Junior High Football Recaps
7th Grade Football:
Leps Battle Buffaloes
The La Grange Leopards 7th Grade football team showed plenty of determination Thursday night in a road matchup against the Giddings Buffaloes.
La Grange got on the scoreboard early when Bentley Booker powered his way into the end zone on a 10-yard touchdown run. The Leopards added the two-point conversion on a run by Crew Price to take an 8-0 lead.
The Leopards struck again later in the game when Price connected with Greyson Abbey on a 15-yard touchdown pass. Booker added the two-point conversion to extend La Grange’s advantage to 16-8.
Giddings answered with a strong offensive effort and capitalized on key opportunities throughout the contest. Despite the Leopards’ fast start, the Buffaloes rallied and outscored La Grange the rest of the way to earn a 30-16 victory.
Offensively, La Grange was led by the playmaking efforts of Booker, Price, and Abbey, who combined for both Leopard touchdowns. The team’s early success and competitive play provided several positive moments as they continued to develop throughout the season.
Final: La Grange Leopards 16 Giddings Buffaloes 30
8th Grade Gold Team:
Leps Shut Out Buffaloes
The La Grange Leopards 8th Grade Gold Team turned in an impressive performance on the road, defeating the Giddings Buffaloes behind a strong connection between quarterback Cameron Simmons and receiver Uriel Lopez.
The Leopards struck first in the opening quarter when Simmons connected with Uriel on a 36-yard touchdown pass. La Grange successfully converted the two-point attempt as Simmons found AJ Woody through the air, giving the Leopards an 8-0 lead.
Both defenses battled throughout the remainder of the first half, and the Leopards carried their 8-0 advantage into halftime.
In the second half, the Leopards put the game further out of reach. Simmons connected with Anthony Gonzales, this time on a 24-yard touchdown pass. The duo teamed up again for the two-point conversion, extending La Grange’s lead to 16-0.
The Leopards’ defense matched the offense’s effort, keeping the Buffaloes off the scoreboard and preserving the shutout. Strong execution in the passing game and a dominant defensive performance helped La Grange secure the victory. Final: La Grange Leopards 16 Giddings Buffaloes 0
8th Grade Purple Team:
Leopards Rally for Tie
The La Grange Leopards 8th Grade Purple Team showed tremendous resilience Thursday night, battling back from a two-touchdown deficit to earn a hard-fought 22-22 tie against the Giddings Buffaloes.
Giddings controlled the early portion of the game, taking an 8-0 lead after the first quarter and extending its advantage to 16-0 at halftime.
The Leopards began their comeback in the third quarter when Maddox Kleiber broke loose for a 12-yard touchdown run. Jaden Broussard added the two-point conversion to cut the deficit in half, bringing La Grange within 16-8.
In the fourth quarter, the Leopards’ offense came alive. Henry Gross connected with Austin Smith on a spectacular 88-yard touchdown pass, and then found Kleiber for the successful two-point conversion to make the score 22-16.
With momentum firmly on their side, the Leopards mounted one final scoring drive. Gross again found Kleiber, this time on a 32-yard touchdown pass, pulling La Grange even at 22-22. The extra-point attempt was unsuccessful, leaving the teams deadlocked.
After trailing 16-0 at halftime, the Leopards displayed determination and perseverance by scoring 22 unanswered points to force the tie.
The offensive efforts of Gross, Kleiber, Smith, and Broussard highlighted an impressive second-half comeback for La Grange.
Final score: La Grange Leopards 22 Giddings Buffaloes 22