By GEORGE MAHL

RESERVE – It was a tale of two halves Friday night between Redeemer-Seton High School and Riverside Academy.

The first half saw the RA Rebels jump out to a quick 15-3 lead. The second, and more important, half saw a totally new Redeemer-Seton squad come out and move the ball down the field to rally for a 16-15 victory in Reserve.

It was the first District 9-2A game for the Rebels.

“They came out here and out played us tonight,” said RA head coach Mickey Roussel.

With 2:12 remaining in the game, R-S Rams quarterback Patrick Sims connected with Jahan Jones on a 65-yard pass play for the win. Because it was on fourth down, it would have possibly been the Rams’ final offensive play.

“This is the biggest win this program has had so far,” R-S coach Brantley Williams said. “At halftime, I told our guys to keep plugging away at the lead.”

Jones also sealed the victory when he intercepted a Scott Poirrier pass at the 4-yard line with less than two minutes left in the game. The final score appeared to visibly upset some Rebels fans in the stands; however, Roussel put things in perspective.

“It is only a football game. What has happened to those poor people in the Yucatan (Peninsula) with the hurricane (Isidore) is real,” he said.

To begin the scoring, Andrew Bergeron’s 34-yard field goal gave the Rams a quick 3-0 lead with about nine minutes remaining in the first quarter. The Rebels answered on the final play of the first quarter when Jared St. Amant ran it in from the 2-yard line to give Riverside a 7-3 lead.

The Rebels increased the lead when Dustin Edler blocked a Rams punt in the endzone. The ball then went out of the endzone giving Riverside a 9-3 lead.

Probably the most bizarre play of the game occurred on the ensuing kickoff. Rebels return-man Nick Falgoust caught the ball at his own 34-yard line, fumbled, and the ball was picked up downfield by Jordan Remondet, who took it in for the touchdown from the Rams 28-yard line. This, however, would be the final time Riverside would score in the game.

In the third quarter, trailing 15-3, Sims found Kenneth Kensey in the end zone for a 13-yard touchdown pass to cut the Rebels lead to 15-9.

It seemed Riverside had its chances but could not cash them in.

“We had some opportunities in the red zone, but made some mistakes,” said Roussel.

Even though the Rebels fell to 1-3, Roussel said he had not given up hope on the remainder of the season.

“We were 1-3 in 1993 and made it to the state championship. I’m not throwing in the towel and I don’t think our guys are either,” Roussel said.