Fountain Lake struck early and found enough explosive plays throughout the night to pull away from Warren for a 50-15 win Friday in the Lumberjacks’ second non-conference game of the season.
The final margin was decisive, but the night was not without encouraging stretches for Warren. The Lumberjacks moved the ball effectively at times, particularly before halftime and on the ground in the third quarter, while also having to adjust after losing two of their top receivers to injury during the game.
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Fountain Lake, however, made the most of its opportunities and repeatedly answered whenever Warren appeared poised to build momentum.
The loss drops Warren to 1-1 on the season.
The Cobras wasted no time setting the tone.
Warren won the opening coin toss and deferred, and Fountain Lake opened from its own 16-yard line. On the first play from scrimmage, the Cobras connected on a pass over the middle that turned into an 84-yard touchdown. The extra point gave Fountain Lake a 7-0 lead just 16 seconds into the game.
Warren responded with a promising possession of its own.
Josiah Steen returned the ensuing kickoff to the Lumberjack 47, and Warren worked its way into the red zone by the 8:27 mark. A pair of penalties backed the Jacks up to the 30, however, and the drive eventually ended on downs with 7:21 remaining in the opening quarter.
Fountain Lake took over and quickly moved back down the field, finishing the possession with a short rushing touchdown at the 4:52 mark to make it 14-0.
Warren again showed an ability to move the football on its next drive.
Starting at its own 21, quarterback Jackson Denton connected with Ty Hembree on a deep out route to the Warren 37. Later in the possession, Denton lofted another pass to Hembree downfield, moving the Jacks all the way to the Fountain Lake 15 with 2:46 remaining.
Faced with another fourth-down decision, Warren elected to try a field goal, but the kick went just left.
The Lumberjack defense produced a pair of strong plays late in the quarter. Jaxstyn Ingram came up with a sack with 40 seconds remaining, and Chris Alford Jr. broke up a pass on the following snap.
Fountain Lake nevertheless converted on third-and-long with a deep completion despite decent coverage, allowing the Cobras to keep the possession alive into the second quarter.
Warren’s defense came up with a needed turnover early in the second.
With Fountain Lake again threatening, the Lumberjacks recovered a fumble near their own 17 with 9:15 remaining in the half. Warren moved the ball out to its 39 before being forced to punt, but trouble with the snap limited the kick to the Warren 44 and gave the Cobras a short field.
Fountain Lake drove to the Warren 1 and faced fourth down before scoring on a quarterback draw. The extra point made it 21-0 with 1:52 remaining in the half.
Warren fumbled on the first play of its next possession, giving Fountain Lake one more chance before halftime, but the Lumberjack defense answered.
Warren stopped the Cobras on fourth down at the 14 with 10 seconds remaining, sending the game to halftime with Fountain Lake leading 21-0.
The Jacks came out of the locker room with renewed energy.
JaKoby Avery found room off the left edge and broke free for a 38-yard touchdown with 10:51 remaining in the third quarter. Emanuel Pahuamba added the extra point to cut the deficit to 21-7.
Fountain Lake answered quickly with a 49-yard rushing touchdown at the 9:08 mark. The extra point was no good, leaving the score at 27-7.
Avery continued to find success on the ground. Another long run carried Warren into Fountain Lake territory with 8:23 left in the quarter as the Lumberjacks repeatedly found space attacking the left side.
The drive ended on downs at the Fountain Lake 29 with 6:46 remaining.
The Cobras then produced another big play, taking a screen pass down the right side for a 58-yard touchdown with 4:44 left in the quarter. A successful two-point conversion pushed the Fountain Lake lead to 35-7.
Warren answered once more before the end of the third.
Avery scored his second touchdown of the night on an 8-yard run with 41 seconds remaining, and Denton connected with Hayden Hampton for the two-point conversion to make it 35-15.
The Lumberjacks attempted an onside kick on the ensuing kickoff, but the ball went out of bounds.
Fountain Lake put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter.
The Cobras scored on an 11-yard quarterback scramble with 9:53 remaining and added the extra point to make it 42-15.
Less than a minute later, Fountain Lake intercepted a Warren pass and returned it for a touchdown. The Cobras converted the two-point try for a 50-15 advantage with 8:56 left.
Warren had one more opportunity to add points late, but a field-goal attempt was unsuccessful.
The scoreboard told one part of the story, but Warren also left the night having shown flashes that did not always translate into points.
The Lumberjacks twice drove deep into Fountain Lake territory in the first quarter and came away empty, while Avery gave the offense a strong second-half spark with two rushing touchdowns. Warren also had to adapt offensively after losing two of its top receivers to injury during the game, further complicating an already difficult night on the road.
Fountain Lake, meanwhile, capitalized on its chances and did significant damage with explosive plays, including touchdowns covering 84, 58 and 49 yards.
After a preseason played away from home and road trips to open the first two weeks of non-conference play, Warren will finally return to Jim Hurley Jr. Stadium next week.
The Lumberjacks will host Sheridan in their 2026 home opener Friday, September 11. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
