LCM Bears defeat Nacogdoches Dragons, 63-53

For Little Cypress-Mauriceville fans, Friday night wasn’t just about bright lights and excitement as the Bears prepared for their first home football game. It was a night that will go down in the record books. The game marked the second-most points ever scored by LCM at home.

The team put on quite a show at Bear Stadium as it defeated the Nacogdoches Dragons 63-53, in what proved to be a battle to the very end.

Following a victory over Goose Creek Memorial the previous week, the Bears were feeling good going into their match-up against the Dragons and now sit at a 2-0 record.

Senior quarterback Hunter Gonzales led the way for the Bears, completing 17-of-25 passes for a total of 218 yards and three touchdowns. He drove through the middle of the Dragon defense at the start of the first quarter for a 53-yard scoring drive, giving the Bears an early 7-0 lead.

Tailback Tevin Jones followed Gonzales’ lead, scoring a 13-yard touchdown off a pass from Gonzales, giving LCM a 14-6 advantage with 1:41 remaining in the first quarter.

The Bears’ momentum picked up from there, with senior Zac Blanchard making a fumble recovery on the 43-yard line with mere seconds left in the quarter.

Early in the second quarter, Gonzales hit junior Casey Burleigh for a 9-yard touchdown to raise the score to 21-6 in LCM’s favor.

With about six minutes remaining in the half, the Dragon offense came alive when a Nacogdoches tailback broke through the Bear defense to make a 75-yard touchdown run down the sideline and raised the score to 21-14.

The Bears went on to gain 64 yards in four plays, ending with a score by Jones with 4:01 remaining in the half.

LCM continued to put on a show for the home crowd as Gonzales hit Earnest Williams for a 21-yard touchdown with one second on the clock, sending the Bears into halftime with an advantage of 35-21.

The Nacogdoches offense picked up speed and momentum going into the second half, as the Dragons scored on a 12-yard run up the middle to make the score 42-27. LCM’s Aldric Jones blocked the extra-point attempt with 6:51 left in the quarter.

The Dragons didn’t stop there. After an LCM turnover, Nacogdoches scored with 5:03 left and the score was 42-33 midway through the quarter.

Perhaps one of the biggest highlights of the night for LCM fans was when linebacker Stanley Farrar picked up a Dragon fumble and returned it for a 27-yard touchdown for the Bears with 1:08 left to play in the third. LCM went into the final quarter with a 49-33 advantage over the Dragons.

Going into the fourth quarter, the Bear defense allowed two Nacogdoches touchdowns within two minutes of each other, allowing the Dragons to gain their closest score of the game, 49-47, with 8:06 left to play.

The Bears then went on a touchdown run with Tevin Jones scoring off of an LCM 62-yard drive, and Aldric Jones picking up an interception; returning it for a 71-yard touchdown to seal the Bears’ win, despite a last-minute score by Nacogdoches.

LCM rushed a total of 506 yards, followed closely by the Dragons’ 504 yards.

Tevin Jones ran for 65 yards on 16 carries and scored a total of four touchdowns for the Bears.

LCM will return to action when the Bears travel to Conroe to face Caney Creek Friday at Moorhead Stadium.