Lufkin Bounces Back in 31-19 District 14-5A Victory Against Bryan

LUFKIN -- Junior standout KeKe Coutee caught eight passes for 158 yards and a touchdown as Lufkin beat Bryan 31-19 in a District 14-5A matchup at Abe Martin Stadium.

Lufkin (2-5, 1-2) snapped a five-game losing streak with the victory, which came after losses to A&M Consolidated (42-41) and The Woodlands (31-13) to open 14-5A play.

Coutee, who is committed to Texas, accounted for 70 percent of junior quarterback Trey Cumbie's passing yardage. Cumbie completed 16 of 27 passes for 224 yards and three touchdowns, while rushing 14 times for 55 yards.

Lufkin built a 14-0 lead en route to a 24-6 halftime advantage. The Panthers stretched the lead to 31-6 on Cumbie's 10-yard third-quarter touchdown strike Robert Howard.

Bryan scored twice in the game's final 6:25 -- Bobby Johnson's one-yard run and Kee Kee Johnson's seven-yard run -- to narrow the margin.

Lufkin junior running back Steven Sowell had 92 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries and added 31 receiving yards. Sowell's seven-yard touchdown run in the first half's final minute stretched the Panthers' halftime edge to 18 points.

Cumbie hit Coutee for a 60-yard touchdown and the game's first points, then found Demarria Houston on an eight-yard touchdown connection for a 14-0 lead early in the second.

Lufkin travels to The Woodlands College Park next week.

-- Stats courtesy the Bryan Eagle