East Ascension Holds Off Terrebonne

Written by Kyle Valdez

In the first round of the Class 5A playoffs, East Ascension’s defense locked down Terrebonne all night en route to a 20-6 victory. East Ascension’s D-line got to Terrebonne’s quarterback all night, giving Ja’khi Douglas (FSU commit) and Ryan Williams no time in the pocket. Although EA won convincingly, Terrebonne put up a good fight all night, keeping the game within one score until 8 minutes left in the fourth quarter. QB Cameron Jones led EA’s offense by throwing for 75 yards on 8-19 passing. Receiver Hobert Grayson IV caught two passes for 30 yards and 1 TD reception

 For Terrebonne, dynamic ATH Ja’khi Douglas only finished with 46 passing yards on 6-15 passing. Douglas and RB Jaylin Lucas only combined for 68 yards on 24 carries for the night. Receiver AJ Walter caught 2 passes for 30 yards. Despite having multiple chances to reach the end zone, the Tigers couldn’t capitalize at the right times. The two scores were via kicker Wyatt Guidry converting on FG’s from 42 and 46 yards in the first half.

A defensive bout, EA’s front seven was too much too handle. Nearly every snap, Douglas was forced to scramble; leading to multiple intentional grounding penalties. He had no time in the pocket to work with and was sacked too many times. EA may have the fastest and physical lines in Louisiana.   
 
In the first half, neither of the offenses were clicking. After a back-and-forth defensive display for the first 12 minutes, the score was tied 3-3 via a field goal by each team. EA’s Evan Kern hit from 34 yards out, and Terrebonne’s Wyatt Guidry connected from 46 yards out with 20 seconds left in the first quarter. After holding EA to begin the second, Terrebonne marched inside the Spartan 20-yard line but couldn’t find the endzone. Wyatt Guidry connected on a 42-yard attempt to give Terrebonne a 6-3 lead with 8:13 left in the half. ​

After stopping EA again, Terrebonne’s AJ Walter fumbled deep inside his own territory to give EA a prime opportunity to score the game’s first touchdown. Terrebonne’s defense held strong, causing EA to use kicker Evan Kern for a 17-yard FG. Before ending the half, Cameron Jones found receiver Hobert Grayson for a 19-yard TD pass to give EA a 13-6.  
 
The second half was very similar to the first half. The defensive bout continued all third quarter, resulting in neither team scoring. Both teams’ defenses looked dominant all night. EA had a chance at the beginning of the fourth quarter to bring the lead to 10 when they got the ball to the opposing 15-yard line. The score remained still after missing a 32-yard FG wide right. With 7:56 left in the game, QB Cameron Jones found the endzone on a 2-yard keeper to bring the lead to 20-6. Terrebonne’s offense would be shut out the rest of the way.

Defensive end Jerrel Boykins (Offered by Kansas and McNeese St.) talked about the Spartan defense, “It wasn’t anything we haven’t seen all week at practice. We knew he [Douglas] could run around, we knew that he could scramble, we knew he was fast, speed, everything. We knew they weren’t going to lay down for us, all we had to do was stick to our assignments and do our job.” In a game that was won by defense, the Spartans looked extremely impressive. If Terrebonne didn’t have as solid of a kicker, the score could have easily been 20-0, considering that few high school kickers can consistently convert from 40+ yards.

 EA continues their road to the dome with a second-round matchup in Ruston. Ruston comes in as the 20-seed but may be a top-five team in the state. A team that loses to Acadiana, West Monroe, Rummel, Neville, and Alexandria by one score should not be feared. Although Terrebonne's defense was very solid, there should be some concern for the Spartan offense as they struggled all night to find an offensive rhythm. EA is still the favorite to win but will have to hit on all cylinders for a road victory.