Mustangs squeak by Lauderdale County
Madison Academy defeated Lauderdale County with a score of 14-3. (CONTRIBUTED)
By Mike Easterling
For the Record
ROGERSVILLE – It took a second-half comeback, a defense doing something that hasn’t been done in four years and a “scoop and score” to seal the outcome.
Madison Academy, however, will take what turned out to be its 33rd straight win in high school football regional play.
The top-ranked Mustangs trailed No. 7 Lauderdale County until Kiki Matthews’ touchdown run in the third quarter. Jaelin Ferdinand returned a fumble for the clincher in the fourth. The defense kept the Tigers from scoring a TD for the first time since 2011 in a 14-3 Class 3A victory Friday night.
“If we didn’t play so well on defense,” coach Eric Cohu said, “we don’t win this game.”
Madison Academy (6-1 overall, 5-0 in Region 8) can claim its fourth straight region championship and sixth in Cohu’s seven seasons at Clements this week.
Lauderdale County (5-2, 4-1) led 3-0 at halftime.
Madison Academy went up 7-3 when Matthews ran in from the 6-yard line, and Sean Dorney added the extra point with 3:11 left in the third.
Ferdinand later scored on the fumble return, and Dorney’s kick made it 14-3 with 5:52 left to play.
The Mustangs missed a field goal in each half and threw an interception but had the fumble recovery and interceptions by Matthews and Robbie Orfield. Lauderdale County led in total offense 220-208.
“We dodged a bullet,” Cohu said.
The Mustangs’ Malik Miller rushed for 73 yards in his second game back from a hip injury.
