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GATESVILLE – Combining a stout defense that caused four turnovers and recorded five sacks with an offense that produced over 400 yards allowed Gates County to extend its winning streak to three games here Friday night where the Barons defeated Camden County, 26-7.

Quarterback Chris Lee rushed for a career-high 180 yards and one touchdown while teammate DeAndre Smith added 119 yards on the ground and two scores to aid Gates County in improving to 3-1 overall.

Defensively, the Barons pitched a shutout as Camden’s only score of the night came on a kickoff return. Jamel Reid led that effort with an interception, two quarterback sacks for a combined minus eight yards, and a forced fumble. Rowan Massey had a sack (-7 yards), a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. Justin Powell picked off one pass and Jamari Dunning and Aiden Jordan each had a sack resulting in losses of five and eight yards respectively.

That defensive performance helped to limit Camden to 145 total yards, to include only 41 net yards rushing on 22 attempts.

However, it took a big fourth quarter by the Barons to pull out the win as Gates County only led 12-7 at the end of the third period.

The second half got off on the right foot for the Barons who used 13 plays, consuming just over seven minutes, to reach the Camden 19 yardline, but a lost fumble halted that promising drive.

Taking over on loss of downs near midfield late in the third period, Gates County drove 51 yards in five plays, capped by K.D. Harrison’s 37-yard scamper to paydirt on the first snap of the fourth quarter. Smith ran in the two-point conversion, increasing the Barons lead to 20-7.

On the game’s ensuing possession, Camden moved to the GCHS 41 yardline where Reid sacked the Bruins quarterback, forcing a fumble recovered by Jordan. Three plays later, Smith put the icing on the Barons cake with his 40-yard dash to the endzone, accounting for the 26-7 finale.

Gates County never trailed, scoring on their first possession where Lee sprinted 62 yards for the game’s first touchdown at the 8:20 mark of the opening period. The conversion run failed.

That 6-0 lead held firm thanks to big plays from the Barons defense.

Massey put the brakes on a Camden drive with a strip sack and fumble recovery at midfield. Powell picked off a pass early in the second quarter that halted a Camden drive.

The biggest defensive stand came later in the second quarter where Camden mounted an 11-play drive that reached the GCHS 19 yardline. On a second down play, Reid picked off a pass at the eight yardline that he returned 32 yards to his own 40.

One snap later, Lee reeled off a 52-yard run, setting the table for Smith to score three plays later on a six-yard run. The conversion run failed, leaving Gates County with a 12-0 lead with 1:23 left before halftime.

Thirteen seconds later, Camden was on the scoreboard for the first time thanks to Javon Mayo’s 77-yard kickoff return. Wyatt Wederman added the PAT kick as the Bruins crept to within 12-7.

Gates County nearly matched Mayo’s feat when A.J. Hart returned the ensuing kickoff to inside Camden’s 10 yardline. But the Barons were penalized for an illegal block on that return and GCHS settled for a 12-7 halftime lead.

The Barons (3-1 overall) are back at home again this week when they host Southside in a 7 p.m. game on Friday, Sept. 20.