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Lowndes Academy met Patrician Academy on Hannah-Hesselman Field in Butler Friday and brought home a 22-14 win.

Rebels head coach Shane Moye acknowledged the win as a tough-fought game against a non-region opponent who bested the Lowndes team last season.

“We played so hard tonight,” Moye said. “We have so much heart. Nick [Dougan] going down, he’s one of our best linemen, and still being able to find a way to win just shows how much they love to play the game, how they play together, how we’re bigger than one player.” 

The Rebels advanced their lead early with a touchdown pass from No. 3 Clayton Hussey to No. 6 Cooper Dansby for the first points of the game. Hussey completed a rush to the end zone for another Rebel touchdown which closed the quarter with the Rebels leading 15-0.

The Saints found No. 1 Carson Coody placed Patrician on the board by scoring a run on the first second quarter turnover.

After the half, a pass to Rebel No. 21, Scott Stinson, gained the Rebel’s next touchdown. Patrician rushes for another touchdown, closing the gap with Lowndes leading 22-14 at the end of the third quarter.

Neither team would score again. The Saints head coach Jonathan Lindsay said Lowndes’ team was a tough opponent.

“There’s a lot of fight right there,” Lindsay said. “If we eliminated mistakes maybe the game could have been different, but I’ll tell you that’s a hard-fought game on both sides of the ball. We’ve got to get mistake free and we’ve really got to step up our play on defense.”

Moye confirmed the Rebels came knowing the game would represent a formidable challenge and expressed pride in the Rebels’ ability to triumph on the gridiron.

‘We knew coming over here it was going to be tough,” Moye said. “I’m so proud of the boys for pulling it out.”