Photograph: OC QB Mark Collins forces a defender to the ground as he scores a touchdown against Sacred Heart in a Viking victory. (Photograph by Mike Curley.)
BOBBY ARDOIN
Editor/Consulting Writer
As the regular season prepares to conclude, Opelousas Catholic has reached the threshold of a second straight district championship with help from an improving defense.
There was evidence of that again on Thursday night, as the Vikings limited Sacred Heart to 96 total yards during a 34-6 Homecoming victory at Donald Gardner Stadium.
The win gave OCS (6-3) a perfect record after four games in District 6-1A. It also marked the ninth straight district victory for the Vikings over the past two seasons, an accomplishment that carries more than minimal significance, said head football coach Thomas David.
“Right now the goal is 10-0 and back to back district championships,” David said after he discussed the objective for the Week 10 matchup with St. Edmund.
If that story becomes a reality, the OCS defense will provide an assist with punctuating the eventual ending.
Over the past five games, Vikings have allowed 14 points and three shutouts.
OCS linebacker and defensive lineman Kade Bidstrup thinks the Vikings became more successful defensively following a 34-20 loss to Southern Lab in Week 4.
“After that game we knew we were getting better defensively. It was like we flipped the switch. It seemed like after that (Southern Lab) game we developed a new mentality and that all of us on defense realized there needed to be more accountability,” said Bidstrup.
“We wanted to keep (SHS quarterback Hayden Droddy) inside the pocket and not let him get outside. I thought we played physical and we used our quickness,” Bidstrup noted.
Droddy finished the game with eight yards on 17 rushing attempts.
Overall the Trojans obtained 28 rushing yards and another 68 on seven passing completions.
Much of the time the Vikings were visitors inside the SHS backfield, as the Trojans finished with 10 plays that netted minus 53 yards.
SHS head football coach Josh Harper said the Vikings wore down his team whose effectiveness has diminished somewhat because of injuries.
“They (OCS) are the defending champions of the district and they have a lot of guys back from that team. With their running game they wear you down and then they give it to (Chris Brown) on the sweeps and it’s hard to get to him,” said Harper.
Brown certainly did his part offensively.
The Vikings’ senior receiver scored on a 91-yard run during the third quarter for the final OCS touchdown just over two minutes after catching a 37-yard scoring pass from quarterback Mark Collins.
Brown finished with 158 yards on five carries and two receptions for another 41.
Collins scored three times and ended the game with 106 yards on 11 attempts. Collins added a 44-yard second quarter touchdown run after he followed a lead block by OCS running back Eli Chelette.
Although the Vikings ended the first quarter with 43 total yards, OCS finished with 361 on the ground. In the second quarter the Vikings scored on all four possessions.
Harper felt the Trojans had chances early but didn’t sustain any of their early momentum.That was true after the opening kickoff.
SHS moved 54 yards on 13 plays while consuming seven minutes and 43 seconds of the game clock on a first period possession that ended with a Droddy sack at the OCS 13.
The Trojans devoured nearly four more minutes on the next drive that ended with a six-yard scoring completion from Droddy to wide receiver Boyce Schexnider.
David said the Vikings looked sluggish initially.
“We had a Homecoming hangover and they had the upper hand at the start. We looked like our feet were in concrete,” said David.
