Patterson tops MCHS in jamboree

Local teams concluded their preseason preps for the 2019 season Friday at the Taco Bell Morgan City High School Jamboree at Tiger Stadium.
Morgan City squared off with Patterson in the finale of the two 15-minute halves of live action. The Lumberjacks wasted little time jumping on their local rival, scoring on the first offensive possession. Patterson went on a 13-play, 57-yard scoring drive capped with a 13-yard touchdown run by first-year quarterback Louis Jones.
After two Morgan City drives stalled, Jones hooked up with sophomore running back Kyler Paul for a 33-yard touchdown pass with 2:30 remaining in the first half. Jose Riveria added both point-after kicks for a 14-0 Patterson lead at the break.
Patterson eventually ran away from Morgan City for a 35-7 win.
"We don't have a superstar on offense, but we have a bunch of stars," second-year Patterson Coach Don Jones said. "Our quarterback also improved from last week to this week. He showed he can throw the ball, and he ran it well it, too. He just needs more playing time."
Paul also showed what he could do in the second half.
The dynamic young back carried eight times for 136 yards with two touchdowns and another receiving.
"We played him at corner back last year, but what he does with the football in his hands can't be taught," Jones said. "But he's a young kid, and he's going to be learning on the job, too."
Jones had a 13-yard score at the 11:13 mark of the second half to extend the 'Jacks' lead to 21-0.
Then, with Morgan City seemingly on the ropes, senior Devonta Grogan took the ensuing kickoff and raced 90 yards for the Tigers’ lone score of the night.
Grogan went toe-to-toe with Patterson all night.
"We know we have to find ways to put the ball in (Grogan’s) hands," Morgan City Coach Chris Stroud said. "He's a super athlete, but we need other guys to step up so teams don't just focus on taking (Grogan) away.”
Patterson added a 61-yard score by Jones and short run by Treylon Bennett to round out the scoring.
"I'm pleased with our effort," Jones said. "We did some good things that we carry into next week's game.”
Jones is the first Patterson coach to return for a second-season in five years. Patterson will host West St. Mary Friday in the season opener for both teams.
"Patterson's offensive and defensive lines dominated upfront," Stroud said. "Some of that is our kids being undersized. It’s not effort. Some of it is we have some really young kids on defense that don't know what they're doing yet, and we had several injuries at the linebacker level that hurt us tonight.”
Morgan City will open its regular season Friday when it hosts local rival Berwick Friday at 7 p.m.
Berwick opened Friday's jamboree with a 19-12 loss to White Castle.
The Bulldogs jumped out to a quick 6-0 after a long pass play led to a short touchdown run by Marcus Williams with 12:05 remaining.
But Berwick answered in a big way when quarterback Reed Gonzales found Keyon Singleton on a screen pass that he broke for 70-yard touchdown with 11:52 remaining.
White Castle scored on its next possession when Javier Batiste hooked up with Alex Brown on a 24-yard leaping catch for a 12-6 lead with 7:30 remaining in the opening half.
Berwick's offense lost rhythm on the next three series, including going scoreless on a first-and-goal situation at the 8-yard line just before the half. White Castle led 12-6 at the half.
The Bulldogs went up 19-6 with 4:45 remaining before Gonzales hit Dylan Cothron on a 67-yard touchdown strike. The senior completed 7-of-18 passes for 221 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.