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BOBBY ARDOIN
Editor/Consulting Writer

The game plan was for Eunice High to throw the football, but the weather, running back Brian Allen and placekicker Omar Rodriguez changed that decision for the Bobcats Friday night.

Once rain smothered Bobcat Stadium, Allen carried the load for the rushing game, while Rodriguez kicked a pair of field goals for Eunice High, which defeated Northwest High 19-8.

Allen ran 21 times for 132 yards and scored twice for the Bobcats, who are now 3-1 overall.

Rodriguez, a soccer player who was introduced to football several months ago, kicked a field goal in each half and provided the Bobcats with additional points in the game that has been traditionally played between the two St. Landry Parish schools.

Eunice head football coach Andre Vige said on Saturday that Allen is the type of back whose stamina and work ethnic is unsurpassed.

Once lightning which delayed the game 45 minutes and a rainstorm that followed, hit Bobcat Stadium, Allen was the logical choice to play a larger part of the offense.

“The weather really changed our plan. I really don’t think the conditions really helped us any. I really don’t like going in due to weather delays,” said Vige.

Rodriguez displayed the ability to kick, Vige noted, when the Eunice High junior was kicking a soccer ball one day in the school gym.

“One of our coaches saw him and he told me that he thought we’d found our kicker. He came out in August and he’s been kicking for us ever since. Last year we were happy just getting a ball off the ground,” said Vige.

The Raiders (2-2) rushed for 144 yards, with senior Javian Reese gaining 92 on 21 attempts. 

Northwest finished with 170 total yards, while the Bobcats obtained 296 rushing and throwing.

How They Scored

Eunice gained possession after the Raiders fumbled at the 30-yard line and used 11 plays to score on a 12-yard Allen run with 1:10 left in the first quarter.

Bobcats’ quarterback Montana Brown completed two throws to wide receiver Jared Thomas on the scoring drive.

The game was halted with 8:34 in the second quarter.

After that Eunice scored a second touchdown on a 60-yard possession. Allen scored on a six-yard run, but Gonzalez missed the point after kick.

With no time remaining in the first half, Gonzalez kicked the 27-yard field goal to provide Eunice with a 16-0 halftime lead.

Northwest took the second half kickoff and drove 51-yards in five plays for the Raiders’ only TD. The Raiders pushed the ball downfield with Reese taking direct snaps and following his offensive linemen. The Reese TD (10:07) and a two-point conversion jump pass to Davon Thibodeaux cut the lead to 16-8.

The Raiders used much of the fourth quarter with a long drive that ended at the 31 when Reese was stopped short on a fourth-down run.

NEXT WEEK: Eunice hosts Catholic High-New Iberia. Northwest is at home against Port Barre.

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