DeQuincy rolls past Mamou to open up district play

            In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue. On this Columbus Day weekend 2014, DeQuincy came into Mamou as the Green Demons crowned a new homecoming queen.

The DeQuincy Tigers with an overall record of 2-3 and the Mamou Green Demons with an overall record of 1-4 squared off against each other in the opening game of district play in Class 2-A. The modus operandi of DeQuincy was keeping the ball on the ground for gains of 40 yards or more resulting in touchdowns. The Tigers attempted 2-point conversions after each of their 6 scores and successfully completed 2 such attempts.

Mamou had a couple of nice possessions in the 1^st half deep inside Tiger territory. The first was drive was credited to Kendal Jack who juked past a few DeQuincy defensemen for a gain of 11 yards. The other drive was credited to Nathaniel Holland who caught a pass from Robbie Deshotel and carried the ball across the midfield stripe. But each time Mamou was forced to turn the ball over on downs.

 In the end DeQuincy rolled past Mamou with a final score of 40-0 to open up district play with a record of 1-0; while Mamou fell to 0-1.

Mikey Hebert of DeQuincy recovered the opening kickoff and returned the football to the 35 yard line. Quarterback Chase Dyer handed the ball off to Samuel Whatley for a long gain. A facemask penalty on Mamou brought the ball inside the 10 yard line. Javion Leday carried the ball on consecutive snaps before finding the end zone. DeQuincy scored on its opening possession to go up 6-0, and the 2-point conversion pass attempt to Gabriel Rangel was good.

A long return of the kickoff on the part of Nathaniel Holland went for naught as Mamou went 3-and-out on its opening possession turning the ball over on downs on the 30-yard line. After the Tigers rushed their way down to midfield, Chase Dyer kept the ball himself and ran 50-yards for a touchdown. The pass attempt on the 2-point conversion was broken up by Daniel Matthews in the end zone. The score was DeQuincy 14 - 0.

Mamou forced DeQuincy to go 3-and-out on the Tigers next possession, and momentum began to switch to the offensive side of the ball. Daniel Matthews carried for a nice gain of 7-yards. A subsequent pass interference flag against DeQuincy brought the ball down to the Mamou 45-yard line. Deshotels handed the ball off to Kendall Jack who picked up steam for the nice gain of 11 yards. Matthews and Jack combined again to carry the ball down to the DeQuincy 34-yard line setting up 1^st-and-10. Deshotels threw an incomplete pass to Christopher Pitre, ran a quarterback keeper for a gain of 3-yards, and again threw an incomplete pass that sailed over Pitre’s head. Mamou would go for it on 4^th down, but Deshotels was wrangled down by Gabriel Rangel.

The Green Demons turned the ball over on downs, and Javion Leday of DeQuincy wasted little time carrying the ball 69-yards down the right side for another touchdown. The score was negated on a holding penalty. On the next snap, Chase Dyer kept the ball himself and carried all the way into the end zone for a touchdown of his own. DeQuincy lined up for another 2-point conversion try, but it was unsuccessful as Mamou stopped Leday just shy of the end zone. The score now was DeQuincy 20 –0 closing out the 1^st Quarter.

Mamou had its best drive of the night in the 2^nd Quarter. Robbie Deshotels began the drive with a pass completion to Christopher Pitre for a 1^st down. Deshotels then ran an option play just shy of the Mamou 40-yard line. Two snaps later Deshotels completed a pass to Nathaniel Holland just across midfield and just shy of the DeQuincy 30-yard line. The Green Demons drove down to about the 10-yard line on carries by Jack, Deshotels, and Joab Perron. But again like before Mamou turned the ball over on downs. The Tigers were content winding down the clock going into the halftime break.

            The 2^nd half was almost a mirror image of the 1^st. Mamou appeared to be driving on its opening possession of the half but was forced to punt. DeQuincy took over and appeared to driving as well before Nathaniel Holland intercepted the pass from Chase Dyer deep inside Mamou territory. Mamou drove again into DeQuincy territory on a pass completion to Jacob Israel; however, they failed to capitalize on the momentum swing and were unable to find the end zone. DeQuincy scored 3 more touchdowns on the night and again like the 1^st half went for 2-point conversions after each score.

            Thirty years ago this week, Rod Stewart had a hit song with “Some Guys Have All the Luck.” He sings a chorus that goes, “Some guys have all the luck. Some guys have all the pain. Some guys get all the breaks.” This chorus applied to the game Friday night as DeQuincy had all the luck and got all the breaks; while Mamou had all the pain. The Green Demons travel to Welsh next week hoping to even out their record in district play of Class 2-A.