Jennings dismantles Iota in district action

IOTA – If it wasn’t evident before Jennings is on a mission, Iota, meanwhile may be facing mission: impossible.
After falling in Week 6 to St. Louis in a shocker, the Jennings Bulldogs (6-2, 2-1) have now rattle off two straight wins and now control their own District 4-3A destiny. The latest coming at the hands against the Iota Bulldogs (0-8, 0-3), spoiling Iota’s homecoming Friday night by the score of 34-6.
“They’re so good offensively,” said Iota coach Neal Legé. “We knew that coming in. They’re so physical upfront.”
“I think (the loss to St. Louis) refocused us; we got back to fundamental football, blocking and tackling” said Jennings coach Rusty Phelps. “I think the last two weeks we’ve done a better job of it.
“I like where this team is heading right now. Proud of my coaches, proud of my players tonight. We played a bunch of people and that was good for our young guys.
“I just thought it was a good night for us. We were playing fast. I was proud of our effort tonight.”
The first quarter tells the game’s tale well. Jennings picked up 21 points and 173 yards. Iota mustered 0 points, only 40 yards and had little offensive output until late in the first quarter.
The star of the quarter for JHS was Travis Etienne. On the heels of his four-touchdown performance against South Beauregard, the sophomore running back tacked on two of Jennings’ three touchdowns in the frame, running from 66 yards out (9:13 remaining) and 28 yards out (1:37 remaining). Sandwiched in between was senior running back Luke Trahan’s 8 yard touchdown run with 4:52 remaining.
The Jennings Bulldogs capitalized first on a three-and-out by Iota and drove the ball from its own territory on the fourth play of the drive. Etienne’s 66 yard touchdown was only the start of things to come though. Jennings scored again after an Iota three-and out. This time on play seven of the drive from 8 yards out. Finally, Etienne would get his second touchdown of the game on the fourth play of a drive that began in Iota territory thanks to Iota’s only 16 yard punt.
By halftime, Iota would have added 0 yards and were held to only six offensive possessions. Meanwhile, Jennings would add 74 more yards and another score. Again, it was Etienne, this time scoring from 2 yards out with 34 seconds remaining in the half. For such a senior-strong team, it has been the sophomore stealing the show. His third touchdown, and final of the night, came from a drive that began with a blocked punt by Jennings that gave JHS only 35 yards to work with. Seven plays later, Etienne would run in again.
“He’s playing really well, I think he’ll be the first to admit that it’s his offensive line,” said Phelps.
“He did a really nice job tonight.”
After receiving the third quarter kickoff, Jennings didn’t waste time in adding to the scoreboard statistics. The first play from scrimmage saw Jennings’ Jacob Soileau run in from 65 yards out with 11:30 remaining.
As the Iota Bulldogs youth on the field began being met with Jennings youth, Iota came into form. Iota would add 113 offensive yards in the second half as well as a touchdown. After nine plays, and 4 minutes and 9 seconds, Iota’s Austen Montgomery ran in from 2 yards out with 3:03 remaining.
Montgomery re-entered the game as quarterback early in the second quarter after senior starting quarterback Tim Lunson re-injured his ankle.
“(It looks like) he rolled it on the outside this time,” said Legé. “He re-aggravated it, but it’s also a new one, a high ankle sprain on the outside.
“Poor guy ... He was just getting it back to where he was relatively moving pretty good on that ankle, and this happens.”
Another Iota Bulldogs player went down Friday night as well as Michael Miers came up limping after the Bulldogs lone extra point attempt. The extent of Miers’ injury was not immediately known.
“It just keeps piling up,” said Legé.
Jennings finished the night with two 100-plus yard rushers. Etienne had 133 yards on six carries and three touchdowns and Jacob Soileau had 131 yards, including a 65 yard touchdown run in the third quarter, on nine carries. Its two quarterbacks – starter Kaleb Chaisson and back up Kendrick LeJeune – combined for 15 yards and threw three completions on five attempts with Curtis Bell nabbing one in the air for 12 yards.
Iota, meanwhile, saw Kaleb Guillory rush for over the century mark again (14 carries for 101 yards). Montgomery and Lunson would go 5-10 for 25 yards combined with Hunter Andrus and Alex Frey each having a catch for 12 yards and 11 yards, respectively.
Iota plays its final road game of the year at South Beauregard who fell to St. Louis Friday night at home. Jennings, meanwhile, will host Iowa. Both games are scheduled for Halloween night.