By T. Scott Boatright
The weather at Cougars Stadium Friday night was anything but special.
But the 30-0 Division IV Select School playoff win for 16th-seeded Cedar Creek over 17th-seeded Slaughter Community Charter was certainly special.
And fittingly, it came largely in part thanks to the play of Cedar Creek’s special teams units.
Numerous pressures by Lawson Lillo causing bad punts, including one he blocked, a punt return touchdown by Ladd Thompson and two consecutive sky kickoffs recovered by the Cougars quickly turned what looked like it would be a defensive slugfest into a 20-0 lead for Cedar Creek with 9:28 remaining in the first half.
Cedar Creek opened scoring late in the first stanza as Lillo’s near punt block resulted in it traveling only five yards downfield before Thompson grabbed it and danced his way 35 yards through a soggy, muddy field to put the Cougars on top 7-0 following Davis Long’s point after kick at the 1:03 mark of the first quarter.
But Cedar Creek’s special surge was only getting started.
Long sky kicked the ensuing kickoff, with the ball biting when it hit the wet field with the Cougars pouncing on it.
Taking over at the Slaughter 37, Creek quarterback Caden Middleton hit Austin Webb on a 33-yard pass that set up a four-yard scoring scamper by Lane Thomas to push the Cougars’ lead to 14-0 with 9:28 remaining in the first half.
Then it was a case of déjà vu as Long again sky kicked the ensuing kickoff, and again it hit the grass and sank into the mud with the Cougars recovering it.
Thomas then pounded the ball downfield to set up a three-yard Thompson touchdown run that pushed the Cedar Creek advantage to 20-0 after Long’s PAT kick was blocked.
“It’s one of those deals that we saw film on them all week and felt like we might be able to do that,” said Cougars coach Matt Middleton. “That’s why we didn’t put a returner back. We went all out after it. To be able to do that. Then those sky kicks early — to be able to do that was a really big deal.
“They’re (the Knights) a great team and so electric. We felt like special teams was going to be where we might have a shot to win it. And that really paid off. We did just enough to not get our group in a bind.”
A Thompson interception set up a late first-half score for Cedar Creek as Long’s 23-yard field goal at the 1:14 mark of the second quarter sent the Cougars into the locker room at halftime holding a 23-0 lead.
Cedar Creek’s final score came at the 4:15 mark of the third quarter as Thomas fired through the gap off left tackle on a six-yard touchdown run.
“It’s a big win … huge win … phenomenal win,” said Middleton. “It got the monkey off our back. I’m not going to lie — we had a great week of preparation, but I’ve been worried sick about the weather. But these kids are so resilient. We’re 7-0 at home, but now we have to face the top-seeded team. I’m fired up about it.
“At the end of the day, you’ve got to beat the No. 1 anyway, so we’re where we want to be. We’re excited about it.”
A defensive stand the Cougars made late in the third quarter is something Middleton hopes his Cougars can build on as they play at top-seeded Vermilion Catholic next week in Round 2 of the playoffs.
SCC drove as deep as the Cougars’ nine-yard line before Cedar Creek forced a turnover on downs to preserve the shutout and maintain that momentum heading into next week’s game.
“Mark Ware has done so great for so long here as a defensive coordinator, and last week was a gut check with what we went through,” Middleton said. “We’re accustomed to stopping people and getting after people.
“He challenged the defense this week. I challenged them. And they got after it and were relentless tonight. We wanted that shutout. We needed the momentum it brings as we turn our focus toward Vermilion Catholic.”
Cedar Creek held the Knights to 99 total yards of offense, but the Cougars also struggled to move the ball on the soggy, muddy field.
Thomas totaled only 51 yards on 19 carries, but made up for it with two receptions for 39 yards and on the other side of the ball with a team-best 11 tackles while Quincy Lewis added nine takedowns.
Brian Osborne led Cedar Creek receivers in catches with four for 38 yards.
Middleton admitted the rains that hit Ruston earlier in the day into the first half of the contest made things tough on both offenses.
“It took away everything,” Middleton said of the poor field conditions. “We did two-man, Cover 1 coverage all week. That’s what they play across the board. We had a completely different game plan. We were going to throw it. We had a great week preparing for it.
“We didn’t get under center and work on that until the last couple of days, just for survival mode. That’s why I’m so fired up for our kids and excited for them — because they did such a great job.”
