ERIK SANZENBACH / L’Observateur / November 18, 2000

LUTCHER – Terrible weather conditions, a slippery football and the absence ofa running game doomed the Lutcher Bulldogs Friday night as they lost in thesecond round of the state playoffs to the Parkview Baptist Eagles, 14-0.

Parkview improved to 11-1 with the win. The Eagles are slated to play BreauxBridge next week in the quarterfinals. Lutcher finished at 8-4.

A cold, rainy evening played havoc with the Bulldogs’ offense. Constantfumbles, two interceptions and anemic running produced a measly 72 yardsin total offense for Lutcher. Despite fumbles of their own, the Eaglesmanaged to keep their hands on the football long enough to rack up 217yards in total offense, 199 of those rushing. Parkview’s leading rusher wasquarterback Brad Booth who racked up 74 yards in rushing including onetouchdown and he threw for another score.

If there was a bright point in the Bulldogs’ evening, it was in their air attack.

Quarterback Risely St. Germaine had 20 attempts with four completions for36 yards. However, he also passed for two interceptions.

At the beginning, Lutcher looked strong, starting out on its own 40 andmoving the ball down to the Eagles’ 25-yard line. St. Germaine was sacked onfourth-and-21 and Parkview took over on its own 35.

But the weather seemed to jinx the Eagles at first, and running back DavidSimoneaux couldn’t seem to get his footing on the wet field as he slippedtwice for lost yardage. The Eagles were forced to punt.

Both teams slipped, fumbled and rolled in the mud for the first quarter withno score.

Halfway through the second quarter, Lutcher intercepted a Booth pass, butit didn’t count because the Bulldogs were called on a pass interference foul.

The Eagles pushed the ball to the Lutcher 8-yard line. A holding call pushedthem back to the 18, and on first-and-goal, Booth connected with receiverJordy Johnson for the first score of the evening. The point-after kick wasgood, and with six minutes to go in the half, the Eagles led 7-0.

Lutcher could not do anything with the ball after the ensuing kick-off andwas forced to punt. Parkview took the ball on its 20 and behind the runningof Chase Duplessis, moved down to the Bulldogs’ 37-yard line.

On second-and -0, Booth fumbled and the ball was recovered by BulldogJonathon Lear.

However, Lutcher’s couldn’t do anything with the turnover, and the halfended with the score still 7-0 in favor of Parkview.

The second half promised to be a lot more exciting than the first whenLutcher kicked a bouncer that barely crossed the 50-yard line, bounced offan Eagle and then a Bulldog fell on the ball.

Again, Lutcher couldn’t capitalize on a good thing and they were forced topunt. However, Parkview running back, John Guidroz muffed the punt andChris Guidry recovered the ball for the Bulldogs on the Eagles’ 15-yard line.

Fortune was not smiling on the Bulldogs. They only managed to movebackward to the 20-yard line, and were forced to give the ball over on downs.

The Eagles were having their own troubles when they were forced to turnover the ball after a fourth-and-inches quarterback sneak failed to convertto a first down.

In the next series, Lutcher fumbled three times in a row, and on the thirdfumble, Parkview’s Anthony Camp recovered the ball.

As if they were playing mirror images of each other, the Eagles couldn’t holdon to the wet ball either, and on the second play from scrimmage, Boothfumbled and Bulldog Seth Rizzuto recovered on the Eagles 45.

But like all the other turnovers that came it way, Lutcher was unable tomove the ball, and St. Germaine fumbled on third-and-10 and Parkviewrecovered.

The fourth quarter started out as an exchange of the ball four times witheach team punting. On the fourth turnover, the Eagles took the punt on theirown 49. On first-and-10, Booth squirted through the Bulldogs’ line to run 51yards for the second touchdown of the evening. The point-after was good,and the Eagles’ increased their lead 14-0 .

The Bulldogs tried to move the ball again, but St. Germain was intercepted onthird-and-10.

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