The Simpson Academy Cougars opened their 2025 football season Friday night with a hard-fought battle against the Leake Academy Rebels that left SCA short in a 29-26 loss on the road.
From the opening whistle, the Cougars showed they were ready to compete. Quarterback Braxton Baldwinled a crisp opening drive, capping it off with a 26-yard touchdown strike to Kolt Walker. The Cougars’ early momentum was quickly answered when Leake marched downfield for a score of their own, evening the contest at 6-6 by the end of the first quarter. Leake nudged ahead with a second-quarter field goal, but Simpson answered in the final minutes of the half. With just over a minute remaining, Baldwin muscled his way into the end zone on a two-yard quarterback sneak, aided by a strong push from his offensive line.
That effort gave the Cougars a 13-9 halftime lead.
The Rebels swung momentum in their favor during the third quarter. Midway through the period, Leake broke through with a rushing touchdown, taking a 15-13 lead after a missed extra point. They struck again late in the quarter with another ground score, extending their advantage to 21-13 heading into the fourth.
But the Cougars weren’t done. Baldwin once again went to the air, connecting on a touchdown pass that trimmed the deficit to 21-19.
The Cougars attempted a two-point conversion to tie but were stopped short. Moments later, Simpson surged ahead when the ground game punched in a rushing touchdown, and the extra point gave the Cougars a 26-21 lead with just under four minutes left.
The home crowd, however, would not be silenced. On the ensuing kickoff, Leake delivered the game’s most decisive play—a kickoff return touchdown that stunned the Cougars and flipped the score to 27-26. The Rebels successfully converted a two-point try to push their lead to 29-26 with about three minutes remaining. Despite Simpson’s best efforts in the closing minutes, Leake’s defense held firm, sealing the Rebels’ dramatic season-opening win.
The Cougars will look to regroup and build on their strong performance as they prepare for this week’s matchup against Pillow Academy. While Friday night ended in heartbreak, Simpson showed flashes of an explosive offense and gritty resilience that could serve them well as the season progresses.
