The Leon Lions' undefeated season came to an end Friday night with a 36-7 loss to Mosley in a district title showdown. Next up: a bounce-back matchup against Wakulla.
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Leon's undefeated run ends as Mosley pulls away to claim district title in 36-7 victoryLeon's perfect season came to an end Friday night, as the Lions suffered their first loss of the year in a 36-7 defeat to Mosley with a district title on the line.
Both teams entered the matchup undefeated, with Leon riding momentum after ending a 27-year losing streak against Lincoln last week. The Lions came in at 7-0, but the Dolphins proved to be too much.
Leon got an early spark on defense when Da'Mon Murray came up with an interception on the game's first possession. Mosley struck first, though, with a field goal to go up 3-0.
Looking for an offensive rhythm, Leon quarterback Caleb Knipple connected with Markeith Buggs as the Lions tried to get something going. But just two plays later, a pass bounced off the chest of a Leon receiver and into the hands of the Mosley defense.
The Dolphins made them pay. Samuel Chisolm punched it in on the ground to extend Mosley's lead to 10-0. Just before the break, Mosley went right back to Chisolm, who found the end zone for his second touchdown of the night, sending the Dolphins into the locker room with a 17-0 lead.
Things didn't get any easier for the Lions after halftime. On Leon's opening possession of the second half, Mosley came up with a pick-six, taking it the other way for the score to make it 24-0. The Dolphins continued to pour it on in the second half.
The Lions wouldn't go down without a fight. In the fourth quarter, Knipple connected with Kaleb Pryor for a touchdown to get Leon on the board. But the deficit proved too much to overcome as the Lions fell 36-7.
"Definitely played a better football team. I thought we were prepared. We just didn't get breaks early. We dropped some passes and gave them the momentum early. If we caught some balls and moved the ball and got some first downs, it might've been a different story might've had something to play hard, but we got behind early, and I think that hurt. But Mosley are an outstanding football team, big strong, and they execute, we just got beat by a better team," Leon Football Head Coach Ricky Bell said.
Despite the loss, Leon still has plenty to play for. The Lions look to bounce back next week against Wakulla.
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