BOGALUSA – The Ellender Patriots drew first blood Friday night on a 3-yard run by Glenn Fitch with 8:32 left in the first period, but it was all Bogalusa (3-1) after that as the Lumberjacks claimed a 49-7 nondistrict win.

The Patriots (0-2 overall) put together a quick-strike, three-play drive that covered 74 yards after forcing a Bogalusa punt on the game’s first series.

On first-and-10 from their own 26, Fitch darted around left end, breaking an ankle tackle at the line of scrimmage, for a 16-yard gain. Then, from the 40, Fitch scampered around right end, then cut back across the field for a 57-yard gain to put the ball at the 3. Fitch got the touchdown on a draw, and Megan Cressoine got the point after to make it 7-0.

Bogalusa (3-1) came back to score on its next three possessions to open a 20-7 lead, adding a fourth score with 1:02 left in the first half to make the score 28-7.

The Lumberjacks added a pair of third period touchdowns, including one set up by a 28-yard interception return of 28-yards of a Carl Verdin pass, before adding a single score in the fourth period.

Fitch would have gains of 17 and 23 yards later in the game, but adjustments by the Bogalusa defense kept him largely in check the remainder of the game. Fitch finished with 134 yards on 21 carries as the Patriots finished with 136 rushing yards on 29 carries.

Verdin was 3-of-15 passing for 37 yards and an interception. Jeremiah Robertson hauled in catches of 11 and 19 yards.

Bogalusa rolled up 262 yards on the ground, with quarterback William Smith

picking up 157 yards and two scores on 13 carries, while Rumeall Morris had 116 yards and two scores on five carries. Smith was 5-of-7 passing for 58 yards and another score.

 

HOUMA – With explosive running backs Jereme Lagarde, Caleb Williams and Sean Harvey, everyone knows H.L. Bourgeois is capable of putting up big yards on any given Friday night.

The trio did just that in the Braves’ 43-13 homecoming win over Ellender High in Friday’s nondistrict game at Tom B. Smith Stadium.

The Braves finished with 427 total yards, 404 which came on the ground.

Despite losing three fumbles, Lagarde led the way with 182 yards on 22 carries and a touchdown. Williams added 122 yards on nine carries and two touchdowns, and Harvey had 10 carries for 93 yards and a score.

“We came out with the goal of running the football,” said H.L. Bourgeois coach Joe Riley, who picked up his first head coaching win. “We have a young offensive line that stepped up to the challenge. We just did what do to had to do to get the win.”

But it wasn’t all offense for the Braves.

H.L. Bourgeois (1-1 overall) held the Patriots to 104 total yards (87 rushing, 17 passing).

“The defense came to play,” Riley said. “(Defensive coordinator Cory Adkins) and the rest of the defensive coaches did a great job getting those guys ready.”

Ellender, which was playing its first game of the season because of hurricanes Gustav and Ike, had 10 penalties for 80 yards and two turnovers.

“This was our first game of the season and it looked like it,” Ellender coach Tawaskie Anderson said. “We had too many mistakes. We weren’t making tackles like we expected to do. We weren’t consistent as we needed to be offensively. We didn’t move the ball like we should have. We just weren’t physical and just didn’t execute. We couldn’t move the ball, and we did a poor job of blocking.”

On the first drive of the game, Ellender moved the ball 35 yards down to the Braves’ 41.

But the drive ended when Lagarde, who was playing safety, intercepted Ellender quarterback Justin Billiot (3-for-9, 17 yards) and returned it 75 yards for a touchdown.

Harvey made the extra point, which gave the Braves a 7-0 lead with 8:20 left in the opening quarter.

“That gave us the momentum,” Riley said. “The defense just became confident, and we were just rolling from that point on.”

The Braves (11 first downs, six penalties for 90 yards) scored their second touchdown of the first quarter when Williams sprinted 46 yards untouched. Harvey’s point after made it 14-0 with 4:18 remaining.

In the second quarter, H.L. Bourgeois moved the ball deep into Patriots’ territory twice, but came away with no points after two straight fumbles by Lagarde at the 22 and 1-yard lines.

One play after Lagarde’s fumble at the Patriots’ 1, the Braves defense came up big, tackling Ellender running back Glenn Fitch in the end zone for a safety, which made the score 16-0 with 4:39 left.

On the Braves’ ensuing offensive drive, they faced a third-and-13 at the Patriots’ 37, and Ellender defensive end Rakesh Naquin recovered a fumbled snap and returned it 58 yards down to the Braves’ 5.

A play later, Fitch (28 carries, 82 yards) scrambled 5 yards for the touchdown with 2:25 left before halftime.

On the extra point, Ellender kicker Megan Cressione became the first female player in school history to play in a regular season game, successfully making the try to make the score 16-7.

But the Braves answered on their next possession, going on a 5-play, 56-yard drive, which was capped on a 9-yard touchdown run from Harvey. Due to a celebration penalty after the score, H.L. Bourgeois was penalized 15 yards, which made them attempt the two-point conversion. Williams was stopped on the play, making the score 22-7 at halftime.

In the third quarter, the Braves went up 28-7 on a 12-yard touchdown run from Lagarde with 1:06 left.

After recovering an Ellender fumble on the kickoff, the Braves had first-and-10 at the Patriots’ 21. It took them four plays to score, this time on a 23-yard pass from quarterback Clark Bergeron (1-for-4) to Harvey with 11:53 left in the fourth quarter to extend the lead to 36-7.

With some help from a 45-yard kickoff return by Leonard Folse, the Patriots scored their second touchdown on a 3-yard quarterback sneak from Billiot. Ellender’s two-point attempt was no good, which made it 36-13.

Williams scored the Braves final touchdown with a 15-yard scamper with 4:25 remaining.

With their first game now under their belt, Anderson said its back to the drawing board for the Patriots.

“We just have to go back to work next week by going back to the fundamentals with blocking and tackling and get a win against Bogalusa,” Anderson said. “We have one more game to get it right before district. We’ve just got to take this and build upon it, look at our mistakes and move on to get ready for next week.”

 

Ellender will be playing in its first game of the regular season. H.L. Bourgeois will be gunning for its first win of the season under first-year coach Joe Riley.

It will also be the first time that Riley and Ellender’s Tawaskie Anderson, who were both teammates at Nicholls State during the 1999-00 seasons, will face each other on the opposite sidelines as head coaches.

So, it’s easy to say that both coaches are looking forward to Friday’s contest, which will start at 7 p.m. in Tom B. Smith Stadium.

"It’s going to be an exciting game," said Anderson, who played running back at Nicholls. "H.L. is going to be ready. We’re going to be ready. We really need to beat those guys because we haven’t beaten them in eight years. It’s going to be extra special since me and Coach Riley played together at Nicholls, so there’s a lot riding on this game."

Riley, a former offensive lineman who blocked for Anderson at Nicholls, agreed.

"I know Coach Anderson is going to do a great job of getting his team ready to play," Riley said. "He’s a great leader. They haven’t played yet, so they’re going to be hungry. It’s going to come down to which team wants it the most."

After being off for the first three weeks of the season due to hurricanes Gustav and Ike, Anderson said his biggest concern is the Patriots’ lack of playing time entering Friday’s game.

The last time Ellender played a game was during the Terrebonne Parish Jamboree on Aug. 28, which it lost 20-7 to Terrebonne High.

"We’re behind everybody else," Anderson said. "Everybody else already went through what we’re going to go through this week. I think there may be a problem with our conditioning and getting back to playing four quarters of football, which we haven’t done yet this year."

Despite all the distractions from the hurricanes, Anderson said that his team doesn’t plan on using the missed games as an excuse.

"Friday night is still coming around and we still have to go out there and play football," Anderson said. "Missing the last few weeks or not having equipment doesn’t take away from the intensity, discipline and aggressiveness that we need to play football. Our goal is to come out and win every week."

Riley said that H.L. Bourgeois can’t overlook Ellender, especially after the Braves’ 38-14 season opening loss to L.W. Higgins last week.

"That’s one thing we don’t want to do," Riley said. "We don’t want to overlook them because Coach Anderson is going to do a great job motivating those guys and getting them ready to play. It’s going to come down to who executes and wants it the most on Friday night."

Against Higgins, the Braves had problems executing on offense. They had three turnovers (all interceptions), which put them in a 25-7 hole at halftime.

Riley said he’s looking for a better performance from his team against Ellender.

"It’s all going to come down to them wanting to execute the game plan and wanting to do better," Riley said. "At the end of every game, every team either has a win or a loss, so it all comes down to who wants the win and who plays the hardest and plays mistake-free football."

One player that played well for H.L. Bourgeois was senior fullback Jereme Lagarde, who had 121 yards on 17 carries and two touchdowns.

"For our offense to be successful, Jereme has to get off early and have a great game," Riley said. "When he has a great game, it opens up the other two guys (wingbacks Caleb Williams and Sean Harvey) and our passing game. Expect a heavy dose of him on Friday night."

In 2007, Lagarde blasted the Patriots’ defense for 251 yards and three scores in the Braves’ 40-14 win.

Anderson said Ellender, which allowed 131 rushing yards to Terrebonne in the jamboree will have its hands-full against H.L. Bourgeois’ Wing-T offense.

"It’s going to be a challenge, but if we come out and slow them down and make our tackles, we should OK," Anderson said.

NOTES

H.L. Bourgeois is celebrating homecoming this week … Riley said Braves defensive back Stanley Lyons is questionable for Friday’s game with a knee injury … Ellender junior quarterback Justin Billiot will make his first ever start … Patriots running back Glenn Fitch rushed for 41 yards on 13 carries with a touchdown in the jamboree.