Chester County’s Ethan Talley (32) leaps to pressure Lexington quarterback Ross Wilson during Friday night’s homecoming game at Eagle Stadium. Talley helped lead an Eagles defense that battled through extended time on the field in the 42-7 loss. Photo by Brittany Lewis
Chester County struck first Friday night, but Lexington answered with 42 consecutive points to spoil the Eagles’ homecoming with a 42-7 victory at Eagle Stadium.
The Eagles put together a promising opening possession after their defense forced a punt from Lexington. Facing third down in Tigers territory, quarterback Grayson Stewart found an opening and ran for a touchdown. Brayden Harrison added the extra point, giving Chester County a 7-0 lead with 6:53 remaining in the first quarter.
Lexington answered later in the quarter, scoring on a reverse to tie the game at 7.
The Tigers took the lead on a quarterback run in the second quarter. Chester County’s offense struggled to find room against an active Lexington defensive front and was unable to answer.
“They did a lot of slanting and twisting up front, which made it difficult for us to block them,” Chester County head coach Dewond Johnson said.
Lexington added a touchdown pass with 20 seconds remaining in the half, extending its lead to 21-7 heading into the locker room.
The Eagles received the second-half kickoff but went three-and-out. Lexington took advantage of the short possession and scored with 9:28 remaining in the third quarter to make it 28-7.
The Tigers added another touchdown following a pass interference penalty later in the quarter. An interception on a tipped pass gave Lexington the ball near the Chester County goal line to begin the fourth, leading to the final touchdown of the night.
Chester County’s defense spent much of the game on the field as Lexington continued to sustain drives.
“I thought we fought hard,” Johnson said. “We were just out there on the field too long. Once fatigue kicked in, it made it difficult against a good team.”
The loss dropped Chester County to 3-2 overall and marked its second consecutive region defeat.
Johnson said the Eagles must get back to “focusing on the little things and trusting one another” as they prepare to travel to McKenzie next week.
