Liberty Christian passes test with 34-14 win over Franklin County
Dillon Stadium, Rocky Mount, VA – It was recreation night at Franklin County and after their youth football teams and cheerleaders ran on to the field, the big boys of Liberty Christian Academy and Franklin County followed. These two talented teams put on quite a show in the first half. The momentum see-sawed back and forth with LCA drawing first blood. However, the Eagles flexed their muscles and responded with two long drives. Franklin County looked like they were taking control of the game as they built a 14-7 lead with 5 minutes left in the 2nd quarter. But just as quickly as you could say “Gideon Davidson”, LCA took the momentum for good when they scored two touchdowns in the final 2 minutes and 19 seconds of the first half. The aforementioned Bulldog sophomore RB/DB scored from 3-yards out to tie the game, and then he intercepted the Eagles’ pass on the first play of their ensuing possession. His pick set the table for QB Joe Borchers’ 21-yard TD strike to WR Jaden Skates in the end zone, with no time on the clock, to give the Bulldogs a 21-14 lead going into the break. Franklin County was never able to mount a comeback in the second half. LCA remains perfect on the year as they took the 34-14 victory and headed back to Lynchburg to start their Seminole District play next week against Rustburg.
The Bulldog’s looked like a well-oiled machine on their opening drive. WR 6 Jaden Skates caught a 41 yard pass over the middle to convert on 3rd down and later RB 8 Gideon Davidson ran 17 yards for his first of 4 TDs on the night. It started to look like it was going to be a long night for the Eagles after they went 4 and out on their first drive, but two plays later when DB 14 Jaemon King intercepted an LCA pass in the end zone, the Eagles dominated for the next 15 minutes of the game. With the combination of QB 6 Eli Foutz’s passing and the “20’s” running – that would be RB 27 Jahlen Lee, RB 20 Ke’shaun Wright and RB 25 Ryder Gardner – Franklin Co. scored on drives of 80 and 96 yards, possessing the ball for 11 minutes.
The highlights of the drives were a 72-yard touchdown pass from Foutz to WR 3 Nasir Holland, 3 receptions by sure-handed WR 15 Ian England for 45 yards and 59 combined rushing yards on 18 carries. Meanwhile on the other side of the ball, their defense rose to the occasion and limited LCA to two, 4-play drives resulting in punts.
It was at that point that LCA’s 8 Gideon Davidson stepped up and made the big plays to turn the game around. After CB 9 Jeb Moon’s 13 yard punt return gave the Bulldogs the ball on Franklin Co.’s 36 yard line, Davidson touched the ball on all 4 plays of their 2nd scoring possession. He completed a 17 yard pass and rushed for 19 yards, found the end zone on a 3-yd scamper to tie the game at 14.
As mentioned previously, his interception 8 seconds later set up the Bulldog’s score as time ended in the 2nd quarter to put them in the lead 21-14 at halftime.
Franklin Co. received the opening kickoff of the 2nd half and picked up one first down but faced a 4th and 3 on their 44 yard line when QB 6 Eli Foutz dropped back in punt formation. The Eagles, instead, faked the punt and Foutz’s pass was intercepted by, guess who – Gideon Davidson. Davidson returned the interception 44 yards for a TD. After K 15 Ryan Pettit’s PAT was good, the Bulldogs led 28-14 with 8:44 left in the third quarter.
Franklin Co. finished the game with 3 more possessions, but each ended on failed 4th down conversions. LCA added another score in the 4th quarter when the dynamic duo of Gideon and his older brother RB/DB 10 Caleb Davidson combined for all 64 yards of their touchdown drive, and the final was LCA 34 -14 over Franklin County. – T Mac
Offense:
Rushing – LCA – Joe Borchers 4-(-4), Gideon Davidson 19-125, 3TDs, Caleb Davidson 10-51 Franklin Co – Jahlen Lee 22-84, Eli Foutz 8-(-34), TD, Ke’Shaun Wright 5-24, Ryder Gardner 3-11
Passing – LCA – Joe Borchers 6/11-112, TD, INT Franklin Co– Eli Foutz 12/22, 203, TD, 2 INTs
Receiving – LCA – Camden Clinton 1-17, Jaden Skates 2-62, TD Gideon Davidson 2-41 Franklin Co – Ian England 7-81, Nasir Holland 3-105, TD, Haven Mullins 1-7, Ryder Gardner 1-16
Punting – LCA – Dalton Nesselrotte 3-34 yd avg. Franklin Co – Eli Foutz 2-41.5 yd avg.
Scoring:
First Quarter –
• LCA: G. Davidson 17-yd run; Pettit PAT (8:53)
• Franklin Co: N. Holland 72-yd pass from Foutz; PAT blocked (1:06)
Second Quarter –
• Franklin Co: E. Foutz 1-yd run; J. King pass from I. England 2ptr (5:06)
• LCA: G. Davidson 3-yd run; Pettit PAT (1:17)
• LCA: J. Skates 21-yd pass from Borchers; Pettit PAT (0:00)
Third Quarter –
• LCA: G. Davidson 44-yd INT return on fake punt; Pettit PAT (8:49)
Fourth Quarter –
• LCA: G. Davidson 7-yd run; PAT failed (8:04)
