By Malcolm Butler
It was an 0-for opening weekend for the local high school football teams in Lincoln Parish.
That’s the bad news.
However, there is still plenty of good.
Although Ruston, Cedar Creek and Lincoln Prep all dropped one-score games the past two nights, they all three could have easily found themselves on the other side of the Win-Loss Ledger.
A big play here. A penalty there. A turnover or missed assignment both here and there. They were all that close.
The three 48-minute contests were all up for grabs in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter. The Bearcats, Cougars and Panthers all had the football with a chance to take the lead.
They just didn’t.
Ruston fell to Warren Easton for the second straight year, this time by the score of 20-19. A missed extra point led to the Bearcats chasing points after their third TD. A failed two-point conversion on a somewhat controversial penalty call in the end zone led to a net zero.
And it was ultimately the difference on the final scoreboard.
The good news for the Bearcats is we all know they are talented, especially on the defensive side of the football. Jerrod Baugh and Co. simply lined up against another very talented team and came up short.
Same thing happened on opening weekend last year in a season that saw Ruston win its way to the Dome.
The biggest question moving forward for the Bearcats is whether Josh Brantley will be able to make plays through the air when opponents stack the box to stop the run. And my educated guess is the opponents will do exactly that until Brantley proves he can make them pay.
Only time will tell, and the schedule doesn’t get any easier.
Across I-20 and a little further north in town, the Cougars had their chances to start the season with a victory. They simply didn’t, falling 22-18 to Glenbrook.
A quick start by an Apaches bunch coming off an 11-1 record and quarterfinal appearance last year put Creek into a position of trying to play catch up all night. And they almost did.
The good news is Ladd Thompson made some plays on the ground and through the air, totaling almost 200 yards of total offense and three scores. Creek outgained the Apaches in total yards.
And not to be outdone, Lawson Lillo was in beast mode on the defensive side of the football, totaling 26 — yes, 26 — tackles in the game for the Cougars.
Three TDs by both teams, but Glenbrook with two successful two-point conversions proved to be the difference.
Creek had the ball deep in Glenbrook territory with about four minutes to play but 40 yards worth of penalties on one play — an offensive holding and then back-to-back post-play unsportsmanlike flags — pushed the football all the way back past midfield and the Cougars never threatened to score again as the clock struck zeros.
The biggest question for Cedar Creek is can the Cougars stay healthy. With only 28 players on the roster, depth is a hug concern. Friday night saw the early September heat contribute to cramps, cramps and more cramps for players who are playing on both sides of the football.
Health is the key for the Creek.
On Thursday night, Lincoln Prep opened its brand new beautiful stadium with a 14-8 loss to Madison in a game that saw more laundry on the field then in a Laundry mat.
Flags were a flying in a game that saw very little scoring. The Panthers were tied 8-8 in the second half before Madison took the lead in the fourth quarter.
Lincoln Prep had their opportunity late in the game, driving inside Madison territory, but like their two Lincoln Parish brethren, couldn’t find a way to take the late lead.
The good news is Lincoln Prep has a place to call home. And a beautiful facility at that.
The biggest question for the Panthers is will they be able to clean up the penalties and play fundamental football and give themselves a chance to win. It’s a long season and Glen Hall and Co. will plenty more chances.
Another piece of good news for all three teams is effort wasn’t an issue. All three coaches praised their teams effort on opening week. Execution was an issue, something that can rear its ugly head in the first weekend or two of a season.
It’s just Week One. And Bearcat, Cougar and Panthers fans all have plenty to be excited about as we look towards Week Two.
