DeQUINCY — For the first time since 2016, the DeQuincy Tigers are 2-0.

DeQuincy got another big game from running back Wyatt Lavergne and the defense forced three turnovers to take down Lake Arthur 31-14 on Friday at G. Dalton Faircloth Stadium.

“It has been a long time,” DeQuincy head coach Tate Woodard said. “Coach (Charlie) Smith was here, and we beat Pickering and South Cameron to start the year.

“We have a really good group of seniors. When I took the job last year, it was kind of a building block. We knew last year was going to be rough with our schedule. We didn’t have a very big senior class. This is a good group. They have just worked their butts off in the summer and into August and now. They are being rewarded for it.”

Despite an undersized offensive line, DeQuincy (2-0) ran for 248 yards led by Lavergne’s 163 yards and a touchdown on 32 carries. Hayz Hext added two scores and 97 yards on 15 carries.

“We had five new guys up front last year,” Woodard said. “It took us a while to break them in, but we knew what we were going to have this year.

“We are not going be bigger than anybody we play. Even Hamilton had some bigger kids. These guys just keep showing up and playing the brand of football that we have instilled in them.”

Hext’s 6-yard run on 4th-and-1 gave DeQuincy the lead for good, 14-7, with 56 seconds left in the first half.

The defense forced two fumbles in the first half. The first one ended Lake Arthur’s first possession. It turned into a 6-0 lead on a 2-yard run by Hext with 5:38 left in the first quarter.

Lake Arthur was driving in the closing seconds of the first half, trying to cut the 14-7 deficit, but M.J. Clark forced and recovered a fumble.

Landon Joyce intercepted a pass intended for Lake Arthur’s Xavier Drake at the goal line with 4:17 left in the game.

After Kohen Cormier’s 32-yard field goal gave DeQuincy a 24-7 lead, Cameron Joyce, M.J. Clark sacked Lake Arthur quarterback Cameron Bonin on consecutive plays early in the fourth quarter.

“We are undersized on defense but we play hard,” Woodard said. “Sometimes our technique is not quite there, but our kids just play so freaking hard.

“We can cause chaos. We are not a big blitz team, but our front is really good. They are quick, they play hard and tackle well. We try to take advantage of opportunities teams give us.”

Lake Arthur (1-1) relied on its passing game to take a 7-6 lead with 3:46 left in the first quarter. On fourth down, Bonin connected with Zavier Drake for a 34-yard score. Bonin completed 12 of 22 passes for 254 yards, and Drake (4 rec., 112 yards) and La’Nell Shankle (6 rec., 105 yards) broke 100 yards receiving.

DeQuincy quarterback Carson Rainwater completed 8 of 10 passes for 77 yards, including a 22-yard touchdown to Lindsey Joyce for a 21-7 lead in the third quarter.

DeQuincy will host Oberlin (1-1) on Sept. 20, while Lake Arthur will host Bolton Academy (0-2).