Defending State Champ Columbus Beats Leps 49-7
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La Grange’s Trey Broussard runs back a kick-off in Friday’s game. Photo by Jeff Wick -
La Grange’s Caleb Norwood tries to corral Columbus quarterback Jack Schobel. Photo by Jeff Wick -
La Grange’s Eli Gillum and Columbus Sean Sutton try to get a handle on this loose football after the Cardinals blocked a punt Friday. Photo by Jeff Wick -
La Grange’s Dwodney Thompson tries to get free from a Columbus defensive back to grab this tipped pass Friday. Photo by Jeff Wick
The Columbus Cardinals look like a defending state champ good enough to repeat.
The Cardinals came to La Grange and overwhelmed the Leps Friday 49-7 in front of a a big crowd that turned out for the home opener.
Columbus marched to their first ever football state title last year, but graduated five division one college athletes from that team.
They appear to have plugged those holes nicely.
“Tonight was a good team effort,” said Columbus head coach Matt Schobel. “Being able to play six mores games last year in the playoffs, getting those six extra weeks of practice last year for these younger guys really helped.”
Junior Brennan Hicks ran for four touchdowns and 109 yards on just five carries. He also caught a 67-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Jack Schobel, who was 8 of 8 passing for 120 yards. Jack is the son of the head coach and the younger brother of last year’s QB, Adam Schobel, who is now at TCU.
“They have some really good offensive linemen,” La Grange head coach Kyle Cooper said. “They were in some sets that we didn’t handle very well. As coaches we didn’t put our kids in the best position to be successful. Columbus did some things tonight they hadn’t shown yet this year.”
La Grange didn’t get on the board until the third quarter, when Dillan Johnson found the end zone on a fiveyard run.
Columbus outgained La Grange 418 to 200 in total yardage.
“That team is good. They’ve played well the past couple of years, but most of it was on us,” said La Grange center Jahir Lopez Ocon. “We weren’t executing the blocks and plays how we wanted to.
“If we had done that, I feel like it would have been a lot closer game.”
La Grange junior quarterback Eli Gillum ran for a team-high 104 yards and he also completed 13 of his 27 passes for 86 yards.
A blocked punt and an interception twice gave Columbus short fields to work with and they took advantage.
Columbus had actually lost their season opener 28-21 to Cuero, so they came to La Grange with a little something extra to prove, and they did just that.
The La Grange players Friday were wearing special jerseys with names on the back of cancer victims or cancer survivors as a part of a “Paws for the Cause” fundraising event.
The Leps now turn their attention to Smithville, which visits La Grange this Friday. The Tigers (0-2) are coming off a 47-7 loss to Giddings.
Also this Friday is being billed the “Night of Champions” as players from the 1975 state title La Grange football team and the 2000 Leps statetitle football team will be honored on the field at halftime for the 50th anniversary, and 25th anniversary, respectively, of their title seasons.
“It’s going to be a big night,” Cooper said. “It’s a chance for us to honor those guys at halftime. We’re excited and I know some of those guys (from those title teams) are really looking forward to it.”