OCS Rebounds Against Jays
BOBBY ARDOIN
St. Landry Now.com Editor
The offensive game plan Opelousas Catholic devised for St. Edmund on Friday night apparently worked in near meticulous fashion.
OCS produced a run game that accumulated 222 yards and a passing attack that gained another 309 and five touchdowns as the Vikings obtained a needed District 5-1A victory over previously undefeated St. Edmund
The Vikings, shutout at Sacred Heart a week ago, also scored five times during their six red zone visits as they defeated St. Edmund 55-30 in a game played on Blue Jay Field.
“That’s the best that I’ve seen OC play all year. I thought (OC receiver Roderick Tezeno) made two of the best one-handed catches I’ve ever seen and I’ve been around pro football. I thought that we made a lot of mistakes and we had penalties that hurt us all game,” said St. Edmund head football coach James Shiver.
The OCS victory, the fourth in five games this year, was the result of preparation, said Vikings’ head football coach Cullen Matherne.
Matherne said OCS created a pair of new running schemes depending upon the Blue Jays’ defensive fronts alignments, while the St. Edmund zone coverage enabled the Vikings’ passing attack.
The victory for the Vikings also gives OCS a 4-1 overall record as they head into a Week 6 matchup Thursday night with undefeated Westminster Christian Academy.
At this point the OCS-WCA matchup is scheduled to be played at Donald Gardner Stadium, while St. Edmund (4-1, 1-1), travels to meet 5-1A opponent Berchmans Academy.
St. Edmund ran for 289 yards, but the Jays completed only 7-of-18 passes for 66 with an interception.
OCS quarterback Kross Gillen completed 20 of his 29 passes, as Tezeno and wide receiver Lane Dugas caught a pair of Gillen’s five TD throws.
Tezeno caught seven passes for 177 yards. The effort was complemented by OCS receivers Maurice Marcel (4-for-39) and Dugas (4-38).
The Jays’ Nathan Driggs rushed 24 times for 144 and a touchdown. Vikings’ running back Royce Butler ran for 134 on 23 carries and two touchdowns.
St. Edmund scored the first TD on a 1-yard Wyat Dubois run and Dubois’ extra-point rush.
The 8-0 lead however lasted no more than six game-clock minutes.
Gillen threw four consecutive touchdown passes after the Jays’ touchdown as OCS took a 31-24 halftime lead.
In the second half, the Vikings’ run game fully awakened.
Butler put the Vikings further ahead with unanswered touchdown runs of 35 and 1 yards.
