'Jacks pull away in second half to defeat MCHS

When Morgan City hosted rival Patterson Friday night at Tiger Stadium in Morgan City, the records weren’t the key. The emotion was.
Morgan City (0-5) just couldn’t slow down Patterson’s super-charged athletes.
Patterson (2-3) wasted little time getting their offense going as the Lumberjacks went on an 11-play, 80-yard drive to take a 7-0 lead with 5:42 remaining in the first quarter. Patterson scored three times in the first half en route to a 21-17 halftime lead and an eventual 56-23 final.
But Morgan City only trailed by four points at halftime.
“We played them in the jamboree, and we expected our size to take over at some point, but they (Morgan City) played their butts off in the first half,” Patterson coach Don Jones said. “I told them all week it would be a totally different game tonight. But we needed this, because we decided to come out and put the hammer down and we did.”
The ‘Jacks beat the Tigers 35-17 in the local jamboree action six weeks ago.
Friday, senior running back Allen Langston took the second-half plan to heart, pounding the Tigers’ defense 27 times for 209 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Patterson had 345 yards rushing and 41 yards passing for a total of 386 yards.
“Our young quarterback (sophomore Tylon Walton) keeps getting confidence in games he plays in,” Jones said.
Walton completed 5 of 11 passes for 41 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. He also had nine carries for 74 yards.
Kyler Paul led the ’Jacks with four catches for 29 yards, while Kai Schexnayder had a reception for 12 yards and a touchdown.
Morgan City got an early field goal from kicker Helder Hernandez to cut its deficit to 7-3 and later took the lead at 17-14 after the Tigers’ recovered a fumble in the end zone.
While Morgan City finished the game with only 126 yards on offense (113 rushing and 13 passing), Devonta Grogan contributed 11 carries for 113 yards and a touchdown.
“Anytime you have an outstanding athlete like Grogan on the field, he can hurt at any time,” Jones said
Grogan had a 44-yard touchdown run in the second quarter and a long kickoff return in the third quarter to cut its deficit to 28-23 with 8:42 remaining in the third period.
Morgan City coach Chris Stroud he was happy with his team’s first-half effort.
Morgan City will host District 8-4A foe Ellender Thursday at Tiger Stadium in Morgan City.
Patterson will travel to face District 9-3A rival Berwick also on Thursday.