The Crowley High Gents used an explosive offense and a stifling defense on their way to a 39-0 victory over the Eunice High Bobcats in 5-3A district action at Bobcat Field.
The Gents, who moved down this season from 4A to 3A, dominated the action from the early stages of the game with a running attack that finished with 234 yards and a total offense of 300 yards.
The Bobcats, hampered by a series of injuries, moved the football after receiving the opening kickoff. Trevin Ceaser got off runs of five and six yards for a first down, but Crowley’s Tyler Carrier intercepted a Jaden Brasseaux pass to swing the momentum to the Gents.
The Gents moved the ball down the field but were stopped by the Bobcat defense and forced to punt.
The Bobcat offense continued to rely on their running attack with Ceaser carrying twice for 14 yards and Austin Phillips carrying twice for 12 yards.
But the drive stalled on a holding penalty, leaving the Cats with a third-and-16 situation.
The Bobcats tried a pass play, but Crowley’s Jalean Jenkins intercepted the pass and returned it 55 yards for a touchdown.
Quarterback Marquis Garrett passed to Demarcus Doiron for the two-point conversion and an 8-0 lead with 3:23 remaining in the first quarter.
The Cats tried to respond after receiving the kickoff, running three times and gaining nine yards.
But the drive ended when the Cats were penalized five yards for illegal motion, forcing a punt.
The Gents took advantage by marching down the field in 15 plays to score a touchdown.
Donald Francis capped the drive with a 4-yard scoring run and a two-point conversion on a pass from Garrett to Rapheus Joseph for a 16-0 lead with 7:57 left in the first half.
The Cats were unable to move the football and were forced to punt. But the punt was blocked by Joseph, who picked up the ball and returned it for a touchdown. Joseph ran for the two-point conversion to put the Gents ahead by a 24-0 margin.
The Bobcat offense attempted to answer with Brasseaux completing passes of five yards and nine yards to Phillips and Keshaun Guillory. The Cats were held short on a fourth-and-one by the Gents and the Cats trailed 24-0 at the half.
The second half would be dominated by the Gents, who received the kickoff and kept the ball for nine plays before being stopped on fourth down, but the Cats were unable to get their offense going and the Gents would score two more touchdowns before the game ended.
The Bobcats will travel to face the Church Point Bears next Friday.