Top-ranked West Monroe looks strong in season-opening victory

If Leesville football coach David Feaster is to be believed, top-ranked and defending Class 5A state champion West Monroe is better than last year's team.

Feaster thinks so even after the Wampus Cats showed improvement themselves. Leesville lost to West Monroe in last week's season opener 68-28 after having dropped last year's opening game to the Rebels, 71-13. What's more, Leesville surged to a 21-7 lead before the Rebels stormed back. Most Louisiana High School Athletic Association teams began their seasons last week.

"I think they're quite a bit better," Feaster said of West Monroe. "The defensive line is better, and the defensive line is what dictates the game. There's nobody in 5A that's going to be able to block them….If we played them again next week, we'd still take another shot at them. And somewhere in the ball game, they'd still score 50 in a row because that's just what they do. We'd still take our shots at them, but fortunately we don't have to play them again."

West Monroe ended the first half with 42 unanswered points and then scored the first touchdown of the third quarter. The Rebels' onslaught included Tyler Cain's touchdown runs of 36, 1 and 39 yards. His third score was among four West Monroe produced in a span of 1 minute, 22 seconds.

Cain finished with 12 carries for 146 yards, including four touchdowns.

ST. AUGUSTINE LOSES SHOOTOUT, PLAYERS
It wasn't enough that third-ranked St. Augustine (New Orleans) of Class 5A fell to unranked West Jefferson (Harvey) 59-56 in a wild season opener when Jose Mazier kicked a 38-yard field goal on the final play. Worse yet for the Purple Knights was that senior starters Trai Turner and Marc Edwards sustained injuries that will sideline them for several weeks, while senior quarterback Terry Lucas injured his heel and his status remains uncertain for Saturday's game with McDonogh 35 (New Orleans).

"It's a major blow," St. Augustine coach David Johnson said.

Edwards, a wide receiver and Tulane commitment, fractured his jaw and will have it wired shut for eight weeks. Turner, a two-way tackle and an LSU commitment, separated his shoulder in three places while trying to make a tackle on the second play from scrimmage.

If Lucas can't play Saturday, he would be replaced by freshman Toi Jenkins, who has no varsity experience at quarterback and didn't play against West Jefferson. Lucas threw for 80 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 114 yards against West Jefferson.

West Jefferson quarterback Shawn Hoye Jr. completed 21 of 31 passes for 351 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for 94 yards and two scores. The teams combined for 1,055 yards and 16 touchdowns.

UPSTART ST. CHARLES CATHOLIC ROLLS
There's no telling how convincing St. Charles Catholic (LaPlace) would win if it picked on someone its own size. As it was, the unranked Class 2A team routed ninth-ranked Woodlawn (Baton Rouge) of Class 4A, 48-10.

With the aid of two Woodlawn fumbles, St. Charles Catholic scored 35 first-quarter points. The Comets bolted to a 41-3 halftime lead with running back Marcus Hall having rushed seven times for 137 yards and two touchdowns. Hall finished with 12 carries for 164 yards and added a 70-yard kickoff return that set up Lezedrick Thompson's 10-yard touchdown run. Thompson finished with eight carries for 64 yards and three touchdowns.

"We just were not ready," Woodlawn coach Don Jones said. "In my 40 years of coaching, this is the most embarrassed I've ever been. We turned the ball over early and took ourselves out of the game. They're a great team. You can't turn the ball over against them, especially early."

Woodlawn running back Kenneth Collins carried 14 times for 110 yards, while quarterback Kendall Barnes completed 6 of 16 passes for 66 yards. Woodlawn averted a shutout in the fourth quarter when backup quarterback Curtis Broom scored on a 26-yard touchdown run.

OUT-OF-STATE TEAMS PREVAIL
Out-of-state opposition proved too much for a pair of top-ranked teams, as defending Class 2A state champion Evangel Christian Academy (Shreveport) lost to Union (Tulsa, Okla.) 44-32, and Class 4A's Franklinton fell to Abilene (Texas) 35-20.

Evangel lost at home for the first time since 2007. The Eagles will travel to Union next season. Union is Oklahoma's defending Class 6A state champion. Abilene, which won its 17th straight game, is Texas' Class 5A Division II defending state champion.

Evangel senior quarterback David Dee Duron completed 21 of 45 passes for 389 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Dionte' McDuffy scored three touchdowns on four carries.

FARMERVILLE PLAYER COLLAPSES, DIES
Farmerville sophomore lineman Kebrion Morgan, 15, collapsed and died after a light practice Sunday.

The team had just finished watching film and was about to begin conditioning when Morgan told a trainer he didn't feel well, Union Parish Schools Superintendent Steve Dozier said. EMS was called to the scene, and Morgan was responsive when the police department arrived at approximately at 3:40 p.m.

Morgan complained of dizziness and nausea and was taken to Union General Hospital, where he went into cardiac arrest upon arrival. He was pronounced dead at approximately 4:49 p.m.

The Farmerville Police Department issued a statement in which it said Morgan's body was transported to Little Rock, Ark., for an autopsy. A report was expected within three to five days.

"It just makes you wonder how long any of us have sometimes," Dozier said. "It makes you think again. The temperatures were mild. He's been through more strenuous workouts. They were just in shorts and T-shirts (Sunday)."