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SOUR LAKE — The LCM Battlin’ Bears started the 2023 Texas high school football season on a winning note by defeating the Hardin-Jefferson Hawks Friday night, 42-7.

The Bears piled up 374 yards of offense in the victory with quarterback Dylan Payne leading the way with 95 yards passing and 93 yards rushing, which included two touchdowns.

Running back Jonah Fuller added touchdown to go with his 100 yards rushing on the night.

Bears running back J’Lynn Morris put LCM on the board with a 25-yard run late in the first quarter.

Following an interception by the Bears defense in the end zone, quarterback Dylan Payne marched LCM 80 yards and scored on a 1-yard sneak up the middle to make the score 14-0.

A few minutes later, with 13 seconds remaining in the first half, Payne connected with wide receiver Keagan Cockerham on a 33-yard scoring strike over the middle to make the score 21-0 at halftime.

The LCM defense sacked Hardin-Jefferson quarterback Carson LaBorde twice in a row, which included a fumble recovery deep in Hawks territory early in the third quarter.

Bears running back Jonah Fuller extended the LCM lead to 28-0 on the next play as he rumbled 20 yards for the touchdown.

Payne added another 1-yard touchdown for the Bears on a quarterback sneak late in the third quarter.

A touchdown by second-team quarterback Braylon Lewis put the game out of reach, 42-0, early in the fourth quarter.

The Hawks did manage to get on the scoreboard late in the fourth quarter as running back Wyatt Samaha scored on a three yard run.

The Hawks offense, which finished the night with 114 total yards, benefited from three personal foul penalties on the LC-M defense on that drive.

LCM (1-0) will face West Orange-Stark (1-0) next Friday in a battle of Orange County powerhouses.

The Mustangs had a come-from-behind win over the Nederland Bulldogs, 40-34, on Friday night in Nederland.

— Written by Tommy Mann Jr.