Fayette County beats Stockbridge in season opener

Stockbridge had an early lead but Fayette County got touchdown catches from Ben Carley and Eric Lauderdale on passes from Justin Murray in the first half to cut the Stockbridge lead to 13-12.

Fayette County found enough success in their ground game to open up their passing game on Friday. Photo/Michael Boylan.

In the second half, Tim Thomas intercepted a Stockbridge pass and Lauderdale scored his second touchdown of the evening. Kendall Palmore scored the final touchdown for Fayette County and the Tiger defense held strong to secure the win.

“We bent a bit tonight, but we were resilient,” said head coach Tommy Webb, adding he was happy to get the win, despite sloppy play from both teams. “We both played it like a first game, both teams were antsy.”

Lauderdale finished with eight receptions for 120 yards, while Kendall Palmore had 13 rushes for 67 yards and Murray was 13 of 22 for 179 yards and three touchdowns. Thomas led the defense with five solo tackles, two assists, a fumble recovery and an interception, while Cory Smith added five tackles and Tago Smith had four.

The Tigers (1-0) will play at Houston County (1-0) on Friday. The Bears beat Groves 34-12 in their season opener.