LEBANON (Oct. 2, 2026) – The Pioneers made a statement on a rainy Friday night, Homecoming 2026, at Harry Stuart Field. Lebanon scored on its first six possessions, rolling to a 41-11 win over John Battle.
“We talked about it all week,” said Lebanon coach Hunter Norris. “We hadn’t put together four quarters of football yet. We’d played a half here and three quarters there, but I thought they put together four good quarters tonight in all three phases of the game.”
After opening the season with two losses, the Pioneers have won four straight games. 5-foot-11, Easton Taylor has played a key role in turning the season around. What’s led to the success?
“Mostly correcting the small things, like cutting down on penalties and trying to stay out of our own heads,” Taylor said.
John Battle (0-6) took the opening kickoff and moved the ball down the field. On 2nd-and-5 from the Lebanon 28, quarterback Braylin Moran dropped back to pass. The Pioneers’ Braelin Hess intercepted the pass.
“It was a good way to start the game and get the energy up,” Taylor said. “We have a problem sometimes with starting out and locking in, but that really helped the team get into the feel of the game.”
The scoring started innocently enough, with Lebanon quarterback Will Jessee marching the team 67 yards on an 8-play, workmanlike touchdown drive. Brother Layne Jessee took a pitch from Will and raced 19 yards up the sideline to pay dirt.
After the Trojans turned the ball over on downs, Lebanon scored on the next play. Will Jessee rolled left and hit Blair Clark with a 62-yard TD strike. After a short Battle punt, on Lebanon’s sixth play, Layne Jessee burst into the end zone from two yards out, giving Lebanon a 20-0 lead less than three minutes into the second quarter.
The Trojans again turned the ball over on downs. It took one play for Taylor to display his outstanding speed on a 56-yard TD sprint.
“We had Layne at H-back, and they probably expected him to get the ball, so the defense followed him,” Taylor stated. “That opened up a big gap on the right side. I busted it right, and no one was there.”
The Pioneers added another score before the break. Will Jessee lofted a screen pass to Layne Jessee, who raced 57 yards for a touchdown.
Senior Hunter Gillespie put John Battle on the scoreboard with a 38-yard field goal, pulling the Trojans within 34-3 just before intermission.
“I thought our defense did a fantastic job of settling in after that first drive and adjusting to the game’s pace,” Norris noted. “From there, we kept rolling. We did a great job across all three phases of the game. I’m very proud of how we played tonight.”
The freshmen connection added a touchdown on Lebanon’s first series in the second half. Will Jessee connected with Liam Spencer in the end zone with a 13-yard scoring strike.
The game was delayed with 3:51 remaining in the third frame when John Battle’s Moran was injured and taken off the field by an ambulance.
“Moran’s a kid we had to game plan around this week,” Norris said. “He’s a great football player. We’ll keep up with him and see how he’s doing. Our prayers go out to him, and we hope he’s OK.”
Battle scored again in the fourth quarter. Jaxson Cunningham had a 12-yard TD run. Luke Odum caught a pass from Cunningham for the two-point conversion for the final margin.
Will Jessee put up good numbers in the contest, going 7-for-11 for 170 yards passing and three TDs. Layne Jessee (78 yards) and Taylor (75 yards) powered Lebanon, which rambled for 236 yards on the ground.
“We challenged the guys up front,” Norris stated. “This back end of our schedule is a tough stretch, and it’s going to determine whether we make the playoffs. These last four games are extremely important, and we control our own destiny. We’re in control of what happens. I’m looking forward to the bye week so we can take care of some minor injuries and get healthy for the final push.”
The Pioneers are on a roll. They have a week off before hosting Union and Graham, back-to-back.
“We wanted to finish these first six games on a high note,” declared Norris. “I feel good about where we’re at, especially with our attitudes and effort, heading into the final four games.”
Lebanon 41, John Battle 11
John Battle0308—11
Lebanon142070—41
First Quarter
LEB—L. Jessee 19 run (Curry kick), 4:21.
LEB—Clark 62 pass from W. Jessee (Curry kick), 1:31.
Second Quarter
LEB—L. Jessee 2 run (pass failed), 9:26.
LEB—Taylor 56 run (pass failed), 6:48.
LEB—L. Jessee 56 pass from W. Jessee (L. Jessee run), 2:49.
JSB—FG Gillespie 38, 0:38.
Third Quarter
LEB—Spencer 13 pass from W. Jessee (Curry kick), 8:23.
Fourth Quarter
JSB—Cunningham 12 run (Odum pass from Cunningham), 7:29.
JSBLEB
First downs1319
Total Net Yards150406
Rushes-yards40-12829-236
Passing 22170
Comp-Att-Int3-9-17-11-0
Fumbles-Lost0-00-0
Penalties-Yards1-1010-109
Punts1-180-0
