Late heroics lift Gents past Cecilia

 CECILIA – With two offensive powerhouses squaring off in a Week 3 matchup, many figured the Crowley-Cecilia game could wind up being a shootout.
They were right.
Fortunately, the Gents had one bullet more than the homestanding Bulldogs.
The Gents, behind quarterback Pate Broussard and running back Ty’Von Griffin, rallied from a 15-point deficit in the final quarter, punched in a two-point conversion with just over two minutes left and survived a last-second scare to surge past the Bulldogs, 50-49, in one of the wildest finishes of CHS head coach Josh Fontenot’s career..
“The heart and the fight, you could see it come out of them,” Fontenot said of his squad, which improved to 3-0 on the season.
“We just overcame, overcame and overcame and it was amazing. We didn’t play our best technically, but our heart and our effort was better than I have ever seen it; just the persistence, the whole nine yards.”
That persistence was evident late in the game  after Cecilia’s Kyle Guidry scored on a 3-yard run to put the Bulldogs up 49-34 with just over eight minutes to.
The Gents answered with a 24-yard touchdown run by Griffin, who followed up with a 2-point conversion run to cut the lead to 49-42 with 6:46 remaining.
The Gents turned the ball over on downs with just over four minutes remaining just outside the red zone and things looked bleak for Fontenot’s squad.
But the  CHS defense came through with a big stop, setting the stage for one of the biggest plays of the night.
On first down from his own 48, Broussard went to the air and connected with tight end John Marceaux on a 52-yard scoring strike that silenced the home crowd and left the Gents within a point of the lead, 49-48.
At that point,  Fontenot elected to go for the win instead of the tie and it turned out to be THE biggest play of the game.
“It was an easy call to make,” admitted Fontenot, whose team had a field goal and an extra point blocked earlier in the game. “To be honest, we were done kicking extra points because we were struggling with the snaps, the holds and the kicks; I wasn’t putting us out there to tie it and go to overtime in a game that we came back for 15 down.
“It wasn’t a tough call because our kicking game just wasn’t there tonight.”
The option to go for two instead of tying the game nearly proved fatal, however. Broussard’s pass to Terrell Thomas in the end zone was batted down. Fortunately for the Gents, the Bulldogs were flagged for interference and the Gents got a second chance.
This time, Fontenot elected to go to his bread and butter - Griffin - and the Gents retook the lead.
“Griff was looking at me and basically saying give the ball to me,” said Fontenot. “He wanted it and they weren’t going to stop him. We could have not blocked anybody on that play and they wouldn’t have stopped him.”
Griffin finished the night with 177 yards and three touchdowns, his first a 38-yard run in the first quarter. He also scored three 2-point conversions.
Griffin, however, wasn’t the leading rusher on the night. That honor went to Cecilia standout Raymond Calais, who picked up 276 yards and four touchdowns on 30 carries.
“That is one of the best football players I have every coached against, hands down,” said Fontenot of Calais. “He is as advertised and he stepped up tonight and played even bigger. He is amazing. We got him a couple of times, but a guy like that, he’s going to get his yards and, tonight, he lived up to the billing.”
Calais also had an 89-yard kickoff return for a touchdown with under a minute to go in the first half that gave the Bulldogs a 28-21 lead.
But with just 28 seconds before the intermission, the Gents took over at their own 49 and after a false start and  five-yard pass to Griffin, Broussard hit Xavier Johnson for a 51-yard touchdown strike to tie the game heading into the intermission.
“Xavier had an amazing catch,” said Fontenot of Johnson, who caught the ball in between three defenders, spun around and slipped into the end zone. “I have no idea how he kept his balance right there, but I’m glad he did.”
Marceaux, whose final touchdown reception was similar to Johnson’s, had a 13-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter and he finished the night with three catches for 142 yards and two scores.
“That’s John Marceaux right there,” said Fontenot. “We had been trying to save John and play him as little as we can on offense because he is valuable to us on defense. But tonight was a night where we needed a tight end because of their front and he was able to do both and he made some big plays.”
Mikal Hebert hauled in a 21-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter as well. He finished with four receptions for 83 yards.
Broussard, who completed 18 passes for 385 yards and three touchdowns, also hit Jacq’Co Price four times for 59 yards and Terrell Thomas four times for 35 yards. Griffin also had a 5-yard catch.
“Pate was phenomenal tonight,” said Fontenot. “Our receivers were phenomenal, I think everyone touched the ball. It was just an outstanding effort.”
Cecilia actually had one last chance to steal the victory away when the Bulldogs got the ball back with just over two minutes remaining. But penalties pushed the Bulldogs backward and on fourth down, quarterback Landon Roberts completed a pass down to the Gents’ 25-yard line, only to see it wiped out by a flag for him  crossing the line of scrimmage before the throw.
“There were so many things that went on tonight and we won, 50-49,” said Fontenot. “And we won a game that I think can catapult us to where we need to be. I was wondering how good we were and if we were good enough to come in here and win this game on the road, with tough calls and being down and I think that answered my question.”