Leps Beat La Vernia 37-27 on Homecoming
The Leopards only have one varsity home football game in September. Somehow they managed to squeeze a month’s worth of excitement into one night in Friday’s 37-27 Homecoming win over La Vernia. Among the highlights:
• La Grange’s Bravion Rogers had a game for the ages.
• Lep sophomore quarterback Bear Meng threw for three touchdowns in his varsity debut.
• Freshman Oliver Gunn caught his first varsity touchdown pass.
• Senior lineman and Baylorcommit Jaren Woods, who suffered a season ending broken leg was back on the sidelines, cheering on the team from a motorized cart.
• The game ball was delivered by helicopter.
• And the 2000 state championship team was honored at halftime. Friday’s win erased some of residue of the Leps’ two-game losing streak to start the season.
“The first two weeks, it was bad, we didn’t have any momentum,” Rogers said. “But we had a great week of practice and came out here and executed.”
After a relatively quiet first two games, Rogers had a dominant game Friday.
He ran for the night’s opening touchdown – a 34-yarder on the Leps first play from scrimmage after a big CJ Davis kick return. He then ran in the twopoint conversion.
Three plays later Rogers intercepted a pass. “He’s got to do those things for us to beat good teams and he did that tonight,” Kates said.
Rogers also caught two touchdown passes, converted a pair of fake punts with long runs, blocked a point after kick and returned it 90 yards for two points, and he booted two long punts that were downed inside the La Vernia six-yard line. After being recruited by most of the top programs in the country, Rogers re-committed to play for Texas A&M this week, and he said that may have affected his performance Friday. “Most definitely that affected me. I was able to come out here and play how I wanted to and just do me,” Rogers said.
After Rogers put the Leps up early, Jaden Williams found a wide open tight end Oliver Gunn with a six-yard pass to put the Leps up 14-0 .
Then it was Meng’s chance to shine.
The sophomore quarterback (called up from JV) threw for 107 yards on 6 of 10 passing with three touchdowns.
“I was little nervous at first, Meng said. “I underthrew a few balls. I could have done better.
“All my guys were getting open, the line was blocking for me, and those guys were making plays after the catch.”
Two of those TDs were to Rogers and another to Jaxon Cooper.
“I made a decision to give him a shot,” Kates said. “He played well for a debut but he has a lot of things to get better on – and the great thing is we can win games with all three of those guys (including Williams and Bennett Barber who both saw time at the position Friday) as quarterback.”
Every time La Grange seemed on the verge of blowing this game open, however, La Vernia responded.
The Bears’ senior quarterback Stratton Hayes threw for 144 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 116 yards and another score.
But in the end it was turnovers that killed La Vernia. They had five compared to just two for La Grange.
The Leps Phillip Arceneaux, Rogers and Jaxon Cooper all had interceptions. Cooper’s came with under a minute to go in the game and sealed the win.
Jacob Chovanetz also had a fumble recovery for the Leps.
With their first victory of the season in hand, the Leps now turn their attention to Lago Vista, where La Grange will play the Vikings (2-1) this Friday. Lago Vista lost their season opener by 36 to Cameron, but has since beat Little River Academy and Giddings, scoring 43 and 42 points respectively in those wins.
La Grange 37, La Vernia 27
Score by quarters
La Vernia 7 13 7 0 – 27 La Grange 21 9 7 0 – 37
LG La Vernia First Downs 11 15 Rushing Yds 210 161 Passing yards 119 144 Total yards 329 305 Comp-Att-Int 8-16-1 12-22-3 Fumbles lost 1 2 Penalties-yds 8-50 5-30 Scoring summary First Quarter LA GRANGE – 11:54, Bravion Rogers 34 run (Rogers conversion run) LA GRANGE – 8:30, Oliver Gunn 6 pass from Jaden Williams (William Bundick kick) LA VERNIA – 7:39, Colten Schmid 73 pass from Stratton Hayes (Luke Green kick) LA GRANGE – 0:00, Rogers 64 pass from Bear Meng (kick failed) Second Quarter
LA VERNIA – 10:18, Hayes 26 run (Green kick) LA GRANGE – Jaxon Cooper 10 pass from Meng (Phillip Arceneaux kick) LA VERNIA – 4:53, Collin Fabacher 74 yard fumble return LA GRANGE – 4:53, Bravion Rogers (blocked PAT return for two points) Third Quarter
LA VERNIA – 6:52, Ethan Dylla 15 pass from Hayes (Green kick) LA GRANGE – 5:17, Rogers 23 pass from Meng (Bundick kick) INDIVIDUAL STATS Rushing – La Grange: Jaden Williams 13-81, Bravion Rogers 6-76, Jakobe Wilkerson 5-52, C.J. Davis 4-14, Max Dixon 1-(-3), Bear Meng 4-(-5), Team 1-(-5); La Vernia: Stratton Hayes 17116. Passing – La Grange: Bear Meng 6 of 10 for 107 yards with 3 TDs, Jaden Williams 1 of 1 for 6 yards with 1 TD, Bennett Barber 1 of 3 for 6 yards, Jacob Chovanetz 0 for 1, Bravion Rogers 0 for 1 with 1 INT; La Vernia: Hayes 12 of 22 for 144 yards. Receiving – La Grange: Rogers 4- 99, Jaxon Cooper 2-16, Oliver Gunn 1-6, Wilkerson 1-(-2); La Vernia: Colten Schmid 4 -100.
District 12-4A
Cuero 3-0 Gonzales 2-1 La Grange 1-2 Smithville 1-2 Giddings 1-2 Caldwell 0-3
Friday’s scores:
La Grange 37, La Vernia 27 Jarrell 66, Caldwell 8 Gonzales 27, Marion 13 Navarro 28, Smithville 21 Cuero 75, Yoakum 6 Lago Vista 42, Giddings 10
This week’s games:
La Grange at Lago Vista Taylor at Smithville Burnet at Giddings Calallen at Cuero Madisonville at Caldwell Pleasanton at Gonzales