MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / September 8, 1999

RESERVE – Thomas Ricks scored on a quarterback keeper from 6 yards out with 2:01 remaining, giving Lutcher a 35-28 victory over East St. John andcapping a wild night of football Thursday night at Joe Keller Stadium.

“We should have taken everybody out at halftime and charged them again,” Lutcher coach Tim Detillier said.

“The fans certainly got their money’s worth. I give my hat off to the EastSt. John players. It was a great high school football game. I couldn’tbelieve the level of play for the first week of the season.”The victory was Lutcher’s first over the Wildcats since a 28-23 win in 1995. The loss was also East St. John’s first in a September game since a14-13 defeat against Covington that same year.

The Bulldogs trailed 28-21 with five minutes left when Damian Ursin took a handoff, swept right, faked a reverse and heaved a pass down field to Risely St. Germain. St. Germain caught the pass behind the East St. Johndefense and went in for the score. T.J. Bourgeois’ extra point tied the gameat 28 with 4:53 left.

East St. John took over its next possession at its 27-yard line. After a 3-yard run by Chuckie Burl, Floyd Smith went back to pass and was sacked by Jemelle Cage. Cage stripped the ball with Tony Chaubaud falling on it forthe Bulldogs at the Wildcat 13.

On fourth-and-9 from the 12, Ricks’ pass to Johnson fell incomplete but a pass interference call gave the Bulldogs a first down at the 6. On the nextplay, Ricks went up the middle on the keeper and dove into the end zone.

Bourgeois’ point after made it a 35-28 game.

“They were focusing on our backs,” Detillier said of the call. “Thomas is agood runner and we thought he could run it in and he did.

“It was a big win for us. Any time two River Parishes schools gettogether, it’s going to be big. We were hungry and we needed it.” East St. John had one more chance after taking over its 17-yard line. Asack by Derayne Franklin pushed the Wildcats back to the 11. The Wildcatscame back, picking up the first down as Smith hit Roydel Williams on a slant for a 11-yard gain to the 31.

After two incompletions, Burl went for 8 yards on a draw. Smith thendowned the ball, turning the ball over to the Bulldogs.

Ricks finished the game 7-of-15 passing for 68 yards and had 36 yards on 12 carries. Jerron Wishom led the Bulldogs with 71 yards on 4 attempts,including a 65-yard touchdown run in the first minute of the game.

Johnson caught five passes for 118 yards.

Smith had 12 completions in 29 attempts for 208 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. Williams caught six passes for 163 yards and threetouchdowns. Chuckie Burl got the Wildcats’ running game going with 123yards on 21 carries.

East St. John took a touchdown lead early in the fourth quarter. Drivingfrom the Wildcat 41 late in the third quarter, Burl picked up 6 on a sweep and Smith gained 9 on a scramble for a first down at the Lutcher 43. Twoplays later, Burl went up the middle for 13 as the quarter ended.

Burl would keep the drive alive with an 8-yard pickup on fourth-and-4 at the 19. Three plays later, Smith went up the middle on a keeper, broke atackle inside the 5 and scored. Billy Hogan’s point after made it 28-21with 9:21 remaining.

Fans that left early before halftime missed an offensive explosion as the teams combined for three touchdowns in the final 48 seconds.

On first-and-10 from the Lutcher 30 with 1:32 left and the Wildcats leading 14-7, Ricks found Johnson slanting over the middle for a 21-yard gain as Johnson spun out of a tackle. After Ricks kept on the option for 13yards, William Adams swept around the left side, got a block from Chris Johnson at the 3 and scored from 11 yards out. Bourgeois’ extra point tiedthe game at 14 with 48 seconds remaining.

East St. John came right back as Brandon Mason returned the ensuing kick45 yards to the Lutcher 48. On the first play, Williams caught a passbetween two defenders on the right sideline at the 16 and went in for the score. Hogan’s extra point regained the lead for the Wildcats at 21-14with 32 seconds left.

It didn’t take long for the Bulldogs to answer as Johnson returned the kickoff 20 yards to the Lutcher 20. Detillier then went to his bag of tricksas Ricks lateraled to St. Germain. Germain pulled up and heaved a passdownfield to Johnson behind the Wildcat defense. Johnson caught the ballat the 20 and raced in with Bourgeois’ extra point tying the game with 15 seconds remaining.

Both teams had an opportunity to go ahead in the third quarter. Lutcherdrove to the East St. John 15 on their possession behind quarterbackkeepers of 22 and 13 yards by Ricks.

But a holding call on third-and-7 from the 15 pushed the Bulldogs back and Bourgeois’ 41-yard field goal attempt was blocked. The Wildcats thendrove to the Lutcher 36 behind a 16-yard pass to Williams before Bernard Riley made his second leaping interception of the night at the 20-yard line.

For the second straight week, Lutcher wasted little time getting on the scoreboard. On the second play from scrimmage from the Bulldog 35,Wishom took the pitch on the option around the left side, cut down the sideline, got a block from Johnson at the 15 and went in for the score.

Bourgeois added the extra point to make it 7-0 55 seconds into the game.

The Bulldogs had returned the opening kickoff for a score in their jamboree game against Hahnville.

East St. John appeared to tie the game on its next possession after Masonreturned the ensuing kickoff 53 yards to the Lutcher 25.

Two plays later, Smith hit Williams in a slant for an apparent 25-yard touchdown but an offensive pass interference call brought the play back.

The Bulldog defense then held as Riley knocked away a pass intended for Chris Bush on the right side on fourth down.

The Wildcat defense got the ball back at the 48-yard line after a 9-yard sack by Rashad Williams. Two plays later, Smith found Williams streakingdown the left sidelines. Williams caught the ball in stride at the 15 andstrolled in for score. Hogan made it 7-all with 6:21 mark left.East St. John went back to the air on its next possession. Taking over atthe Wildcat 35, Smith found Louis Gardener for 7 yards and came back to hit Williams on a slant for 11 more.

After a 9-yard pass to Bush, Smith hooked up with Williams again from 27 yards out. Williams caught the ball at the 3 and went in with Hogan’s pointafter giving the Wildcats a 14-7 lead with 2:48 left in the first quarter.

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