By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

RESERVE — Riverside suffered a heartbreaking defeat at the hands of Carver Saturday, falling in a back and forth, 46-43 shootout reminiscent of its 62-50 loss to South Plaquemines back in the Rebels’ third game.

But the Rebels (2-5, 1-3) have a chance to get back on the horse this week; its opponent this Friday night, Newman, has put together a body of work that suggests yet another shootout is around the bend for RA.

The Carver loss dealt a blow to Riverside’s postseason chances, while the Rams likely sealed a spot for themselves; Carver, Class 2A’s 10th ranked team in the LSWA poll, now sits at No. 22 in Class 2A power ratings, well within the necessary standing inside the top 32 teams that qualify; Riverside, meanwhile, sits at No. 35, three spots too low if the season were to end today.

The Rebels, then, will be in do-or-die territory in front of its home fans this week. A win over Newman is a must, while the Greenies are also sure to bring their A-game, as Newman stands at No. 28.

Aside from an early October hiccup — Newman scored 13 total points in losses to John Curtis and South Plaquemines — the Greenies (4-3, 3-2) have scored with the best of them, posting no fewer than 33 points in any of their other five contests. Newman’s signature victory this season put its fire power on display: its 72-68 win over Carver on Sept. 28 made the Rebels’ own shootout with the Rams look like a conservative battle of field position in comparison.

Newman’s attack starts with quarterback Jabari Tyler, the son of former LSU quarterback Herb Tyler. The younger Tyler is just 5-foot-8, but his small stature hasn’t stopped him from posting some eye-popping dual-threat numbers.

Tyler completed 32-of-41 passes for 441 yards, six touchdowns and an interception in the win over Carver; he also rushed 18 times for 128 yards and three scores, giving him nine total touchdowns on the game. His favorite target is wide receiver Gilly Landry.

“(Tyler) is obviously an excellent player,” said Riverside coach Bill Stubbs. “He makes everything go. Their wide receivers run good routes and catch the ball. Their starting running back has been out for a few weeks, but the backup has played really well … But it all comes back to the quarterback. He can run it or throw it, and really hurt you in either area.”

Some good news for Riverside is that it appears Jonquial Sanders will return after being forced from the Carver game. Sanders, the team’s senior tailback, had scored two touchdowns and accounted for 120 total yards on Saturday before being forced from the game with an injury in the middle of the second quarter.

“He practiced Monday. He’s good to go,” said Stubbs.

His absence highlighted the youth of the Rebel offense. After he left the game, Riverside ran with freshman at quarterback, running back and at two receiver spots, while sophomores manned the other two.

“I was really, really proud of the way our kids hung in,” said Stubbs. “I felt confident that Jonquial was well on his way to a career game before he left the game.”

Stubbs has been pleased with the progression of the offense. Also, however, he praised the Rebel defense for its improvement over the past few weeks.

“We’ve been swarming to the football a lot better, playing solid in our assignments more than in the early stages,” said Stubbs. “They’re understanding the scheme and adjustments, and they’re doing it on the run.”

*****

Despite all of the tribulations of an 0-4 start, Hahnville finds itself two wins away from not only reaching the postseason, but clinching an outright district championship.

The Tigers moved to 3-0 in District 8-5A on Friday via a 21-0 win over Higgins and now sit alone atop the standings as the only team without a district loss.

A victory this Friday night at John Ehret would clinch at least a share of the district crown and could set up a championship showdown with archrival Destrehan in the season’s final week.

Hahnville (3-4, 3-0) has rediscovered its running game after moving Sergio Medina from middle linebacker to tailback before district play. Medina rushed for 183 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries Friday night against Higgins. That came on the heels of a 77 and 166 yard performances in his previous games.  

Hahnville has yet to allow 20 points in any district game. Factoring out defensive touchdowns by the opposition, the Tiger defense has allowed just 22 points over three games in 8-5A.

Ehret (0-7, 0-3) has yet to win a game this season, but one can bet HHS coach Lou Valdin isn’t allowing his team to underestimate the Patriots, who played a predistrict schedule comprised of teams that have posted a combined record of 22-6.

The Patriots boast one of the district’s most dangerous players in tailback Darrel Williams. Williams rushed for 105 yards last week against Bonnabel, and also passed for 87; Ehret uses Williams liberally as a quarterback in the Wildcat formation.

He rushed for two touchdowns last week to give Ehret a 14-0 lead, but Bonnabel rallied to score three times for the win in the second half.