Despite a strong showing from Louisiana players, the Louisiana-Arkansas-Missouri Echidnas fell in double overtime to the California Taz Devils, 25-22, in the first football game of the 21st annual Down Under Bowl featuring graduated seniors.
The Echidnas took a 22-8 halftime lead in Queensland, Australia, before the Taz Devils roared back on the strength of their ground attack. Quarterback Shaquille Conner of Franklin and wide receiver R.J. Roberts of Pineville combined for a pair of first-quarter touchdowns for the Echidnas.
Conner threw a fourth-down, 30-yard scoring pass to Roberts before connecting on a 65-yard touchdown toss with 22 seconds left in the period. That staked the Echidnas to a 16-0 lead after they had opened the scoring on a safety when the Taz Devils’ first center snap in punt formation bounced out of the end zone.
Conner answered a Taz Devils’ touchdown with his third touchdown pass. This time, his 10-yarder went to running back Nick Powell of Pineville with 26 seconds left in the second quarter. A poor center snap cost the Echidnas the extra point.
The Taz Devils threw only two first-half passes with the first falling incomplete and Conner intercepting the second to end the first half.
Neither team scored in the third quarter, but the Taz Devils tied the score in regulation at 22-22 with 16 fourth-quarter points. They were threatening again when Heath Pruitt of Delhi Charter intercepted a pass at the Echidnas’ 25-yard line with 24 seconds left in regulation.
Each team lost a fumble in the first overtime before the Taz Devils kicked a 23-yard field goal in the second overtime. The Echidnas got the ball back, but Conner was stopped on the 1-yard line to end the game.
Soccer: First all-star games end in split
The West girls and East boys proved victorious in the first Louisiana High School Soccer Coaches Association All-Star games in Lafayette.
Most Valuable Player Cayla Chatman of Houma Vandebilt Catholic scored twice to lead the West past the East, 4-3, at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Soccer Complex.
Caesar Vallin of Gonzales East Ascension scored one of three second-half goals for the East in earning MVP honors in his team’s 3-0 victory.
“Whenever we were struggling in the second half, we brought Cayla back in for a spark,” West coach Katie Breaux of Lafayette High said. “She did a great job for us. She’s a really good finisher. We were really pleased with the effort she gave us.”
Chatman opened the scoring for the West before New Iberia attacker Rebecca Landry hit the back of the net with her first-half goal. Comeaux’s Rachel Burger added a second-half goal for the West.
The East scoring came from LaPlace St. Charles Catholic’s Reyna Lubin, Mandeville Fontainebleau’s Kaley Blanton and St. Joseph’s Margaret Eggers.
“It felt really good to get the first goal in the inaugural all-star game.” Chatman said. “Being able to score on this field, and knowing that I’ll be playing here the next four years, felt awesome.”
Vallin scored on a penalty kick for the East boys.
“You just can’t get nervous when you line up for a penalty kick.” he said. “It’s a situation where it’s more or less a 50-50 opportunity. You just have to go up there and do your job.”
Defense dominated the first half thanks to solid goalkeeping and backline defense. East coach Hubie Collins of New Orleans Jesuit praised the all-star organizers.
“We didn’t do anything.” he said. “They did a great job of putting this thing together and allowing all these kids from different schools to play together. It definitely was a bunch of fun to participate in.”
Basketball: New coaches take over at Alexandria Senior High
Alexandria Senior High has hired a pair of new head coaches with veterans Alan Tinsley taking over the boys squad and Majorie Cotton inheriting the girls team. Tinsley has coached at three other central Louisiana schools in Marksville, Tioga and Avoylles.
He takes over a team that returns only one starter from a club that won 29 games last season and came within one game of the Top 28 under former coach Alex Perkins, who left for Shreveport Woodlawn.
“I was looking for an individual who could take us to the next level, and I think he can get that done,” ASH principal Billy Albritton said of Tinsley.
“I've had some great jobs and some great opportunities, but they didn't have everything,” Tinsley said. “This school does. ASH has everything I look for and what I would think a lot of people look for. It’s one of the premier opportunities in central Louisiana.”
As for Cotton, she comes to ASH from Gray H.L. Bourgeois in south Louisiana She previously was head coach at Bastrop Delta, Monroe Wossman and Port Allen. ASH has won two consecutive district titles and Cotton said her goal is to win a state championship.
“I have enough district titles to last a lifetime,” she said. “I want to win state. Hopefully, ASH is the place to get that done.”
"You couldn't find a better candidate than Coach Cotton,” Albritton said. “She played college basketball, she’s paid her dues in the profession. Her credentials speak for themselves.”
“These girls are used to winning,” said Cotton, who plans to install an uptempo offense and hard-nosed defense. “My job is to get it to the next level."
Baton Rouge Redemptorist hires from within
Second-year volleyball coach Jonathan Levesque also has been named athletic director at Baton Rouge Redemptorist.
Levesque replaces Joey Sanchez, who became the Zachary Community School System and Zachary High athletic director last month.
In addition, Zachary has hired Joshua Kirk as an assistant basketball coach. Kirk, a former baseball player for Southern University, was head baseball coach at Baton Rouge Christian Life last spring.
Elsewhere, Kirk Crochet, who won more than 200 games as head football coach at Loreauville was named as an assistant coach at Carencro.
Catholic of New Iberia basketball coach Billy Dreher has accepted a similar position at Lake Charles St. Louis Catholic.