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By Fred Guarino

The Lowndes Signal

The Lowndes Academy Rebels continued their winning ways Friday night with a 56-28 win over the Crenshaw Christian Academy Cougars on the road in Luverne.

With the win, the Rebels improve to 3-0 overall and 1-0 in Class A Region 1 play.

While the Rebels produced 446 yards of total offense with 212 yards through the air and 234 yards on the ground and held the Cougars to 345 total offense, 81 passing and 264 rushing, Rebels’ head football coach Bob Taylor continues to see need for improvement.

“We played well on offense,” he said. But he noted the Rebels had “ too many breakdowns on defense.” He stressed, “We have to continue to improve on both sides of the ball and special teams.”

That said, the Rebels actually only turned the ball over once with an interception while the Cougars on lost four fumbles and threw one interception. However, the Cougars did score a touchdown on an 89- yard kickoff return.

Crenshaw drew first blood in this contest when Cole Roper ran 5-yards for a touchdown and added the point after to put the Cougars up 7-0.

Brian Rayburn would answer for the Rebels, collecting a 20-yard pass from Jon Johnson. And with a 2-point conversion, Lowndes Academy led 8-7.

Johnson would score for the Rebels next on a 36-yard run to put Lowndes Academy up 14-7 in the first quarter.

Brandon Reid would next score on a 6-yard run, and Taylor would add the point after to put the Rebels up 21-7 in the second quarter.

But Crenshaw’s Quashun Laprade would run 47 yards for a score, and Roper would add the point after to make it 21-14 contest.

Taylor would score next for the Rebels on a 10-yard pass from Johnson, and Taylor would add the point after to put Lowndes Academy up 28-14 at the half.

With the remainder of the scoring all coming in the third quarter, Reid would pad the lead for the Rebels with a 63-yard run, which along with Taylor’s kick put Lowndes up 35-14.

But the Cougars would not go quietly. J.R. Wright would return the kickoff 89 yards for a score, and Roper added the point after to make it 35-21 contest.

The Rebels’ Reid would answer one kickoff return with another. He went for 79 yards for the score, and with a 2-point conversion, the Rebels led 43-21.

Johnson would next score on a 6-yard run to put the Rebels up 49-21. And Reid would run 1 yard for another touchdown. Taylor would add the point after, and the Rebels led 56-21.

However, the Cougars were good for one more touchdown and point after to make it a 56-28 final.

For the Rebels offensively, Johnson completed 11 of 13 passes for 212 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He also rushed 15 times for 90 yards and two touchdowns.

Reid Rushed 15 times for 132 yards and three touchdowns. He also returned one kickoff 79 yards for a score.

Rayburn caught five passes for 107 yards and one touchdown and one 2-point conversion.

Taylor caught two passes for 37 yards and one touchdown. Taylor also kicked four points after touchdown for four points and completed two passes for 2-point conversions.

Ryan Davis scored one 2-point conversion.

Defensively for the Rebels, Reid had nine tackles and 10 assists; Mason McCurdy have five tackles and two assists, one tackle for loss and one fumble; Cole Crook had six assists and one fumble.

The Rebels will travel this Friday to Chambers for another regional encounter.