It was fitting that it was Senior Night for the Iota High School Bulldogs. In fact, one may go so far as to call it poetic.
During the three years prior to the 2017 season, the Iota Bulldogs amassed a total of three wins. The Bulldog faithful had to be nervously wondering how their team would fare after moving in to a new district and a higher (from AA to AAA) class.
Friday night’s 34-27 victory over the Eunice Bobcats was important for three reasons.
For starters, when the Bulldogs faced off against Eunice in their jamboree in August they looked like a completely different team. And in what amounts to nothing more than an exhibition, the Bulldogs watched as Jaden Brasseaux completed three touchdown passes over 50 yards to talented Bobcat receiver Jordan Ledet as the Bulldog secondary seemed helpless to defend against it. And Iota lost fairly convincingly.
Following that game, Iota Head Coach Josh Andrus spent a couple minutes speaking to his emotional senior running back Kaleb Guillory. Guillory had a nice season in 2016, rushing for 1,500 yards and being named as an honorable mention player on the All-State squad.
“Kaleb’s a competitor and was hoping for a few more carries,” Andrus said after the game. “I told him we needed to save him for the season.”
Iota’s coach then ended the interview by smiling and saying “you’ll see why.”
On Friday, Guillory rushed for 231 yards on 34 carries against the same Eunice team, giving him 1,998 yards on the season. While another two yards would have been nice, Guillory’s blocking on pass protection and his cheering the Bulldog defense from the sideline gives the impression that he’s a “team first” player.
And speaking of that team, Friday’s victory required much more than another workhorse performance by Guillory.
It’s time that Ray Aucoin’s defense, led by a tough pair of linebackers in Levi Manuel and Kalem Johnson, receives the credit it deserves. Twice they stopped Eunice on key fourth down plays. The first being a sack by Johnson that returned the ball to Iota for what turned out to be a game-tying drive. The second of which ended the game after Eunice running back Devin Caesar was stuffed on a fourth and three on the game’s final play setting off a wild celebration on the Iota sideline.
“These young men just worked so hard,” said Andrus. “What these seniors have fought through the last few seasons. To see them get to enjoy this is just great.”
When the game began, however, it looked as though Brasseaux and Ledet were going to pick up where they left off in the jamboree. The pair hooked up for a beautiful 75-yard touchdown pass on the Bobcats first play from scrimmage. The extra point attempt failed leaving Eunice with a quick 6-0 lead.
“He’s very talented,” said Andrus of Ledet. “He’s dealt with some injuries this season but he’s been looking like he’s back to full speed the last few games.”
After Iota stalled on their first couple of drives, they managed to keep it close thanks to their defense who managed to hold the Bobcats to just one more first half touchdown, though it looked as though they could explode at anytime.
Then the offense slowly came back to life compliments of a steady dose of Guillory, who punctuated a second quarter drive with a five-yard touchdown. The extra point failed and the Bobcats took a 13-6 lead into the half.
When the Bobcats kicked off in the second half, Iota began to feed Guillory. During the drive he carried the ball on every play except for a 10-yard run by Bulldog quarterback Trae Rambin. He took over, ripping off runs of 13, 11 and 10 yards. The entire Bobcat defense knew who would be getting the ball. It didn’t matter.
Guillory scored on a 26-yard touchdown run. The extra point was good and the game was tied at 13 apiece and the level of play by both teams seemed to go up a notch.
On the ensuing kickoff, Eunice returned the ball to the 49-yard line and looked to be headed to the end zone after a couple of nice runs by Caesar. However, after being held to eight yards on the next three plays they decided to go for it on fourth down. Brasseaux faked a handoff to Caesar and dropped back to pass. He never had a chance as Johnson sacked him before he could get his feet set returning the ball and the momentum to the Bulldogs.
On the ensuing drive, Guillory ripped off runs of 18 and 12 yards in leading the Bulldogs down the field.
He scored on a four-yard run. Another missed extra point gave the Bulldogs a 19-13 lead.
When Eunice took over it didn’t take long for Brasseaux to find Ledet, who finished with 123 yards receiving, downfield for a 35-yard touchdown.
The Bulldogs answered right back in the form of a 71-yard Chaynery Johnson kickoff return. Guillory took the ball in from nine yards two plays later. Iota’s two-point attempt appeared to be stopped but Rambin ripped away from a Eunice player that looked to have him stopped and fell into the end zone giving the Bulldogs a 27-20 lead.
The only problem was that they left too much time on the clock.
Caesar again led the Bobcats down the field and Brasseaux hit Tyler Darbonne to tie up the score at 27, which is where it stood as the fourth quarter ended and the game went into overtime.
The Bobcats won the toss and elected to defer. From the 10 yard line, the Bulldogs handed the ball to Guillory four straight times, the last of which was a walk into the end zone for the game-winning points.
After their goal line stand, Andrus kept with what has become a tradition after a home win and the Bulldogs were once again singing the school fight song in front of the Iota band and the entire student section.
“These kids have worked so hard,” said Andrus, who can finally begin to look ahead to the playoffs. “That was a good team we beat tonight...much better than their record. Once they got healthy and started winning ball games we knew it would be tough...I am very proud and couldn’t be happier with these boys.”
Eunice Coach Paul Trosclair was classy in defeat.
“That was a really good game,” he said. “It’s disappointing to lose but we just have to get back to work and get ready for the playoffs.”
Eunice Coach Paul Trosclair was classy in defeat.
“That was a really good game,” he said. “It’s disappointing to lose but we just have to get back to work and get ready for the playoffs.”