The Lawrence County Cougars knocked off the Raleigh Lions in their home opener Friday night 17-0 in Monticello.

Cougar head coach Jesse Anderson was proud of his defensive unit and the coaches who lead them.

“Our staff did a great job this week of getting the guys keyed up,” said Anderson. “We were ready for everything they threw at us. I think they picked up two first downs all game.”

The Cougars led 10-0 at halftime and got a passing touchdown from Haden Mullins to Brian Bogan, a touchdown run by Quincy Lewis, and a field goal by Jose Gonzales in the win.

Raleigh, a team that runs a very similar offense as Lawrence County, had previously had no trouble running the ball this season.

Anderson credits the physical play of his defensive line and linebackers for solving the Lions running attack.

“It sure wasn’t pretty at times because both defenses played so well, but we’ll definitely take it,” said Anderson.

Story by Cliff Furr