By RYAN JONES

Special to L’Observateur

After driving down the field for a quick touchdown on its first possession, Lutcher’s offense appeared flat. The normally efficient Bulldogs passing attack struggled, totaling only 23 yards on 2 of 7 attempts and an interception in the first half, and they trailed an athletic Helen Cox squad by two touchdowns.

A 61-yard touchdown run from junior tailback Daniel Taylor on the first play after halftime, however, set the tone offensively, and the Bulldogs completed the comeback, dropping the Cougars 37-26 in the team’s first District 8-4A matchup of the season.

“We came out and scored that touchdown, but Helen Cox just kept coming,” head coach Tim Detillier said. “They didn’t care about our tradition. They just came at us. They’re a very challenging team, and they played hard. My team has matured a lot, and I’m very proud.”

Lutcher (5-1, 1-0) leaned on Taylor to provide explosive plays for an otherwise average offensive effort throughout the game. He finished with 20 carries for 211 yards and three touchdowns. The Bulldogs turned in a strong overall second half performance, scoring four touchdowns and allowing only six points after going into halftime trailing 20-7.

Senior quarterback Austin Brack threw his only touchdown of the game with 34 seconds remaining in the third quarter to junior Dorian Semien. The ensuing two-point conversion gave Lutcher a three-point advantage and permanently reestablished their lead.

After falling behind 7-0, Helen Cox (2-4, 0-1) immediately responded with a short screen pass from senior quarterback Darian Hills to junior Jonell Antoine that resulted in a 60-yard touchdown. Hills finished the game with 117 yards on 9-for-15 passing but threw a costly interception to senior Jarvis Landry as the Cougars attempted to mount a comeback of their own. Landry also scored on a two-yard run with 6:32 remaining in the third quarter, set up by a 30-yard Taylor dash.

“We used everything we had,” Detillier said. “We used every weapon we had to stop them and get back in the game. The effort we had in the second half was monumental.”

Tensions ran high early after a Helen Cox player’s helmet was knocked off during a block by the Cougars’ bench in the first quarter. At least one player threw punches, and the game was halted to give both coaches a chance to calm their teams down. Since the officials could not determine exactly who was involved in the incident, they elect to not eject anyone from the game and assessed offsetting unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.

“The officials didn’t know who did what, and instead of guessing, I think they made the right call,” Detillier said. “From that point on, they had the game under control. I have to give them credit.”

The explosive Cougars limited their own offensive opportunities throughout the game due to 10 penalties that resulted in 62 yards lost. Both teams threw one interception.

Lutcher returns to the field next Friday at home against Belle Chase in the team’s second district contest of the season.