Newton roars past Lake in Division 5-2A contest
By By Robbie Robertson / special to The Star
Oct. 23, 2004
NEWTON To date, it's been a rough season for the Newton Tigers.
But not as rough as the one the Lake Hornets have had to endure.
Newton used a stingy defense and a hard-charging rushing attack to whip Lake 32-8 Friday night at E.L. Morgan Field.
Newton improves to 3-6 on the season and 3-1 in 5-2A play. Lake falls to 1-8 and 1-3 in 5-2A. The win sets up a 5-2A matchup next week against Clarkdale, a 12-6 winner over Kemper County. The winner of that game will finish second in 5-2A and host a first-round playoff game.
For Newton, it was sweet revenge for last year's stinging 8-0 loss to Lake and one of the Tigers' best efforts in the Pepper Posey era. The Tigers dominated both sides of the football, rushing for 309 yards and putting up 385 yards of total offense and racking up 19 first downs. Meanwhile, Lake managed just 50 yards rushing and 163 total yards. Lake had minus 3 yards rushing entering the fourth quarter before Newton started substituting.
The Tigers had a balanced rushing attack with three backs gaining more than 75 yards. Jamie Ruffin led the way with 86 yards on eight carries while Tyrone Waters had 83 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries. Phillip Evans had 77 yards on 13 carries.
Newton went up 7-0 late in the first quarter as Waters scored on a fourth-and-goal from the 1 with 3:24 left in the first. Jeffrey Logan's PAT made it 7-0.
The Tigers added to their total in the second quarter as Waters scored his second touchdown on a 9-yard run with 6:34 left in the first. Logan missed the PAT and Newton led 13-0.
Newton took firm control of the game just before the half with another score as quarterback Courtney Ruffin hit A'Derin Spivey on a 33-yard slant play with 31 seconds left in the half. The 2-point run failed and Newton led 19-0 at the half.
Newton squashed any ideas of a Lake comeback when Jamie Ruffin recovered a Lake fumble on the first play of the second half. Four plays later, Jamie Lay broke loose on a 21-yard run with 10:11 left in the third. Logan's PAT made it 26-0.
Newton tacked on another score with 11:09 left in the game as Ruffin ripped off a 41-yard run for a 32-0 lead.
