Tom Dodge
After a two-hour weather delay, Eunice High cruised to a 33-7 homecoming win over the Abbeville Wildcats.
On the first play of the game, Bobcat quarterback Simeon Ardoin hit a wide open Traelyn Cooper for a 55-yard play to move to the AHS 10.
Deon Ardoin then finished the two-play drive with a 10-yard touchdown.
Braden Rider’s PAT was good as the Bobcats grabbed a 7-0 lead with 11:27 left in the first quarter.
The Bobcats appeared to grab the onside kick but an apparent fumble gave the ball to Abbeville near midfield.
The Wildcats earned a first down, but after a quarterback sack the Bobcats got the ball back when Jahiem Mitchell grabbed the interception.
Eunice moved the ball 53 yards in five plays, capped by a 19-yard scoring pass from Simeon Ardoin to Deon Ardoin.
The PAT failed, but the Bobcats led 13-0 with 5:18 remaining in the quarter.
Reginald Henderson had a strong kickoff return to help the Wildcats start their next drive near midfield.
Abbeville moved down the field and early in the second quarter the Wildcats pushed across their own touchdown of the night on a 7-yard run by Darrian Harrison.
Eunice quickly answered with a 54-yard drive, aided by a face mask penalty against the Wildcats along with strong runs by Deon Ardoin and Devin Richardson.
Simeon Ardoin ran the final 11 yards through the AHS defense for the score.
Rider’s PAT increased the Bobcats’ lead to 20-7 with 7:16 left before intermission.
On the first play of Abbeville’s ensuing possession, Mitchell snared his second interception of the game.
A personal foul penalty against EHS pushed the Bobcats back to midfield, but Richardson, Deon Ardoin and Jeoul Hill moved the ball on the ground on the drive.
But the highlight of the drive was a 39-yard pass play from Simeon Ardoin to a wide-open Cooper who was pushed out at the Wildcat 1.
Deon Ardoin gained the final yard for the touchdown as Eunice led 26-7 with 3:10 remaining in the half.
The two defenses dominated the third period before the Bobcats were able to sustain a drive late in the quarter.
A 31-yard run by Richardson moved the Bobcats inside the AHS 20.
Three plays later, Simeon Ardoin found Cooper open for a 17-yard touchdown.
Rider’s kick pushed the Bobcats up, 33-7 with 58 seconds left in the third frame.
The EHS defense stopped Abbeville on fourth down near midfield early in the fourth quarter.
The Bobcats ran time off the clock with a 12-play drive but the Wildcats kept Eunice out of the end zone with 1:17 left in the contest.
Eunice (4-1) opens District 4-4A competition Friday at Rayne.
The Wolves fell 35-12 to Dutchtown to drop to 3-2 on the season.
Abbeville (1-4) opens District 6-3A play at St. Martinville.
The Tigers (2-3) lost 58-19 to Carencro.