Last night, the Opelousas Senior High School Tigers, the 12th seed, traveled east a bit to St. Francisville for a matchup with the West Feliciana High School Saints, the 5th seed, in this Division II Non-Select bracket. Opelousas was able to score early, and never looked back, winning 14-0.
Opelousas took control of the ball first, and brought the opening kickoff past midfield into Saint territory. WF forced a turnover on downs near their own 30 on the opening drive, and OHS clapped right back by forcing one of their own near midfield.
Zack Malveaux was able to connect with Korey Fontenot for a 19-yard touchdown near the end of the 1st quarter. An offsides penalty on the initial two-point try allowed the Tigers to have an easier path to converting, and were able to. The scoreboard read 8-0 at the end of the 1st quarter.
The second quarter started off well for WF, as LSU commit and 4-star Safety Joel Rogers was able to intercept a deep pass and return the ball deep into OHS territory.
Saints quarterback Thomas Temple took a shot on a sack and fumbled the ball, and the Tigers were able to escape that drive without giving up points, as they recovered.
Neither team scored in the second quarter, so Opelousas still led, 8-0. Collin Fontenot laid out AD Washington on this play, early in the third:
Later in the quarter, WF was able to recover a fumble after this long run:
Collin Fontenot stepped up and forced yet another fumble with this hit:
The third quarter ended and the score remained 8-0. With 4:40 left to play in regulation, OHS was able to score for the second time, with D’Shaun Ford barreling in for a touchdown. The two-point conversion was unsuccessful this time, and a more traditional score of 14-0 appeared.
WF made something happen on the next drive, and this 22-yard scramble by Thomas Temple is worth noting:
OHS picked off Temple soon after that run, with 2:56 left in the 4th quarter. The Tigers immediately fumbled, but then Jaylon Breaux intercepted Temple and ran the ball back to the Saint 5-yardline. This sealed the game, as Opelousas kneeled out the clock, and shut out the Saints 14-0.
After the game, I caught up with Opelousas Head Coach Jimmy Zachery, and had the chance to ask him a few questions:
Coach Zachery was happy with how his teams defense came together and were able to play their assignments well. He was a bit concerned with three turnovers on offense but was managed well overall.
Opelousas moves on and will face the 4th-seeded Lutcher Bulldogs next week, in Lutcher. For West Feliciana, their season is over and the Saints will start preparing for 2024.
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