BY SAMUEL JONES
FOR THE OBSERVER
LOACHAPOKA — Loachapoka and Ranburne entered last Thursday night’s matchup coming off dominant wins, each hoping to carry that momentum into a high-stakes region game. The Indians rode a three-game win streak, while the Bulldogs were fresh off a 47-point outing. With playoff positioning on the line, both teams came in fired up.
Loachapoka’s special teams opened with a miscue, mishandling a squib kick that gave Ranburne an early chance. But the defense responded immediately — Keandre Curry recorded back-to-back tackles for loss, and after a tipped pass was picked off by Travis Andrews, the Indians struck first. Jaden Harvey broke off a 16-yard run, Kj Carter added a first down and Lareco Echols punched in the opening touchdown to go up 7-0.
Curry stuffed another play on Ranburne’s next drive, forcing a quick punt. Loachapoka capitalized, with Harvey’s run setting up first-and-goal and Carter breaking a tackle to score from three yards out, making it 14-0.
Ranburne put together a promising drive midway through the half after Aiden Whitman broke free for a 40-yard screen pass and long option run. A facemask penalty pushed them deeper into Loachapoka territory, and Asher Brown appeared to haul in a touchdown – but an illegal formation brought it back. Two plays later, Whitman fumbled, ending the drive.
The Indians struck again early in the second quarter. A big run by Andrews set up a 24-yard touchdown pass from Harvey to a wide-open Ryquan Butler, pushing the lead to 21-0.
Ranburne’s next drive stalled after a block in the back and short gains, and Loachapoka couldn’t capitalize on a fourth-and-one conversion after penalties killed the drive.
Zicarrion Menefield added a sack on Ranburne’s next possession, and a failed fake punt gave Loachapoka the ball inside the 25. But a sack by Sawyer Freed and penalties set up third-and-25, and the Indians came up short again.
Ranburne finally got back on the board late in the half. After a late hit penalty extended the drive, Cason Jones hit Whitman down the sideline, and Creed Young finished off with a 9-yard touchdown run — his fifth of the season. The missed PAT made it 21-6 with 44 seconds to go.
Loachapoka answered instantly. Starting near midfield, Carter found Hayden Libscomb for a 40-yard gain, then found him again for a touchdown on the next play. The Indians missed the extra point but took a commanding 27-6 lead into the break.
Ranburne opened the second half near their own 25 but quickly stalled for another three-and-out. Travis Andrews fielded the punt at the 50-yard line and returned it all the way for a touchdown, pushing Loachapoka’s lead to 34-6 early in the third quarter. On the next drive Andrews continued to dominate the game, coming up with his second interception of the the game. Giving the ball right back to the Indians.
However, Loachapoka couldn’t take advantage, managing only a few short runs and an incomplete pass before a failed fake punt handed the ball back to Ranburne. The next three possessions resulted in turnovers until Ranburne finally found the end zone late in the third. The Bulldogs’ final touchdown of the night came from a Cason Jones deep ball to Whitman for a 60-yard touchdown, cutting the lead to 34-13.
Starting from their own 45, Loachapoka looked to put the game out of reach early in the fourth. Kj Carter’s run pushed the Indians across midfield, and a pair of short gains set up third-and-five. Lareaco Echols converted with a tough run up the middle to move the chains, then capped the drive with an 8-yard touchdown run — his second score of the night — to extend the lead to 41–13.
Ranburne tried to respond, with Creed Young hauling in a key third-down catch to keep the drive alive. But after another third down saw a rollout pass fall incomplete, the Bulldogs were forced to punt. With just under five minutes remaining, the game moved to a running clock.
Loachapoka kept the ball on the ground to close things out. Echols picked up a first down on the first play of the drive, but a tackle for loss and penalties backed the Indians into a third-and-26. Travis Andrews gained eight on an end-around, and Loachapoka punted with 29 seconds left. Two intentional delay-of-game penalties helped milk the final seconds, sealing a dominant 41–13 win.
Loachapoka’s balanced attack proved too much for Ranburne. The Indians rushed for 230 yards as a team, led by Lareaco Echols’ 91 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries. Senior quarterback Kj Carter turned in an efficient performance, throwing for 118 yards and two scores on 8-of-13 passing while adding 67 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Hayden Libscomb hauled in two big receptions for 51 yards and a touchdown, and Travis Andrews impacted all phases — recording two interceptions, a 50-yard punt return touchdown, and 64 rushing yards on just three carries. Despite Ranburne’s struggles on the ground, sophomore Aiden Whitman balled out with 138 receiving yards and a touchdown on seven catches.
Ranburne will travel to face Lanett at 7 p.m. on Oct. 24, while Loachapoka is set to host Pike Liberal Arts with kickoff also scheduled for 7 p.m.
