OPELOUSAS -- A 60-yard touchdown by Tyler Perron on the second play of the game set the tone early for Sacred Heart as the Trojans handily defeated Westminster on the road 34-17.
“I just thought it was a complete team effort,” head Trojan coach Josh Harper said. “We had people out, and we had people go down. I think the boys just came together as a team. They leaned on each other, and it was just a complete team effort with the way the guys played and the positions they were playing.”
Perron’s opening touchdown came with the Trojans facing a 2nd-and-8 on their 40-yard line.
Upon receiving the ensuing kickoff, Westminster was looking at 4th-and-inches before converting for a first down. The Trojan defense, again, held the Crusaders to a fourth down, but Bryant Moore dashed up the middle for 16 yards and a first down at the Trojan 37-yard line. The Crusader drive continued but stalled at the Trojan 12-yard line. Westminster, then, successfully kicked a 29-yard field goal to make the score 7-3 in favor Sacred Heart at the 4:11 mark of the first quarter.
Perron fielded the kickoff and returned the football to the Westminster 46-yard line. Then, on 2nd-and-15, an Ethan Karonika completion to Isaac Leger combined with a Crusader personal foul penalty set up a 2nd-and-1 from the Westminster 10-yard line. Perron, on the next play from scrimmage, picked up a first down for a 1st-and-goal from the 8-yard line. Karonika, from there, took the football the rest of the way for the second Trojan touchdown of the night. Sam Hollier’s extra point try was again good to put Sacred Heart ahead 14-3 at the 1:30 mark of the first quarter.
The teams went on to trade punts in a battle of field position. The stalemate ended halfway through the second quarter with Sacred Heart picking up another touchdown. The drive started with the Trojans returning a punt to the Crusader 48-yard line. Gabe Fontenot, on the first play from scrimmage, gained enough for a first down at the Crusader 38-yard line. Later in the drive, on 4th-and-6, an infraction against Westminster gave Sacred Heart a 1st-and-10 from the Crusader 23-yard line. Karonika, on the next snap, threw a 19-yard pitch and catch to Perron for a 1st-and-goal from the Crusader 4-yard line. Then, on 2nd-and-goal from the 1-yard line, Fontenot got a yard for the touchdown. The point after try was again good, and with 1:30 before the half, the Trojans extended their lead to 21-3.
After the kickoff, Westminster ran a halfback pass that was intercepted by Noah Soileau.
The Trojans were forced to punt following the change of possession, and Lucas Vallet’s punt penned Westminster deep inside its own territory to close out the first half with Sacred Heart hanging on to its 21-3 advantage.
Westminster got the football first to lead off the second half and turned the ball over on downs. Sacred Heart, then, went 3-and-out before forcing another Crusader turnover on downs.
With his team facing a 1st-and-10 from the Westminster 45-yard line, Karonika found a seam for a touchdown. However, it was negated by a holding call against the Trojans which set up a 1st-and-5 form the Crusader 40-yard line. Later, on 3rd-and-3, Soileau scooted his way into the end zone with 1:38 remaining in the third quarter. The extra point was no good, but Sacred Heart led 27-3.
Westminster answered with its first touchdown of the night early in the fourth quarter. After a missed two-point conversion, the Crusaders trailed 27-9.
Sacred Heart was able to get the points back on a 4-yard touchdown trot by Bradley Reed. The touchdown drive was spearheaded by a 48-yard run by Karonika on 4th-and-4. The extra point try was true to put the Trojans ahead 34-9.
Westminster returned the kick to the Sacred Heart 30-yard line and completed the possession with a 3-yard touchdown run by Landon Devillier. The Crusaders faked the extra point try and successfully completed a pass for a two-point conversion to make it a 34-17 game in favor of the Trojans.
Sacred Heart recovered the onside kick but was forced to turn the ball over on downs.
Westminster regained possession and was looking at a 3rd-and-10 from the Trojan 44-yard line. That is when Perron intercepted the pass to seal the game for his Trojans.
Sacred Heart will now take its 4-3, 1-1 records into next Friday’s home showdown against its arch-rival St. Ed’s.
“We know what kind of game that is,” Harper said. “That’s a big rivalry for us. We’ve had some success against them, but they’re strong this year. They play physical football. It’s going to be a war, and we just got to get some guys healthy and be ready to play.”
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TONY MARKS Editor