Bobcats explode for 56-25 win

The Eunice High Bobcats rallied with 42 points in the second half to overcome a 19-14 halftime deficit on the way to a 56-25 victory over the Northwest High Raiders.
The Raiders got off to a great start with Matthew Rideau recovering a Bobcat fumble at the Eunice 32. But the Bobcat defense held the Raiders out of the end zone with a stop at the 22-yard line.
The Bobcats would start a 78-yard,13-play touchdown drive to open the scoring. Quarterback Alex Richard capped the drive with a four-yard run and Wesley Hebert nailed the PAT for a 7-0 lead. Key plays on the drive included runs of 10, 11, and 12 yards by Nick Powell and an 11-yard run by Darin Serie.
The lead was short-lived as the Raiders’ Chris Lee returned the ensuing kickoff 84 yards down to the Bobcat 7-yard line. Rideau finished the drive with a two-yard touchdown run. Alex Fontenot kicked the PAT to tie the game at 7-7 with 2:12 left in the first quarter.
Following the kickoff, the Cats lost another fumble at their own 29. It took six plays to cash in on the Eunice mistake, with Jamarcus Collins scoring from the 7-yard line. The PAT kick was blocked by Travis Godfrey, leaving the Raiders with a 13-7 lead.
The Bobcats responded with a 54-yard,10-play touchdown drive. Powell completed the drive with a one-yard run and Hebert kicked the PAT for a 14-13 lead. Powell had runs of 13 and 10 yards and Richard added a 14-yard scramble during the drive.
Northwest bounced right back with another kickoff return that gave the ball to the Raiders at the Eunice 14-yard line. Lee capped the short drive with a two-yard run. The Cats’ Aiyh Johnson blocked the PAT but the Raiders held a 19-14 lead with 3:19 left in the first half.
The Cats got a 40-yard pass play from Richard to Travis Godfrey on their possession, but the Raiders held the Cats out of the end zone to go in at half with the lead.
The Cats came out in the third quarter and forced a punt from the Raiders, taking over possession at the Eunice 49. The Cats would drive 51 yards in eight plays, with Powell climaxing the drive with a 3-yard run. Hebert’s PAT put the Cats on top by a 21-19 margin.
The Raiders were unable to move the ball and a short punt gave the Cats the football at their own 39. The Bobcats would go 61 yards in five plays, with a Richard to Dashawn Vigers pass covering 44 yards. Four plays later, Powell scored on a two-yard run and Hebert kicked the PAT to push the Bobcat lead to 28-19 with 2:37 left in the third quarter.
Northwest responded with another big play as Lee got loose for a 62-yard run with set up a touchdown pass from Lee to Collins covering 17 yards. The PAT kick was missed, keeping the score at 28-25 in favor of the Bobcats.
The Cats came right back with a 50-yard, 6-play drive capped by Powell’s five-yard scoring run. Hebert missed the PAT, but the Cats increased their lead to 34-25 heading into the fourth quarter. Big plays on the drive included a Richard to Georrein Dupre covering 25 yards. Godfrey had a 16-yard keeper as well.
The Raiders were unable to move the ball following the kickoff and the Cats took over at their own 48. The Raiders’ defense forced the Cats to punt. But the snap sailed over Hebert’s head, forcing the punter to recover the ball at his own 25.
Hebert evaded the Raiders and found Godfrey open down the field at the Eunice 40. Godfrey found an opening and sprinted down the sideline behind a bevy of blockers to score the touchdown. The play officially counted as a 40-yard touchdown pass from Hebert to Godfrey. Powell scored a two-point conversion to make it 42-25.
The Cats would add two more touchdowns in the final 4:12 of the game. Powell added a one-yard touchdown run and Darin Serie broke free on a 30-yard run. Austin Manuel kicked the PAT following Serie’s score.
The Bobcats finished the game with 297 rushing yards and 203 passing yards for a total of 500 yards. Powell finished with four touchdowns and 165 yards rushing on 28 carries. Godfrey had four receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown.
Lee led Northwest with 20 carries for 142 yards and a touchdown.