Morgan City, Berwick score football wins; CCHS, Patterson stumble

Morgan City and Berwick got back on track in prep football Friday, while Ascension Episcopal rained on Patterson’s homecoming, and the road was tough for Central Catholic.

Morgan City, down 9-0 in the first half, rolled off 31 straight points and held on for a 31-23 win over a tough-minded Covenant Christian team during the Tiger homecoming. Ascension Episcopal downed Patterson 40-6.

Berwick got its first 2023 win over parish rival Franklin 21-14, while Central Catholic took it on the chin 43-0 at Riverside.

Two parish teams stayed unbeaten: Centerville, a 40-7 winner over Thomas Jefferson, and Hanson Memorial, a 46-20 victor over Westminster. Washington-Marion was a 28-0 winner over West St. Mary.

On Friday, 2-1 Morgan City will be at Ellender; Central Catholic, 1-2, will be at Covenant Christian; Berwick, 1-2, travels to Northside; and Chalmette will travel to Patterson, 1-2.
Centerville, 3-0, will be at home against Jeanerette; Franklin, 1-2, will be at Central Lafourche; West St. Mary, 0-3, will be at home against St. John; and 3-0 Hanson hosts Highland Baptist.

Morgan City 31,
Covenant Christian 23

The drive-killing miscues that doomed Morgan City to a Sept. 8 loss against Jeanerette continued into the first quarter of this game. Then they all but disappeared in a flurry of big plays on offense, defense and special teams.

The Tigers trailed 9-0 in the second quarter on an 11-yard touchdown run by Covenant’s Connor Lally and a sack of Morgan City quarterback Thomas Mancuso in the end zone.

But wingback Leonardo Torres rushed for a 5-yard TD that, with a Jairo Gomez kick, brought Morgan City to within 9-7. Minutes later, Tiger Anthony Bourgeois intercepted a pass from Covenant’s Kyler Robichaux, returning it 74 yards for a touchdown. A Gomez kick made it 15-9 with 34 seconds left in the half.

Mancuso, who passed only five times Friday, connected with Kyron Dugas for a 59-yard score on Morgan City’s first drive of the second half. Gomez made it 24-9 with a 40-yard field goal.

Then it was Matthew Nugier’s turn. He tore through the Covenant defense for a 44-yard scoring run and a 31-9 lead.

Lally scored again for Covenant in the fourth quarter with touchdown runs of 11 and 3 yards to bring Covenant back to within 31-23. But the visitors ran out of time.

Morgan City rushed for 122 yards, led by Nugier’s 72 yards and Antonio Cojoe’s 42.

Bourgeois had a tough night as a rusher — seven carries for -4 yards — but he may have accounted for an 18-point swing by himself. In addition to the pick six, Bourgeois tackled Covenant quarterback Kyler Robichaux short of the goal line on a fourth-and-goal at Morgan City’s 2-yard line on the game’s first series.

In the third quarter, with Covenant Christian at the Morgan City 5, Bourgeois intercepted a Tristan Robinson pass at his own 1 and returned it to Covenant’s 18.

Jamyre Bias also had in interception for Morgan City.

Mancuso finished 2-for-5 passing for 69 yards and the Dugas TD.

Covenant Christian, a 1A school playing 3A Morgan City, managed 228 passing yards by three quarterbacks who went a combined 10-for-33.

Robichaux finished with 55 rushing yards, and Landon Winslow had 88, including runs of 28 and 44 yards.

Ascension Episcopal 40,
Patterson 6

The Lumberjacks found themselves in a 27-0 hole after a 21-yard interception return for a TD by Preston Peebles midway through the second quarter.

Most of the damage was by Ascension’s Hayden Pearson, who rushed 21 times for 96 yards. Quarterback Connor Edmond hit Noah Babineaux with a 21-yard scoring pass, and kicker Andrew McCormick nailed two 43-yard field goals.

For Patterson, CJ Williams had a 10-yard rushing touchdown and led the team with 30 rushing yards on three carries. Elijah Johnson added 26 yards on 13 carries.

Quarterback Hayven Keller was 12-for-18 passing for 75 yards. Cam Davis caught three passes for 16 yards.