Berwick snaps two-game skid, shuts out Abbeville

After nine games, one would think the tide would be turning a different way for the Abbeville Wildcats football team.
But Friday, in an off-and-on-again rain, the Wildcats could not get a break against the Berwick Panthers, who defeated the home standing squad 21-0.
The Wildcats (2-7 overall, 2-4 in district) had two touchdowns called back because of a penalty. In nine games, the Wildcats had 11 touchdowns called back due to penalties.
‘It we don’t get runs called back, it is a 15-14 game,” Abbeville Head Coach Kevin Kern said. “We may be leading if I do not go for two points twice.
“When you get one called back, it takes the wind out of your sails, considering all year long, it has been happening,” Kern added. “We do not get calls when we should.”
Down 7-0 after Berwick (6-3, 2-2) scored first on a 75-yard pass from Collin Louviere to Travis Whitehead with 6:27 remaining in the first quarter, Abbeville’s Tavian Menard looked to get Wildcats back in the game with a 49-yard touchdown run. But not far from the line of scrimmage, a yellow flag sat on the wet field. The call? Illegal block in back, cancelling the touchdown.
Two plays later, Berwick intercepted Abbeville quarterback Chad Celestine. Berwick would go down and score on a Josh Jones 6-yard run with 10:48 remaining in the first half to make it 15-0 Berwick.
Still in the game at halftime, the Wildcats came out motivated and began moving the ball down field.
Abbeville tailback Braeden Williams broke one for what looked to a 65 yard run. He was tackled at the 2-yard line. But, what was a great run was called back because of another Abbeville High penalty.
On the next play, the Wildcats fumbled the football, and Berwick recovered it 26 yards from the end zone.
Berwick took only five plays to score via a Louviere 10-yard pass to Joshua Carver, which made it 21-0 Berwick with 8:53 remaining in the third period.
In the second half, Abbeville got five possessions, and the Wildcats fumbled twice, were intercepted once, punted once and were stopped on fourth down.
Berwick ran 32 second-half plays to Abbeville’s 19.
Abbeville’s leading rusher was Deion Williams with 70 yards on 14 carries. Celestine had eight carries for 29 yards.
Berwick, playing without starting quarterback Mitchell Sanford, relied on Louviere. Louviere got it done with his arm and his legs. He had 13 carries for 45 yards and completed 8 of 11 passes for 141 yards and two scores.
On his first-half touchdown pass to Whitehead, the senior receiver caught the ball 15 yards up field and outran Abbeville defenders the other 60 yards.
Jones had 11 carries for 84 yards for Berwick. He had 70 yards in the first half but only 14 in the second half.
Berwick will return to action Friday when it closes the regular season at home against North Vermilion.
Berwick High School Coach Eric Holden could not be reached for comment.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Rosa is Managing Editor of The Abbeville Meridional