Terrebonne Tigers pull away from Patterson Lumberjacks 55-21

With an arsenal of weapons spread across the field and a stout defense and special teams unit to boot, the Terrebonne Tigers may well have their best team ever under Coach Gary Hill.
At least the Tigers (4-0) did nothing to disprove that feeling Friday against Patterson.
Despite the ’Jacks clawing back into the game, the Tigers’ explosive, dual-threat offense turned a one-score game at halftime into a 55-21 rout.
The ’Jacks (1-3) gave up two quick scores in the opening quarter and fell behind 14-0. First, Kwan Allen caught a 25-yard touchdown pass from Keshawn James near the 7-minute mark.
Next, the Tigers’ explosive tailback Chaz Ward scored from on a 32-yard run with 3:11 remaining in the quarter.
Terrebonne tacked on its third touchdown for a 21-0 lead when D’jon Scott intercepted a Randy Paul pass and returned it 75 yards for a score just 19 seconds into the second period.
The ’Jacks refused to go away and put together two touchdown drives in the final 3:18 of the half. Both were guided by Dajon Richard.
On the first scoring drive, Richard rushed eight yards for a touchdown that cut the Terrebonne lead to 21-7.
On the next score, Richard took the ball on a pitch, avoided tacklers and found Kai Schexnayder at the goal-line for an 11-yard touchdown pass with just 5 seconds remaining in the half. The score cut the Terrebonne lead to 21-14 and stunned the Tigers’ home crowd.
But the Tigers proved to be too much for the ’Jacks in the second half.
The third quarter opened with the Tigers’ physical run game setting up a 10-yard touchdown run by Jakhi Douglas to bump the Terrebonne lead to 28-14 just three and a half minutes into the period.
Ward rushed into the end-zone for his second score in the period’s closing seconds to make it 35-14.
Terrebonne was on cruise control after but still had three electric plays. The first came when Douglas completed a 75-yard catch-and-run touchdown pass to make it 42-14.
On the Tigers’ next possession, Ward broke a 49-yard run to the end-zone to increase the lead to 49-14.
Both teams then traded scores in a matter of seconds. Richard took the ensuing kickoff 90 yards to the end-zone for the ’Jacks’ only second-half score.
Terrebonne answered with its own kick return when Douglas ran one back, also from 90 yards, on the opposite end for a touchdown. It was the game’s third touchdown in a 33-second span and capped the game’s scoring at 55-14.
The Tigers had 363 yards of offense and 15 first downs.
“You’re 4-0 going into district play, and you can’t be any better than that,” Hill said. “Our kids came out with a lot of energy and jumped on top early. They punched back, and we took over the third quarter. Overall, we played well on special teams and defense. I couldn’t be prouder of the team.”
Ward and Douglas accounted for three scores each. Ward finished the night with 20 carries for 156 yards, and Douglas ran for 58 yards on six carries and had two catches for 69 yards.
Patterson finished with seven first downs and 340 yards of offense.
Richard led the ’Jacks in total yards with 116 yards on 18 carries with one rushing touchdown, plus his 11-yard touchdown pass.
Paul was 6-for-12 passing for 87 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. Schexnayder had two catches for 41 yards, and Irvin Celestine had three for 54.
Patterson Coach Don Jones said the Lumberjacks’ main weakness is they’re losing the battle at the line of scrimmage.
“We’re still getting beat physically up front on both sides of the ball,” Jones said. “We’ve got a quarterback that can thread the needle and throw it when he gets time, but our offensive line, we couldn’t even set up for a pass. This was a 5A club we’re playing that’s talking about going to the (Mercedes Benz Superdome for the state championship).
“We just have to regroup,” Jones added. “I don’t think there’s any substitute for playing great competition. That’s the way the schedule was set up. I still believe before it’s all said and done we’re going to have a great football team.”
Terrebonne led 14-0 after the first quarter, 21-14 at halftime and 35-14 after the third.