INDIANAPOLIS
In a penalty-riddled season opener for both teams, Southport’s football team had the playmaker to overcome its miscues Friday. Host Roncalli didn’t have enough plays to match it.
The teams each committed 10 penalties for 110 yards, but Cardinals quarterback Ryan Lezon helped Southport make up for it. He finished with 142 yards rushing and a touchdown on just 16 carries, and also threw for three touchdowns as the visiting Cardinals defeated the Rebels, 35-10.
While Southport matched Roncalli’s penalties, the Rebels’ miscues came at more costly times. Roncalli committed two defensive penalties on fourth downs in the first half. Both extended touchdown drives and helped the Cardinals build a 14-3 halftime lead.
“It wasn’t so much about the penalties, it was more about when they happened,” Rebels coach Scott Marsh said. “They had the equalizer (Lezon). They had the kid who could make up for their penalties. Ryan’s a heck of a player.
Southport essentially put the game out of reach early in the second half. After Southport’s Ben Morlan intercepted an Aidan Leffler pass four plays into the half, Lezon connected with Carson Moore for a wide-open 38-yard touchdown pass. That extended the Cardinals’ lead to 21-3.
Roncalli climbed back into the game briefly on its next possession. A leaping 54-yard Kyle Lockard reception set up Baron Huebler’s 1-yard touchdown run with 8:20 remaining in the third quarter. That cut the Rebels’ deficit to 21-10. But Southport responded immediately with a 14-play, 69-yard touchdown drive. This time, Lezon scored on a 10-yard run to end it.
The Cardinals pieced together three touchdown drives that lasted at least 12 plays and more than five minutes. Their first drive was their longest, a 12-play, 78-yard march that ate 6:38 off the clock.
Southport held the ball for 16:49 in the first half, compared to Roncalli’s 7:11. Overall, the Cardinals had a 31:49 to 16:11 time of possession edge.
“We’re a young team, and we looked like a young team,” Marsh said. “The best player on the field tonight was in a white jersey (Lezon). There’s no question about that.”
Leffler finished with 16 completions in 27 attempts for 150 yards and two interceptions. He completed passes to six different receivers.
The Rebels host Franklin Central next Friday.
