By T. Scott Boatright
It was both a special and big victory for Ruston High School as the Bearcats took a timely 49-7 win over Ouachita Parish High School on Senior Night at L.J. “”Hoss” Garrett Stadium.
That’s because special teams plays along with big plays in all phases of the game sparked the Bearcats to the win that featured a running clock beginning with 3:07 remaining in the second quarter after Ruston moved out to a 42-point lead.
The big-play principle was a key factor for the Bearcats from the get-go as on the first play from scrimmage after the opening kickoff, Ruston quarterback Josh Brantley swept out wide right and sprinted 65 yards to paydirt to give RHS a 7-0 lead at the 10:49 mark of the opening stanza.
“We needed to start fast and not give Ouachita any momentum and big plays help make that happen,” said RHS coach Jerrod Baugh. “That was one thing we talked about as a coaching staff and it always helps if you run a long one in.”
How did the opening kick that was fair caught followed by one play — Brantley’s scoring scamper — chew 1:11 off the clock? That was another part of the timely win as the clock on the opening kickoff never stopped until Brantley crossed the Ouachita goal line.
That same early running clock after a kickoff miscue happened again later in the first quarter after Ouachita’s lone score of the night.
“I didn’t even realize that,” Baugh said. “I guess we were too wrapped up in other things.”
Ruston’s special teams recorded its first big play of the night on Ouachita’s opening possession after Brantley’s score. Ruston’s defense twice stuffed OPHS running backs for losses before a third down incompletion forced the Lions to punt.
And the Bearcats blocked that punt to take over at the Ouachita eight-yard line. Jordan Hayes’ touchdown run on the next play pushed the RHS advantage to 14-0 only 4:14 into the contest.
RHS kickoff specialist Joaquin Ramos was successful on an onsides attempt on the following play as another big special teams play gave the ball to the Bearcats on the OPHS 48-yard line.
“It was something we saw on video and it’s something I told the kids that if we line up right on our first kickoff that we were going to go ahead and onside it,” Baugh said. “We didn’t get it on that first one but I’m hard-headed enough that if they give it to us that’s something we have to do. Just because it doesn’t work once doesn’t mean that we’re not going to go back to it.
“The kids take a lot of pride in it and it’s something that we do work at a bunch and we were able to get a couple of them.”
But Ouachita didn’t allow a first down on that drive and then blocked Ruston’s punt attempt before scoring two plays later to cut the Ruston lead to 14-7 at the 3:56 mark of the first quarter with the second “early running clock” occurring on the ensuing kickoff.
Ruston then marched downfield on a 78-yard drive with Hayes’ second score of the night pushing the RHS lead to 21-7.
Ramos was back at it again on the next play with another successful onsides kick that gave the ball back to Ruston at the OPHS 46-yard line with 10:13 left in the first half.
“We do a bunch of special teams work,” Baugh said. “We’ve been knowing since he was in the eighth grade that he was going to be a really good kicker. He does a great job at placing the ball in specific spots, and we worked at finding the open areas where the ball would hit the ground where we could get it.
“It’s the same way with the shorter sky kicks we do where we look for empty spots on the field, and Ramos does a great job of putting it into those empty spots where nobody’s at and we get to scramble. We should have gotten another we had a chance at along the sideline.”
Then the Bearcats went to the big-play principle again as Brantley fired a 46–yard scoring strike to Zhy Scott to put Ruston on top 28-7 at the 10:06 mark of the second quarter.
A big interception by Semaj Jones on Ouachita’s next possession set up another RHS score to give the Bearcats a 28-point advantage at 35-7 only 2:37 into the second stanza.
Ruston’s big-play attack went into effect again with 3:59 left before halftime as Hayes broke loose on a 73-yard scoring scamper that put the Bearcats on top 42-7.
And the Bearcats began the running clock a couple of plays later on a pick six by Zander Hayes to make for a quick second half and end to the game.
