Photograph: A Beau Chene tackler moves in to stop a Eunice High ball carrier. (Photograph by Freddie Herpin.)
BOBBY ARDOIN
Editor/Consulting Writer
Crowd security was tight and attendance was near capacity as six public school football teams unveiled their programs which appeared in various stages of development during the St. Landry Parish Jamboree on Friday night.
Beau Chene defeated the Eunice High junior varsity in the opener 22-0, while Port Barre shut out North Central 20-0 in the second contest.
Opelousas and Northwest High finished in a six-point tie during a contest that ended the annual dress rehearsal for the regular season that starts this week.
Opelousas 6, Northwest 6
The Northwest defense held Opelousas scoreless, as the Tigers experienced a number of problems offensively.
Opelousas quarterback Zach Malveaux completed 4-of-14 passes for 69 yards. The Tigers gained 52 rushing yards. In the second half Opelousas was limited to 36 total yards.
Northwest surrendered the initial score of the game as Opelousas safety Jaylin Breaux scooped a fumble and ran for a 17-yard first half touchdown. Opelousas missed the extra point kick.
The Raiders were limited to one total offensive yard in the first half.
Northwest used nearly six minutes of the second half game clock and scored on a 78-yard drive when fullback Javian Reese faked a fourth down rushing attempt into the interior line and completed a 22-yard jump pass to Davon Thibodeaux. The extra point kick also failed.
Port Barre 20, North Central 0
The two teams provided the best combined offensive jamboree performances.
Port Barre rushed for 170 yards and passed for another 85, while the Hurricanes compiled 120 yards of total offense.
Running back Keenan Hardy, who scored twice for Port Barre, provided the first touchdown, scoring from a yard out during the initial offensive series.
The Red Devils scored again on the next series, as quarterback Tylus Metrejean threw a 73-yard pass to tight end Bailey Rideau with 56 seconds left in the first half.
Hardy ended the Port Barre scoring with a 97-yard touchdown run with just more than a minute left in the contest.
North Central launched two potential scoring drives – one in each half – but penalties and execution issues prevented the ‘Canes from reaching the end zone.
Using a variety of backfield players and receivers that included quarterback McKennis Savoie and Jontarious Offord, North Central moved to the Port Barre 11 during a six-minute possession. A fourth down pass from that point fell incomplete.
Savoie ran for 40 yards on three attempts. Offord and Savoie combined for eight completion on 12 passing attempts.
The Hurricanes moved from their own 42 to the Devils’ 3-yard line during the late second half, but that possession ended when Offord was tackled.
Hardy then scored on his 97-yard run.
Beau Chene 22, Eunice JV 0
Beau Chene scored on every possession during the 20 minute-format after the Gators recovered a safety on the Bobcats’ first offensive series.
On the first scoring drive, Beau Chene covered 64 yards on eight plays. Devonte Charlot scored on a two-yard run.
Beau Chene added another TD 13-yard Chandler Pickney run which covered 55 second half yards.
Charlot scored again late in the second period after the Gators recovered a fumble at the Bobcats’ eight-yard line.
