Mansfield Lake Ridge falls to North Forney in battle of unbeaten squads

In a battle of unbeaten teams, the North Forney Falcons picked up another one-sided win on homecoming as they hosted Mansfield Lake Ridge on Friday night.

The Falcons beat the Eagles 55-28, leading by multiple scores throughout the game and dominating with their running attack.

Lake Ridge came into the game hoping to wrap up its non-district schedule undefeated, picking up close wins against Reedy, Haltom and Richardson.

North Forney was also undefeated playing in its final non-district game, but had extra pressure with homecoming festivities to deal with before kickoff.

The Falcons got things going for the home crowd on their first offensive play. Quarterback Legend Bey bumped a run outside and raced down the right sideline 75 yards for a touchdown to go up 6-0.

The Eagles responded on their first drive, running the ball with Jaiden Cotton for 50 yards. Lake Ridge got down to North Forney’s three-yard line, but the Falcons defense stepped up and stopped the Eagles on fourth down to get the ball back.

North Forney took advantage, driving down the field with big runs before giving the ball to running back Andikan Asuquo, who ran off tackle nine yards untouched for a touchdown. The Falcons led 12-0.

North Forney’s defense forced a three-and-out and, thanks to a short punt, took over in Eagles territory. The Falcons scored on another short run, this time with Bey scoring from one yard out to put North Forney up 20-0.

It looked like it was going to get worse for Lake Ridge. The Eagles fumbled the kickoff and North Forney recovered inside Lake Ridge’s red zone.

But Lake Ridge caught a break as several penalties pushed the Falcons back, forcing a punt and giving the Eagles the ball back heading into the second quarter.

The Eagles drove down the field on their next possession, getting a 37-yard run from quarterback Deshawn Edwards before he eventually scored from five yards out to cut the lead to 20-7.

North Forney answered about a minute later, giving the ball to explosive running back Cordal Woodard, who scored from 25 yards to extend the Falcons’ lead to 28-7.

Lake Ridge refused to give in, running the ball with Edwards and Cotton. The Eagles had another fourth down inside the four-yard line, but this time they converted, with Cotton scoring to cut the lead to 28-14.

North Forney rode the hot hand of Woodard, who scored on a 57-yard run on the Falcons’ first offensive play. North Forney led 34-14 with 3:35 left in the first half.

Ridge used the clock well before facing another fourth and goal, this time from the one-yard line. The Eagles gave the ball to Cotton, who muscled in to score on the last play of the half. Lake Ridge cut the lead to 34-21.

Lake Ridge couldn’t keep that momentum going to start the second half despite getting the ball first. The Falcons defense got the stop before their offense produced another big play from Bey. After reversing his field and weaving through defenders, Bey scored on a 54-yard run to put North Forney up 42-21.

The Eagles swung big on their next drive, converting a fourth down while still on their own side of the field. Lake Ridge capped the drive with a 13-yard run from Edwards, cutting the lead down to 42-28.

But North Forney proved too much. Bey scored on a 33-yard run despite being in a third-and-long situation, and cornerback Deuce Gilbert intercepted a pass to end the third quarter. The Falcons led 48-28.

Lake Ridge’s highlight of the final period was recovering a fumble on fourth down to stop North Forney, but both teams began rotating in their backups to play out the rest of the quarter.

The Falcons saw Rashon Walker score on a 28-yard run in the final minutes to make the final score 55-28.

Bey led the team with 180 yards rushing and two touchdowns, while completing five passes for 81 yards. Woodard finished with 162 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Eli Otieno led the team with three catches for 49 yards.

North Forney comes out of pre-district undefeated with a 4-0 record, but has a huge game to start district play next week, hosting rival Forney at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 26.

For Lake Ridge, Edwards led the team with 145 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while Cotton had 122 yards and two touchdowns on the ground as well.

The Eagles come out of pre-district 3-1, with three tough wins before Friday night’s loss. Lake Ridge will have a bye week coming up before starting district against Mansfield at home at 7 p.m. on Oct. 3.

This story was originally published September 19, 2025 at 10:49 PM.