Wildcats Roll 42-7 on Homecoming

For the first time this season the Louisiana College football team walked off their home field victorious as they sent the Homecoming crowd out with a 42-7 win over American Southwest Conference opponent Belhaven University Saturday night. Although the Wildcats put up 42 points in the game the offensive production was lower than expected with LC operating on short fields behind a dominant defensive outing. The Wildcats travel to the #2 University of Mary Hardin-Baylor next Saturday.

 

The first quarter would be one to forget for both offenses, as Belhaven managed only 34 yards of production in the opening quarter with LC not much better at 41. If not for a 43-yard completion from Mason Jordan to Drake Battaglia the number would have been much lower.

 

On the same drive as Battaglia’s reception that provided the bulk of the LC offense in the first, the Wildcats scored on a 15-yard pass to Zion Williams in the back corner of the end zone to give themselves the 7-0 lead just seconds into the second quarter. A strip sack by Orel Ledet Jr on the next drive gave the ball to the LC at the Belhaven 10-yard line with Connor Maples taking the next snap over the goal line for a two score lead.

 

A second Blazer turnover on their next drive lead to the third LC score of the quarter as Travon Long picked off Ben Owens and set LC up at the Blazer 13-yard line. Two plays later Jordan found Leondre James for a 5-yard score and before anyone could blink the Wildcats were up 21-0 less then four minutes into the second quarter. Belhaven threatened to score late in the quarter with a lengthy drive that saw them reach the LC 11-yard line, but Long’s second pick of the night stopped the drive in its tracks sending the game to a 21-0 halftime score.

 

The Wildcats extended their lead on a 27-yard, one-handed grab by James late in the third quarter, which Belhaven answered with their only touchdown of the night on a quick 7-play, 72-yard drive, preventing the Wildcats from picking up their first shutout since the 2011 season.

 

Aaron Woods picked up his fourth rushing touchdown of the season early in the fourth on a 10-yard scamper and Larenz Clark put the capper on the game with a 31-yard interception return for a touchdown on the very next play from scrimmage making the score 42-7.

 

The Wildcat defense held their opponents under 300 yards of offense for the second time this season, only allowing 258 to the Blazers in the game. The four interceptions are the most for the Wildcats in a single game since picking off five passes against Belhaven during the 2016 game in Pineville.

 

In the game senior linebacker Orel Ledet Jr became the program’s all-time leading tackler, passing Clay Matchett for the top spot. Ledet now has 331 career stops with still two games remaining in his career.

 

The Wildcats take on #2 ranked Mary Hardin-Baylor next weekend in Belton, Texas. Stay connected to Louisiana College football by following @LC_ftball on Twitter. For general athletics news follow @LC_Wildcats on Twitter or like Louisiana College Wildcats on Facebook.

 

By: Brad Welborn 
LC Sports Information