MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / October 28, 1998

ST. JAMES – The St. James Wildcats will put their string of five straightdistrict championships on the line when they travel to E.D. White Fridaynight.

St. James, third ranked in the state in Class 3A, comes into the contestwith a 7-1 overall record and a District 10-3A-leading 2-0 mark. E.D.White, 6-2 overall, is a half-game back with a 2-1 district record. A winwould wrap up the district title and the first place seed for St. James.Chad Smith and the St. James’ special teams provided the Wildcats with a51-14 non-district victory over Alfred Lawless last week. Smith returnedtwo kickoffs and a punt for touchdowns. The Wildcats also rushed for 186yards with Devon Dabney gaining 67 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries and Chad Jasmin adding 42 yards on nine attempts.

Jasmin continues to lead the River Parishes in rushing with 1,094 yards and 16 touchdowns on 123 carries. He is also the leader in scoring with104 points on 17 touchdowns and one two-point conversion. Dabney hasran the ball 42 times this season for 293 yards and four touchdowns.

Corey Webster continues to quietly get the job done at quarterback, completing 4 of 7 passes for 100 yards and a touchdown against Lawless.

The junior has now completed 36 of his 86 passes for 544 yards and five touchdowns this season.

Webster has also carried the ball 41 times for 227 yards and six touchdowns. Rey Weber leads the team in catches with 12 for 144 yards.Alvin Bartholomew has caught six for 129 yards and two scores.

On special teams, Bartholomew has hit on 21 of his 25 extra point attempts. Webster has punted 10 times for 374 yards. Smith has returnedseven kickoffs for 292 yards (41.7 average) and 21 punts for 303 yards(14.4 average).The St. James defense has allowed 90 points through eight games, justover 11 points per game. The Wildcats have forced 20 turnovers (14interceptions, six fumbles) while turning the ball over 15 times (two interceptions and 13 fumbles). St. James is allowing its opponents tocomplete only 41 percent of its passes and gain 3.2 yards per rushingattempt.

In E.D. White, the Wildcats will face a team that is coming off a 27-7 lossto Lutcher. The Cardinals could manage just 120 yards in total offense, 84rushing, while turning the ball over three times.

Wide receiver Jake Ritchie got the Cardinals’ only points on a 74-yard run in the second quarter. The E.D. White defense gave up 286 yards in offense,187 on the ground. The Cardinals defense had been allowing only 10 pointsper game going into the contest.

Like St. James, E.D. White runs out of the Wing-T formation. Ritchie is abig-play threat, scoring on 71 and 74-yard runs in the past two weeks.

Grant Toups and Justin Chiasson lead the rushing attack.

On defense, the Cardinals are led by defensive end Scott Bonvillain, defensive tackle Casey Rodrigue and linebackers Toups and Matt Ory.

Last year, the Wildcats blanked the Cardinals, 21-0, to clinch the district title. Webster ran for two touchdowns and Jasmin one and the Wildcatdefense held E.D. White to 124 total yards.St. James closes out the regular season at home against Donaldsonvillenext Friday.

E.D. White hosts Booker T. Washington in a non-district game.

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