Late Mistakes Hurt Opelousas Comeback
BOBBY ARDOIN
Editor/Consulting Writer
The chance for Opelousas High to ice away a dramatic Friday night comeback victory melted away amid an array of late-game defensive mistakes.
“We had the game in hand and then we threw it right back,” said OHS head football coach Jimmy Zachery, Jr.
Zachery didn’t need in-depth analysis to detail the outcome for the Tigers’ 43-40 Donald Gardner Stadium loss to Alexandria Senior High in a contest between two highly-ranked teams with combustible offenses.
In a wild finish that featured a combined 27 points scored in the final five minutes, Opelousas, leading 40-35, needed to execute a final defensive stop.
Alexandria (4-0) however had other plans.
The Trojans launched a 70-yard, decisive comeback in the final minute and 20 seconds, as the Trojans put the ball in the hands of running back JT Lindsey, who took a screen pass 65 yards and then scored the final TD on a three-yard run with 23 seconds remaining.
“I thought we were out executed there at the end. We had some mistakes with our coverages and we missed some tackles at times and on the screen play we let it get away,” said Zachery, whose 1-2 team now faces three consecutive road games.
Offensively the matchup produced video game-type numbers.
Opelousas High compiled 610 total yards, while ASH gained 419.
Lindsey, an LSU commitment, gained 155 rushing yards on 18 attempts. Most of those rushing yards occurred on first half touchdown runs of 45 and 60 yards.
The Tigers featured quarterback Zack Malveaux, running back De’Shaun Ford and wide receiver Corey Fontenot who highlighted an Opelousas scheme that manufactured problems for ASH.
Ford ran 27 times for 177 yards and a touchdown, while Malveaux ran for 164 yards and passed for another 221.
Malveaux also ran for four touchdowns and completed a 63-yard scoring pass to Fontenot that gave the Tigers’ their final lead with a minute and 40 seconds remaining.
Fontenot, who made several acrobatic catches, had seven receptions for 178.
ASH head football coach Tommy Bachman was impressed with Malveaux.
“(Malveaux) is really a great quarterback. He is outstanding and does a lot of things reallywell,” Bachman said.
The Tigers led 28-14 at halftime, but ASH flipped the momentum with two quick scoring plays that tied the game at 28 with just over five minutes gone in the third.
Trailing by a touchdown, Alexandria executed a successful onside kick that Trojans’ kicker Eli Fung recovered at the Opelousas 49. Quarterback Max Gassiott then scored on the first play to create the tie.
“There was no excuse for what happened with the onside kick. You don’t let the other team follow the ball and then recover the kickoff like that. We should have had them ready,” said Zachery.
Opelousas took a 35-28 lead after the Tigers devoured a good bit of the fourth quarter with a 79-yard, 17-play touchdown drive that consumed just over seven minutes.
Bachman said the Trojans played with more intensity in the second half.
“We didn’t have that many plays in the first half. (At halftime) when you are in that situation, you challenge them. We were able to come out, get some quick scores and recovering the onside kick was a big play for us,” said Bachman.
Bachman said the high-scoring contest was expected.
“We knew how this game would be. (Opelousas) is very well-coached and organized. It was physical like we thought,” Bachman added.
