LaFAYETTE — For the second week in a row, the LaFayette Bulldogs took advantage of big plays to build up a big lead heading into the final quarter, and allowed their younger players to finish the game, allowing their opponent to make the score closer but not to change the outcome. Last week, the Bulldogs led Vincent 45-6 before winning 45-20. On Friday, the Bulldogs led 42-8 at the end of three and coasted to a comfortable 50-16 win over the Thorsby Rebels.

LaFayette is now 2-1 on the season and 2-0 in 2A Region 4. The win was especially sweet given that the Bulldogs had lost at Thorsby last year.

LaFayette had big plays in their running game, passing game, kicking game and on defense to roll up that big score. Senior quarterback Jordan Walker had two long touchdown passes, one to Ja”Mariae Daniel and another to KeAndrae Peterson. Peterson. That guy Peterson was all over the field, scoring on a long pass play, a long run from scrimmage and a 95-yard interception return.

The first period ended scoreless as both teams could get very little going on offense. It was a lengthy quarter as both teams had several incomplete passes. 

“That was one long quarter,” said stadium announcer Ed Vines. “Forty-one minutes!”

The Bulldogs got rolling in the second quarter and were unstoppable with their big plays. The first one came in the first minute-and-a-half of the quarter. The Bulldogs were facing third and long on their 32 when lightning struck in the form of Walker connecting with Daniel on a 78-yard scoring play right over the middle. Daniel was cutting across the middle from the right when Walker found him with a pass of about 15 yards. Daniel turned upfield and turned on the speed. 

No one on the Rebel defense could catch him. The PAT failed, but with 10:26 left in the quarter the Bulldogs led 6-0. A big play on special teams put the Bulldogs in good position for their second score. The visitors had a nice return to their own 40 before coughing up the football. DeMarcus Holloway fell on it for LaFayette at that spot on the field. Two plays later, Walker found Peterson open down the middle for a 40-yard scoring play. A point-after kick was blocked, leaving LaFayette with a 12-0 lead with 9:50 left in the quarter.

The Rebels left the ball on the ground on the first play after the kickoff, and 6-foot-2, 270-pound defensive lineman Antavious Woody picked it up and rumbled 35 yards to the end zone. A try for two points failed leaving the score 18-0 with 9:17 left before halftime.

The Rebels did manage one long drive late in the period, but their scoring bid was snuffed out by a Jordan Walker interception in the final minute of the half.

Throsby gambled with an onside kick to start the second half. It failed, with LaFayette recovering on their 47. From there, another big play on third and four put more points on the scoreboard. Peterson popped through the line and was off to the races on a 47-yard touchdown run. He followed that up by scoring on the two-point play on a run off right tackle. That made it 26-o with 10:35 left on the clock in the third period.

The Rebels did get a drive going and got as close at the LaFayette 15 before another big play by the Bulldogs killed the scoring bid. After a Rebel receiver caught the ball near the sideline, Jordan Walker ripped it away from him, giving the ball to LaFayette at the 17. The Bulldogs couldn’t move it and punted it back. Throsby took over with their best starting field position of the game, at the LaFayette 38. It looked like Thorsby might cross the goal line this time before another big play by the Bulldogs denied them. They had it first and goal on the nine before some big defensive plays by Woody forced them into a third and goal on the 13. On the play, Thorsby quarterback Brody Barnett was looking for Jacob Lockhart cutting to the left corner of the end zone. As he was being sacked near the sideline, he threw wildly toward the end zone. The ball was tipped around before Peterson gathered it in at the five and headed up the left sideline. The only Rebel player between him and the end zone was Barnett who lay injured on the play but stuck out a leg hoping to trip him up. Peterson simply ran around it and was off to the races. A halfback option pass from Peterson to Daniel added two more points, making it 34-0 with 3:45 left in the quarter.

Thorsby threw a 50-yard TD pass on its next possession to cut the score to 34-8 with 2:26 left in the quarter.

The Rebel kickoff was short and down the middle of the field. Jacourias Webb gathered it around the 30 and headed right. He followed blockers all the way to the Rebel nine before being brought down. From there, it took that number 10 only two plays to make the end zone. It was obviously KeAndrae Peterson’s night when he lost the ball on that second run from the two and it bounced right back up to him and he easily crossed the goal. On the next play Peterson ran it up the middle for two more points, making the score 42-8.

Both teams swapped scores in the final period to make the final 50-16.

It was a great team win, but one has to say it was a truly spectacular game for Peterson. He caught a 40-yard touchdown pass, had a 47-yard touchdown run, scored on a short run when he “dribbled” the ball across the goal, had two two-point conversion runs and had a two-point pass to Ja’Mariae Daniel for more points.