CCHS pulls away in 2nd half for 43-13 win against Gueydan

Gueydan seized the momentum at the end of the first half of its District 7-1A contest with Central Catholic following a long touchdown completion as time expired as time expired to cut its deficit to 20-13.
With an opportunity to go down the field and tie the game to begin the second half as Gueydan received the opening kickoff, the Eagles defense shut Gueydan down on its opening possession and in turn moved down the field on a long touchdown drive that drained much of the third quarter clock.
Gueydan (3-1) never was able to recover from the missed opportunity as Central Catholic (2-2) scored twice more in the game en route to a 43-13 victory.
“Last play of the (first) half was really frustrating because we fall down,” Central Catholic Coach Tommy Minton said. “We don’t tackle the guy. We’re right there, and we can’t give up big plays like that at the end of the half. We should have went in at half (up) 20-7, but we made a few (halftime) adjustments on the run game when they started trapping us …. and the kids came out (and) did a really good job. They got after it.”
With seconds remaining in the first half, Gueydan quarterback Blaire Broussard connected with Griffen Guidry on a pass reception that Guidry turned into a 57-yard touchdown completion as time expired to cut its deficit to 20-13.
On its first possession of the third quarter, though, Gueydan was held to minus-10 yards, including a sack on third down.
After Gueydan downed the punt at the Central Catholic 44, the Eagles drove 56 yards in 11 plays capped by quarterback DeDe Gant’s 15-yard completion to Caleb Menina for a score on a 4th-and-6 situation with 2:44 remaining in the third quarter. Gant’s two-point run was good for a 28-13 Central Catholic lead.
Gueydan collected three first downs on its next drive, but it stalled at the Central Catholic 40.
The Eagles needed just four plays to reach the end zone for a score as Hugh Hamer capped the drive with a 5-yard touchdown run three plays into the final quarter. Gant’s two-point run was good for a 36-13 Central Catholic lead with 10:48 remaining in the game.
The Eagles added one more score with 4:50 remaining on a 2-yard touchdown run by Davidyione Bias. The touchdown was set up after Central Catholic’s Ryan Miller recovered a bad snap on a Gueydan punt attempt at the Bears’ 4-yard line.
Bryce Grizzaffi’s point-after attempt following the score was good for the 43-13 final.
“The big drive was coming out of half,” Gueydan Coach Roderick Moy said. “We had the ball. If we go tie it, the final score is not 43-13 …. It came down to that drive right there. They did a better job on defense than we did on offense, and it turned the whole ball game.”
In the first half, the Eagles took their opening possession down the field for a touchdown as Gant connected with Brooks Thomas on a 9-yard touchdown completion with 7:35 remaining in the first quarter. Gant converted the two-point run for an 8-0 Central Catholic lead.
Central Catholic added a touchdown on its third possession. The touchdown was set up by Aiden DeHart’s interception of Broussard at the Gueydan 30, which he returned to the Bears 19-yard line.
On the first play of the drive, Bias scored from 19 yards out for a 14-0 Central Catholic lead with 3:33 remaining in the first quarter.
Gueydan got on the score board in the second quarter when the Bears took over at their 5 yard line and moved down the field on an impressive 13-play, 95-yard drive capped by Mark Clark’s 6-yard run with 4:10 remaining in the half. Guidry’s point-after attempt was good to cut Central Catholic’s lead to 14-7.
“We completely dominated the first quarter,” Minton said. “Defensively, they didn’t have a first down, and then we got the ball on the plus side of the field the whole first quarter and we get two touchdowns out of it. We should have had four. I don’t know if that made the defense relax somewhat, but we gave up those two (touchdown) drives in the second quarter. “
Gueydan had 206 yards of offense (147 rushing and 59 passing).
Clark led Gueydan with 13 carries for 78 yards and a score, while Guidry had nine carries for 74 yards.
Broussard completed 2 of 14 passes for 59 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
Guidry was Gueydan’s top receiver with one catch for 57 yards and a score.
Central Catholic totaled 294 yards of offense (244 rushing and 50 passing).
Bias led the Eagles with 21 carries for 130 yards and three scores, while Hamer had two carries for 65 yards and a touchdown.
Gant completed 5 of 12 passes for 50 yards and two scores.
Menina was his top receiver with two catches for 27 yards and a touchdown.
Central Catholic will return to action Sept. 28 when it travels to face defending Division IV state champion Lafayette Christian in district play.
Gueydan also will be on the road at Hanson Memorial in league play.
”We’re going to go back and regroup,” Moy said. “It was a fist fight, man, and they got one good punch on us that kind of sent us reeling for a little while and they capitalized on it. … I think this game was a whole lot more of CC good than us doing a lot of stuff bad.”