No. 2
Franklinton edged No. 1 Salmen (Slidell), 35-28, in a football game befitting the top-ranked teams in the Louisiana Sports Writers Association Class 4A Top 10 poll.
Franklinton claimed the fifth and final lead change when quarterback
Terrance Magee threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to
Vincent Wilson with 52 seconds left. Wilson added the 2-point conversion run to cap a 14-play, 91-yard drive in which Franklinton converted three third downs and a fourth down. Franklinton (8-1, 4-0) claimed its second consecutive District 9-4A title after beating Salmen twice last season.
"What a great game," Franklinton coach Shane Smith said. "We were in for a battle, and they came out extremely emotional. It was just so that we came out on the winning side there at the end."
Neither team led by a more than a touchdown and the score was tied twice. Salmen lost for the first time in eight games, including three in district play.
Magee's touchdown pass was his fourth of the game. He finished 18 of 27 for 264 yards. He also rushed 19 times for 77 yards and a score.
Salmen premier athlete
Daniel Sams was injured after throwing an interception that ended Salmen's comeback hopes. Sams was transported by ambulance to a local hospital, where he was treated and released. Salmen coach Jerry Leonard said Sams didn't receive a concussion but "was exhausted." Leonard said Sams was fine and could play in this week's regular-season finale against Pearl River.
REED POWERS GRIFFINSNot to be outdone for dramatic flair,
Dutchtown (Geismar) running back
Effrem Reed scored five touchdowns, including the game-winner in double overtime to lift the fifth-ranked Griffins past sixth-ranked East St. John (Reserve), 48-41, in a Class 6-5A thriller.
Reed produced the game-winning touchdown on an 8-yard run in the second overtime. The Griffins (9-0, 4-0) clinched the victory when East St. John (9-1, 4-1) quarterback Darion Monroe threw incomplete on fourth down. Monroe's 35-yard interception return for a touchdown seemingly gave East St. John an insurmountable lead with 1:26 left, but the extra-point kick failed and Dutchtown quickly roared back from its 34-26 deficit.
Reed forced overtime 22 seconds later when he took a screen pass and turned it into a 59-yard touchdown and then knotted the score at 34-34 with his 2-point conversion run.
Reed countered Monroe's touchdown pass in the first overtime with a 2-yard touchdown run. Reed already had scored on a 2-yard run in the third quarter before he ran for another touchdown in the fourth quarter. He finished with 35 carries for 166 yards. East St. John's Monroe carried 25 times for 139 yards and he also completed 12 of 19 passes for four touchdowns with two interceptions.
Redemptorist High's Jeremy Hill.
Photo by Tom Lemming
senior running back and LSU commitment
Jeremy Hill continues to pile up a mountain of impressive statistics.
After running roughshod over Northeast (Pride) in a 49-7 District 7-3A victory, Hill now has rushed for 1,811 yards and 30 touchdowns this season. His latest effort netted him five touchdown runs of 41, 9, 3, 1 and 71 yards. Hill finished with 15 carries for 211 yards.
In the process, Hill also became Redemptorist's all-time rushing leader in surpassing Jay Lucas (4,675 yards) and Shelton Sampson (4,666). Redemptorist improved to 9-0 overall, including 3-0 in district.
"It means a lot," Hill said of the record. "I grew up with those guys….It was a great opportunity and I'm just blessed to have the record."
NARCUSSE LIFTS ST. JAMESSt. James (4-5, 4-0) and
Plaquemine (4-5, 1-2) won't be mistaken for powerhouses this season, but few teams provided the edge-of-your-seat entertainment they did in St. James' 34-32 four-overtime victory.
Shaquille Narcisse finally settled the issue with a 4-yard touchdown run and diving 2-point conversion run that lifted St. James to the district title. Narcisse's score came in response to
Hakeem Deggs' 3-yard touchdown run for Plaquemine. St. James intercepted Darvin Butler's 2-point conversion pass in the end zone.
"We kept challenging them and challenging them, and we finally responded in the overtime," St. James coach Rick Gaille said. "Two teams of equal ability just battling each other on every play."
The teams ended regulation tied at 12 and both defenses engineered stops on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line in in the first overtime.
Plaquemine took a 20-12 second-overtime lead on Deggs' 10-yard touchdown run and
Julius Maracalin's 2-point conversion run. St. James answered with
Lester Verret's 10-yard touchdown run and
Kenneth Armant's 2-point conversion run.
Verret scored on a 4-yard run in the third quarter before Plaquemine tied the score on Butler's 2-yard run. Both 2-point conversion attempts failed in setting the stage for the emotional finish.
SOFTBALL: DUTCHTOWN CATCHER COMMITSDutchtown (Geismar) senior catcher Jade Bourgeois has committed to playing for Spring Hill College of Mobile, Ala., next season.
Hill chose the NAIA school over Millsaps and Belhaven, both private colleges in Jackson, Miss. Hill was an All-Metro selection last season when she hit .429.
"I really liked the campus and the Mobile area," Bourgeois said. "They've got a great education program, and I like the fact that it's close to home."
An honor student with a 4.6 grade point average, Bourgeois plans to major in secondary school education with an emphasis on math.
