Leps Fall 65-27 Against Navasota’s High-Flying Offense
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Leps quarterback Eli Gillum runs the ball Friday. -
La Grange’s Dwodney Thompson stretches the ball over the goal line as part of his 37-yard touchdown reception Friday. Photo by Jeff Wick -
La Grange’s Christian Biles tackles Navasota quarterback Jace Jablonski. Photo by Jeff Wick -
La Grange’s Dillan Johnson stiff-arms would-be Navasota tackler Da’Quan Pratt Friday. Photo by Jeff Wick
The Navasota passing attack racked up 356 yards and five touchdowns through the air and the Leps couldn’t keep up, as La Grange fell 65-27 on homecoming night for the Rattlers Friday.
“When you have good receivers and dynamic guys like they have, you have to be able to stay on top of them,” said La Grange head coach Kyle Cooper. “I don’t think we did a great job in any phase of the game tonight.”
Navasota ended up with 589 total yards in this game compared to 386 for the Leps. Rattlers junior quarterback Jace Jablonski threw those five touchdown passes and also ran for a score.
La Grange got a pair of touchdown runs from junior quarterback Eli Gillum, who had a team-high 147 yards rushing. Gillum also threw for 134 yards including a 37yard touchdown to Dwodney Thompson and a 30-yard touchdown to Dillan Johnson. Johnson ran for 77 yards.
“We had some good runs, which helped, but we couldn’t get our passing game going tonight,” Gillum said. “We just need to keep working, can’t quit.”
The loss drops the Leps to 3-2 overall and gives them lots to think about heading into their bye week before district starts Oct. 10 at Madisonville. La Grange kept up with Navasota in this one early, and trailed just 28-20 after Gillum dashed for a 73-yard touchdown early in the third quarter. But Navasota (4-1) out-scored the Leps 37-7 thereafter. The turning point in this game came midway through that third quarter with the Rattlers still clinging to a 2820 lead, when La Grange’s Thompson intercepted a Jablonski pass, but the refs called pass interference on the play and negated the pick.
“I saw a great play, a great interception,” Cooper said. “One official said he saw him go through the receiver to get to the ball.”
One play later Navasota’s Kyn’Navion Chappel ran for a 35-yard touchdown.
Instead of the Leps with the ball and down a score, Navasota was up by 14.
Things crumbled for the Leps from there, a blocked punt turned into a safety for Navasota, and a kickoff was fumbled away and the Rattlers scored a play later.
“We just needed to play our ball and we didn’t do that,” said La Grange linebacker Chris Supak “We’ll bounce back.”
If the Leps want to improve upon last year’s fourth place finish in district (and the likely first round playoff date with state-ranked Waco La Vega that goes with a fourth place finish in this district), beating Madisonville (3-2) in the district opener in two weeks will be key.
Like the Leps, Madisonville’s two losses are to Navasota and Columbus but the Mustangs played each team much closer.
Madisonville lost to Navasota by just seven points and to Columbus by 15.
“We just have to keep getting better,” Cooper said. “There were some places where we got exposed tonight, and we have to go back to the drawing board and keep getting better.”