The Laurel varsity football team defeated Woodbridge, 42-0, last Thursday in Greenwood. The win was the Bulldogs’ first win over the Blue Raiders since 2014 and the first for Laurel head coach Joey Jones in his four years at the helm.
“We’ve done a lot as a group (in his four years) but this is one thing we haven’t done,” said Jones. “That’s (Woodbridge) a tough football team. They have played hard all year.”
Laurel’s Xavier Limehouse runs with the ball during his team’s road win over Woodbridge last Thursday. Limehouse ran for a touchdown in the 42-0 victory. Photo by Mike McClure
Laurel faced second and eight from its own 15 on the first series of the game when Kylse Wilson broke off a 70-yard run. Wilson scored on a run on fourth and goal from the two and Mike Gonzalez-Perez added the extra point for a 7-0 lead with 7:15 left in the opening quarter.
The Bulldogs recovered an onside kick at the Woodbridge 29. Wilson ran for a touchdown but it was called back due to a holding penalty. Another penalty on the Bulldogs pushed the ball back and Laurel quarterback Kaden Shockley’s pass on fourth and 24 from the 27 fell incomplete.
Woodbridge’s Traci Johnson had five runs for 24 yards before Laurel’s Damontra Smith recorded a sack to force a Raiders’ punt. Wilson scampered 32 yards and later added an 11-yard run on third and five from the Woodbridge 38. Xavier Limehouse took a pitch for a 20-yard gain and Shockley ran the ball in from the 11 on a keeper. Gonzalez-Perez added the PAT for the 14-0 lead (9:00).
Woodbridge moved the ball to midfield before being forced to punt and the Raiders’ Jeremiah Bruce had a sack for a nine-yard loss to force a Bulldogs’ punt. Laurel got the ball right back on an interception by Ny’Aire Farlow.
Laurel’s Tremaine Limehouse had a 21-yard run on a reverse and Wilson scored on a 34-yard touchdown run. The PAT made the score 21-0 with 12.1 seconds left in the half. The Bulldogs’ Brady Lee added an interception before the end of the first half.
At the start of the second half, Woodbridge moved the ball to the Laurel 32 before an incomplete pass on fourth and five gave the ball to the Bulldogs. Shockley had a 27-yard run, Wilson added four carries for 28 yards, and Xavier Limehouse scored on a three-yard touchdown run. Gonzalez-Perez added the extra point for a 28-0 Laurel lead with 4:46 left in the third.
Laurel got the ball back on downs and moved the ball to the Raiders’ seven yard-line, but Woodbridge’s Ci-Atrick Stones recovered a Bulldogs’ fumble. Following a Woodbridge punt, Tyronn Kane had a 13-yard run before Wilson scored on an 11-yard touchdown run. The extra point made the score 35-0 with 6:06 remaining in the game.
Laurel recovered a Woodbridge fumble on the kickoff. Elijah Niblett had a 42-yard run before running it in from a yard out. Gonzalez-Perez kicked his sixth extra point for a 42-0 Laurel lead (3:16).
The Bulldogs (5-0) host Odessa (3-2) this Saturday in their homecoming game.
“Homecoming’s always tough with a lot of distractions,” Jones said. “Odessa is doing good things. You can’t afford a hangover because they’re going to come to play.”
