LC-M 0 7 0 0- 7
BH 6 0 7 15- 28
The Little Cypress-Mauriceville Bears avoided turning the ball over in their first game. Friday night the Bears committed five turnovers and that may have been the difference in the ball game. The Barbers Hill Eagles left Battlin’ Bear Stadium with a comeback 28-7 victory over Little Cypress-Mauriceville.
Trailing 7-6 at the half, Barbers Hill (1-1) scored 22 unanswered points in the second half to secure the win. Little Cypress-Mauriceville (0-2) picked up more first downs, 14 to 10, and held the Eagles to zero yards passing in the game while outgaining them 367 yards to 263 in total offense. Unfortunately, the Bears also led in giving up the football five times to just once by the Eagles.
The Bears took the lead in dramatic fashion scoring on a Hail-Mary with just two seconds left in the first half. Beau Bickham passed to the end zone where Isaiah Reagins out jumped a couple of Eagles for the football to come down with the touchdown. Tyler Brown kicked the point-after to give LC-M the lead 7-6. Bickham threw for 193 yards, completing 9 of 15 passes on the night.
Twice the Bears had opportunities in the third quarter to add to that advantage. LC-M just missed recovering an onside kick which would have given the Bears the ball inside Eagles territory. On the first play of the third quarter Barbers Hill’s bull of a fullback Hunter Gobert fumbled and Bay Quebodeaux recovered for LC-M at the Eagles’ 48. Bickham completed a pass to Ronald Guillory for a first down at the 21. There the drive stalled partially because of a procedure penalty on the Bears.
The Little Cypress-Mauriceville defense stopped Barbers Hill on three running plays including a fumble that the Eagles just barely recovered for an 8-yard loss. After an Eagles punt, the Bears took over at their own 47. On fourth-and-eight from the 49, Coach Randy Crouch gambled on a fake punt with punter and quarterback Bickham throwing long for Guillory who had gotten behind the last Eagles defender. The ball was just over thrown and a potential touchdown was lost by just a few inches.
Barbers Hill took possession near midfield and needed six plays to take the lead. Eagles quarterback Skylar Langelier operating from the Wishbone and running the option scored on a 17-yard run around the left end. Barbers Hill wanted to go for two, but twice had procedure penalties and settled for a kick from Marco Castillo to make the score 13-7 with just over four minutes left in the third quarter.
Next possession LC-M drove from its own 7 to near midfield gaining three first downs in the process. J’Lon Douglas gained 18 yards on the first play, but went out briefly with an apparently leg cramp. Douglas was the leading ball carrier for the Bears with 79 yards on 14 carries. From the LC-M 47 Bickham was intercepted by Caden Hendricks who returned the ball to the Bears’ 22.
A great defensive stand by the Bears’ defense forced a field goal attempt from Castillo of 40 yards which was wide left. LC-M started another march downfield using the Bickham and Guillory connection again this time for 37 yards to the Eagles 39. Guillory had three receptions for 100 yards. Douglas picked up a first down on a run to the 29. Two runs and a pass completion gave the Bears a fourth-and-6. Bickham threw deep, but Hendricks intercepted again at the 2. Hendricks had three takeaways in the contest adding a first half fumble recovery to his two interceptions.
The key play of the game occurred three plays later. On third-and-6 from the six halfback Jacob Rogers took the pitch on the option from Langelier and swept the right end going untouched 94 yards for the touchdown. Cameron Hendricks just barely carried the ball over the goal line for the two-point conversion to give Barbers Hill a 21-7 lead with 5:14 to play in the game.
Sixteen seconds later the Eagles added the dagger in the heart to the Bears as linebacker Brady Bonin intercepted a pass in the flat and returned it 28 yards for the score that made it 28-7.
The Bears threatened on their last drive as Douglas broke loose for a 35-yard run and needed one block to go all the way, but was stopped at the Eagles’ 26. The final thrust by LC-M died at the 10 on a fourth down run that lost five yards.
Little Cypress-Mauriceville travels out of town for the first time this season when it plays at Goose Creek Memorial on Friday. The kickoff is at 7 PM.
-Dan Perrine, KOGT-
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