Houston County defense turns in strong performance
WARNER ROBINS -- On a night when Houston County celebrated its silver anniversary homecoming, the Bears’ defense turned in a performance worthy of gold as it avenged one of two regular-season losses from a year ago and shut out Lakeside-Evans 39-0 on Friday in GHSA Region 2-AAAAA action.
“This is not an inter-county game, and it’s not a rival, but this is a game that our guys really wanted to win,” Houston County head coach Von Lassiter said. “They really wanted to win bad. I just praise God that our kids played good and thank God for the shutout.”
Houston County (5-0, 4-0 Region 2-AAAAA) had never beaten Lakeside (2-3, 2-2) in program history, with the Panthers holding a 3-0 advantage in the series.
The Bears’ defense forced five three-and-outs on Lakeside’s first six possessions and held the Panthers to 47 total yards in the first half.
A blocked 30-yard field goal attempt with less than two minutes to play in the fourth quarter preserved a well-earned shutout.
“They were just lights out again,” Lassiter said. “It’s fun to watch. It’s fun to see those guys fly around, and it’s fun to see the fruit of their labor. Those guys work extremely hard. A lot of them have started here for three years, and to see things turn out good for them is just an answered prayer.”
Houston County led 10-0 after the opening quarter and 25-0 at the half.
Tailback Chris Brinson rushed 23 times for 122 yards and four touchdowns.
“He’s going to run hard, and he’s going to run tough,” Lassiter said. “He’s exciting with the ball in his hands, and he’s powerful. Seldom does one person tackle him.”
Quarterback Jake Fromm also had another big game as he finished 15-of-26 passing for 322 yards, including a 57-yard strike to wide receiver Darion Anderson. Anderson looked healthier than he had all season, catching four passes for 100 yards.
Houston County will take its unbeaten record on the road next week to Cross Creek
This story was originally published September 25, 2015 at 11:11 PM.