The E.A. Cox Middle School Cougars (5-3) came to Preston Hopkins Field to face the Lewisburg Middle School Tigers (6-2) on Thursday night to determine the championship for the Big South Conference.

The Tigers, using the “Wildcat” formation featuring Antomme Cowthorne were too much for the Cougars as LMS rolled to a 27-6 victory.

The Tigers had beaten the Cougars 24-12 in their last meeting two weeks ago on E.A. Cox’s home field.

LMS received the opening kickoff and Cowthorne ran it back to the Tigers’ 23-yard line.

The Wildcat formation paid off quickly for the Tigers as Cowthorne and Malachi Trapp ripped off runs to move the ball to the Cougars’ 5-yard line.

Cowthorne then romped into the end zone for the touchdown, Wyatt Joyce nailed the PAT, and the Tigers were on the board at the 4:02 mark of the first quarter.

Cox began their first drive at their own 34-yard line where Kenneth Jackson took the hand off for the Cougars and gained three yards.

After two incomplete passes, E.A. Cox was facing a fourth-and-7 from their own 37-yard line where Luke Uselton fumbled, but J.B. Jones recovered for the Cougars at the Tigers’ 22-yard line.

The quarter ended with the Cougars facing a third-and-seven from the LMS 19-yard line, trailing 7-0.

The second quarter began with Uselton firing an incomplete pass to Jackson and Deshawn Crenshaw then tackled Jackson on second down for a loss.

Aja Jones stopped Jackson on third down and on fourth down, Cortez Gilbert fumbled and LMS recovered the ball on their own 10-yard line.

Cowthorne again ripped off yardage as LMS moved the ball down the field to the Cougars’ 19-yard line.

After a Trapp run to the three-yard line, Cowthorne ran the ball in for the touchdown, but the two-point try was no good and with 1:01 left in the first half, LMS led 13-0.

The Cougars recovered the LMS onside kick at their own 44-yard line and after a first down sack that moved the ball back to the 39-yard line, they tried a second down pass that was deflected by Trapp and on third down, Jakavan Curry recovered a Cox fumble on the 42-yard line.

LMS tried a flea flicker pass that fell incomplete and the half ended with LMS leading 13-0.

E.A. Cox received the second half kickoff and Malachi Cordle brought the ball to the LMS 46-yard line.

Runs of four and two yards pushed the ball to the LMS 40-yard line, setting up third-and-four, but Ronnie Lyttle made the stop for no gain and the Cougars faced a fourth-and-four.

The Tigers were then guilty of encroachment, giving the Cougars a first down.

Given new life, the Cougars began to push the ball down the field and scored on a D’Corian Jameson nine-yard run.

The two-point conversion was denied and with 47 seconds left in the third quarter the score was LMS 13, E.A. Cox 6.

The Tigers recovered the onside kick at the Cougars’ 47-yard line and the quarter ended with Cowthorne being tackled for a three-yard loss.

The third quarter saw the Cougars controlling the ball for all but 47 seconds, but LMS’ lead was still 13-6.

Trapp got four yards on a run and Aja Jones got two yards on a pass, but a facemask penalty pushed the ball back and LMS faced a third-and-11 at the Cougars’ 48-yard line.

The Tigers then turned to Cowthorne and he responded with a run for a first down to the 21 yard-yard line.

Cowthorne ran around right end and burst into the end zone at the 6:55 mark of the fourth quarter and after Joyce’s kick was good, LMS upped their lead to 20-6.

Cowthorne as always gave thanks to his teammates, “I couldn’t have done it without them.”

The LMS defense stood up and stopped the Cougars with a sack on first down and forced incompletions on the next three downs to give the ball back to the Tigers at the E.A. Cox 33-yard line.

After a six-yard loss on first down, Trapp got loose around the left side, made a spinning move down the sidelines at the 10 and streaked into the end zone.

Joyce’s kick was good again and the LMS lead was now 27-6 with 5:36 left in the game.

The Tigers defense stopped the Cougars on downs and the offense was content to run the clock, kepping the ball on the ground.

The Cougars got one more possession, but time ran out and the Big South Conference first place trophy went to the LMS Tigers.

“This bunch worked hard and the effort paid off,” LMS coach Beau Hardison said.

E A Cox Middle School 0 0 6 0 - 6

Lewisburg Middle School 7 6 0 14 – 27

Scoring Plays

First Quarter

LMS-Antomme Cowthorne 5-yard run, Wyatt Joyce PAT.

Second Quarter:

LMS-Antomme Cowthorne 3-yard run, two-point conversion failed.

Third Quarter

E.A. Cox- D’Corian Jameson 9-yard run, two-point conversion failed.

Fourth Quarter:

LMS-Antomme Cowthorne 21-yard run, Wyatt Joyce PAT.

LMS- Malachi Trapp 39-yrdd run, Wyatt Joyce PAT.