yards to J’Lon Douglas. Katon Brown caught a slant pass for 20 yards to the Lions’ 13. Three plays later Christopher Winters got the last six points of the season for LC-M on a 10-yard run. Winters finished the night with 89 yards on 17 carries. The running try for two after the touchdown was stopped short.
The game started like it was going to be a true shootout. Henderson needed eight plays to go 71 yards and score in less than three minutes. Van Zandt got the touchdown and the two-point conversion to put the Lions up 8-0.
LC-M answered driving 66 yards also using eight plays. Winters and Douglas alternated carrying the football during the march. Douglas got the touchdown from one yard out. Douglas rushed for 61 yards on 12 carries during the game. The kick hit the crossbar and bounded up, but fell short no good to keep the score 8-6 with 5:31 to play in the first quarter.
The Lions showed their quick strike capability. Hall passed for 9-yards to Trestan Ebner. The next play the two then connected for a bomb of 49 yards and the touchdown. Hall was 16 of 20 passing for 265 yards and the one touchdown. Ebner caught five passes for 105 yards. It was the next three and half minutes that saw the game get out of hand in favor of Henderson.
Henderson advanced to play again next week. The second round opponent for the Lions will be the El Campo Ricebirds.
-Dan Perrine, KOGT-
LCM 6 0 0 6- 12
HEN 28 10 7 3- 48
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