The Russell County Lakers closed out their regular season on a winning note Friday night, edging the Monroe County Falcons 20 to 19 in a hard-fought contest in Tompkinsville.
Laker quarterback Tanner Stringer led the Russell County offense with an outstanding performance on the ground, rushing for 172 yards on 21 carries and scoring one touchdown.
As a team, the Lakers rushed for 223 yards on 30 carries. Stringer also completed five passes for 40 yards, with Alex Norton hauling in two receptions for 28 yards.
Monroe County was led offensively by quarterback Trace England, who completed 22 of 34 passes for 225 yards and one touchdown, along with one interception.
Falcon running back Reece Bartley rushed for 56 yards on 18 carries and scored two touchdowns. Monroe County finished with 115 rushing yards and 225 passing yards.
Penalties were also a factor in Friday night’s contest, with Russell County flagged eight times for 65 yards and Monroe County penalized nine times for 70 yards.
The one-point victory gives the Lakers some momentum as they turn their attention to postseason play.
Russell County will travel to Corbin next Friday night, November 6th, to face the Corbin Redhounds in the opening round of the KHSAA football playoffs.
WJRS SPORTS will have more on the Lakers’ playoff matchup in the coming days.