St. Tammany News

Lakeshore High gambled on fourth down leading 6-0 with about 3:30 remaining and made it pay off as the Titans blanked Pope John Paul II 13-0 in the first game of the Newman Jamboree Friday, which consisted of two games, each two 15-minute halves.

Facing fourth-and-four at PJP’s 38, Lakeshore called timeout before deciding to go for it.

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“I thought about punting, but I figured the ball would go into the end zone and we’d get 18 yards out it,” LHS coach Larry Route said. “I thought we had a good play call. I thought they’d stack the line so we ran outside and got 10 yards.”

The handoff went to junior running back Nick Williams, who picked up the first down.

Williams, who scored in the first half, said he was confident they could get it.

“When coach told me I was getting the ball, I was thinking touchdown, not first down,” Williams said.

“All of my players had their blocks and that enabled me to get the first down,” he said

Later in the drive, Jared Scott scored on a two-yard touchdown run, which essentially sealed the victory.

The jamboree consisted of two games, featured a pair of 15-minute halves.

In a good team effort, Lakeshore’s versatile quarterback/running Al Damion Riles led the

Titans with 80-rushing yards.

Route said Riles did a good job of running.

“He had a lot of good runs,” Route said. “We ran a lot of quarterback sweeps. Nick Williams also ran well.”

Jared Scott had one catch for 18-yards, while Rodney Gracas De Deus hauled in a pass for 10.

Defensively, Brandon Ducre had three tackles for loss, while Cyril Crutchfield and James Harkin each intercepted a PJP pass. Route said defensive ends Mikal Mazik and Alaan LaBostrie played well.

“I thought our defense played much better than they did against Chalmette (scrimmage),” Route said. “We tackled a lot better and we got to the ball much better.”

For the PJP, the offense struggled, but senior Brandon Colvin hauled in two passes for 40 yards.

Defensively, senior back Guy Sergi intercepted a pass.

Jaguars’ coach Mark Jeanmard said the jamboree served its purpose.

“We got under the lights and played at full speed,” Jeanmard said. “It was a good jamboree for us. We learned a lot.”

Newman defeated De La Salle 40-0 in the second game.

Both clubs open the regular season Friday. Lakeshore is home to face the Jesuit Blue Jays, while Pope John Paul II hits the road to face St. Patrick’s in Biloxi, Miss.