Rebels run to first win; ESJ loses second straight on the road to begin season

Published 12:04 am Saturday, September 12, 2015

RESERVE — In an atypical week, St. John the Baptist Parish had two high schools play football in Thursday night contests.

Riverside Academy vs. Parkview Baptist

With 1:11 left in the game and only leading by one score, the Riverside Academy Rebels (1-1) faced an onside kick from the Parkview Baptist Eagles (1-1).

However, the Eagles kicked the ball short and the Rebels took over for good holding onto to win 27-19.

Riverside Academy players burst through a banner for the home opener.  (Kyle Barnett/L’OBSERVATEUR)

Riverside Academy players burst through a banner for the home opener. (Kyle Barnett/L’OBSERVATEUR)

The game was billed as one of the best prep games being played in the nation this week and garnered enough attention for a live broadcast on Fox Sports Southwest.

The Riverside Academy versus Parkview Baptist match-up did not disappoint.

The Rebels struck first on the opening drive. Quarterback Herb McGee deftly moved the Riverside team down the filed with a series of runs and passes before raking in a quarterback keeper from four yards out to make the score 7-0. The Rebels would extend their lead on the next series to 14-0 off a McGee pass to wide receiver Avonti Cannon.

But that is all the Rebels would score until the final quarter of the game.

The Eagles began a comeback in the second quarter with a fake punt for a long gain that led to a 45-yard field goal to put them on the board 14-3.

Parkview Baptist followed that performance with another trick play in a double pass for a touchdown later in the second quarter to narrow the score to 14-11.

While the Eagles came back in the second half with a strong rushing attack, the Rebels defense held and allowed their offense to get back in a rhythm. In the fourth quarter McGee tossed another touchdown pass, this time to Tyler Gauthier for 16 yards and running back Brandon Sanders added a three-yard rushing touchdown two plays later.

The Eagles put together a scoring drive in the waning minutes of the game to narrow the score to 27-19, but their comeback was ultimately undone by a lack of time and their inability to recover an onside kick.

McGee finished the night with two passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown.

“He did tonight what we expected him to do,” Riverside Academy head coach Bill Stubbs said. “He played within the confines of the offense and didn’t try to do too much. He stayed under control. That was what we really expected.”

Stubbs was quick to point out the win was due to the entire team’s efforts.

“The offensive line and the backs did everything we needed,” Stubbs said.  “And boy what about that defense? They just kept turning them away at a couple of crucial times. So it was a complete game for us.”

Parkview Baptist is known for their offensive prowess, and Stubbs said he was happy with how his team contained them nearly all game long.

“They kept turning away a high powered offense that is very skilled and gifted in what they do,” Stubbs said. “They turned them back, just smashed them with a lot of gang tackling and responsible football. Everyone swarmed the ball.”

Stubbs said despite Parkview Baptist being a highly rated opponent, the win is more emblematic of Riverside’s system on display.

“It is a big win, but there are going to be more big wins,” Stubbs said. “Every week we really don’t concern ourselves with the opponent. We don’t get caught up in that stuff. The only thing we can get caught up in is what we can do, and that is what we teach our kids.”

Riverside Academy will next travel 7 p.m. Friday to take on Hahnville.

East St. John at John Ehret

The East St. John Wildcats were back in Hoss Memtsas Stadium for the second time in five days Thursday night and the results were pretty much the same.

The Wildcats (0-2) were shutout 30-0 by the John Ehret Patriots (2-0). Notably, East St. John played John Ehret in the same stadium last November in the first round of the playoffs and ended the Patriots season.

This time around though, East St. John’s game was characterized by lackluster offense and a defense that found itself exhausted after being stuck out on the field for much of the game.

The Wildcats were forced to play senior wide receiver Da’Monte Coxie at quarterback against the Patriots after Alvin Jackson suffered a finger injury the week prior.

Coxie, who split time at quarterback with sophomore Adarius Duhe, was blanked on the night by a tough John Ehret defense that kept the quarterbacks on their toes and held the Wildcats to only 24 yards of total offense and a safety.

Coxie also fumbled a ball on the Wildcats 13-yard-line, setting up the Patriots first score of the night.

On defense, the Wildcats could not contain the Patriots rushing attack, giving up four touchdowns to John Ehret’s backfield.

East St. John head coach Alden Foster said while the score was lopsided he felt his defense did well overall but spent too much time on the field.   

“It wasn’t like the score indicates,” Foster said.

“The offense, we stunk it up. I’ll be honest with you, it kind of wore the defense down.”

Foster said his team is headed back to the drawing board and will have to improve heading into tough district play against powerhouse teams Destrehan and Hahnville.

“The goal is to get better week-to-week,” Foster said. “We have some young guys. We are just trying to find some players and once we find our niche and our front, we are going to be alright.”

The tenuous situation at quarterback for East St. John looks to continue until Destrehan transfer Marquis Darensbourg is eligible to play in week five, just in time for the bulk of East St. John’s district schedule.

Until then, it appears Duhe will be the starter with Coxie getting time under center as well.

“It allows us to do a lot more things with Duhe back there,” Foster said. “With Coxie they can just key on him. Duhe opens up other things.”

East St. John will have its home opener next week versus Madison Preparatory Academy at 7 p.m. Friday at Joe Keller Stadium in Reserve.