By T. Scott Boatright
MONROE — Cedar Creek won the game of adjustments but not on the scoreboard Saturday as the Cougars fell 21-7 in a chippy Bayou Jamb contest against D’Arbonne Woods at Malone Stadium on the University of Louisiana-Monroe campus.
That chippiness showed in the Cougars being flagged eight times for 85 yards. That’s only 10 less than the 95 yards of total offense they totaled in the jamboree.
“We’ve got to worry about us,” Angevine said. “There was too much stuff going on on social media and other things this week — just jawing back and forth between the teams. With (D’Arbonne Woods) being just 30 minutes up the road, we all know each other.
“So, the kids like to play against other, and emotions got a little loose at times out there. We’ve just got to worry about us and getting better and doing what we do best.
D’Arbonne Woods wasted no time taking control.
The Timberwolves scored their first touchdown 40 seconds into the game as Ethan Thrash slashed through Cedar Creek’s defensive front and raced 46 yards to put D’Arbonne Woods up 7-0 after the PAT kick.
And after their defense held Cedar Creek to a three-and-out series on the ensuing possession, the Timberwolves quickly hit paydirt again as quarterback Dalton Albritton connected with Thrash on a 46-yard crossing route that the D’Arbonne Woods running back kicked on the afterburners to finish.
That gave the Timberwolves a 14-0 advantage only 2:21 into the game.
But the Cougars settled down after that.
D’Arbonne Woods did move as deep as the Cedar Creek 24 with a little more than three minutes left in the first, but back-to-back tackles for losses by Trigger Woodard and Noah Smith turned the ball over to the Cougars on downs.
It seemed like a different group of Cougars out on the field in the second half.
Cedar Creek marched 65 yards for a score to open the second stanza, with quarterback Brett Bell rushing for 17 yards before being hit late out of bounds to add 15 more yards on that play before Bell hit Payton Harris on a 20-yard pass play that had 15 yards tacked on after another late hit by the Timberwolves.
Four plays later Cedar Creek’s Ryan Coleman powered his way to paydirt from three yards out for Cedar Creek’s lone touchdown with 7:50 remaining.
D’Arbonne Woods countered with a methodical, clock-chewing 65-yard drive that culminated with a 5-yard touchdown run by Thorne Stripling with 1:42 left in the contest.
Despite seeing that, Angevine was pleased with the way his team kept battling, especially in the second half.
“The second half is what we need,” Angevine said. “That second-half effort is what we need day in and day one. In the first half, we came out a little sluggish. Obviously, it’s new coming out at 11 on a Saturday morning. We can either make an excuse or make a way. We did a better job of making that way in the second half. We have to play that way the whole game.”
Angevine said thinking through some changes during intermission helped his Cougars in the second half.
“We made some adjustments,” Angevine said. “We knew they were gashing us up front. Our pad level was a little too high. We made some adjustments at the half and we came out on all cylinders in the second half.”
Bell led Cedar Creek with 35 yards on six carries while completing 1-of-3 passes for 20 yards on the connection with Harris.
Not having played on the gridiron since being a student at Ruston Junior High, Bell’s performance pleased his head coach.”
“Brett hasn’t played (football) since he was an eighth grader and it showed a little,” Angevine said. “It’s going to keep getting more and more natural for him. But with live bullets flying at him today, I think he handled himself pretty well and got better once he settled down some.
“He’ll get better and better week-by-week.”
Cedar Creek junior Hayden Durrett was named Cedar Creek’s MVP after rushing for 30 yards on seven carries and flying all over the field on both sides of the ball.
“I wish I had 10 more of him, he’s awesome,” Angevine said of Durrett. “He’s going to be a focal point on offense and a leader for us on defense.
“He’s like the Energizer Bunny.”
Defensively, the Cougars were led by Smith with six tackles while Harris added five.
Cedar Creek opens the 2025 season on Friday at home against Delhi Charter.
