NEW ORLEANS \u2013 Jerrod Baugh stressed to his team on the Caesars Superdome field that Saturday afternoon did not define the Ruston Bearcats\u2019 season.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Bearcats (2-1) had just lost a hard-fought battle against Edna Karr, 21-14, when senior quarterback Sam Hartwell\u2019s desperation jump ball toward seniors Ahmad Hudson and Josiah Morgan in the corner of the end zone hit the turf with no time remaining on the clock.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was Karr\u2019s 30th victory in a row, and the Bearcats\u2019 third straight loss at the Superdome. It was also a game that Baugh thinks might help them break that losing streak in December.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t have to win this ball game to win a state championship,\u201d Baugh told his team after the game. \u201cWhat you can\u2019t do is live in this game. You understand what I\u2019m saying? This ball game ain\u2019t the one that we\u2019re trying to win anyway \u2026 at the end of the day, it\u2019s a week 3 ball game. We\u2019ve got a bunch of ball games left. Use it to get better.\u201d<\/p>\n
The game was billed as a matchup between the top two teams in Louisiana. Ruston entered with the Louisiana Sports Writers Association\u2019s top ranking in Class 5A, while Karr (3-0) carried the No. 2 ranking.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Despite an electric atmosphere in the Superdome, the Bearcats got off to a terrible start.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Karr took the opening drive of the game in for a score, courtesy of Jermond Macklin\u2019s 3-yard touchdown run. The Cougars intercepted Sam Hartwell on the Bearcats\u2019 first drive, setting up a short field that led to an 11-yard TD run by Macklin.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Less than eight minutes into the game, Ruston trailed by 14.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we slept-walked through the first two or three possessions in the first quarter,\u201d Baugh said. \u201cYou can\u2019t spot a team like that 14 points early in the game. I thought defensively we kind of hung in there. They scored seven points after the first couple of possessions there.\u201d<\/p>\n
After the slow start, Dalen Powell and the Bearcats woke up in a big way. Powell answered Karr\u2019s second score with a 71-yard TD run less than a minute later, and Powell\u2019s 14-yard touchdown midway through the second quarter tied the game at 14.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Keilan Davis\u2019 interception late in the second quarter kept the game tied heading into halftime.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Baugh lamented the Bearcats\u2019 \u201cmissed opportunities\u201d on Saturday, adding his team struggled with inconsistency on both sides of the ball.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ruston looked ready to take the lead on the first possession of the second half, marching into Karr territory after a successful fake punt in which senior punter Joaquin Ramos connected with Davis for a fourth-down conversion.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Baugh said the Bearcats had been working on the fake for several seasons, but they were unable to take advantage of the big play and the drive stalled.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve got to capitalize on big plays like that, and we just fizzled out,\u201d Baugh said. \u201cWe didn\u2019t do the things necessary to get the ball in the end zone. You can\u2019t do that against good football teams like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Baugh credited Karr for its execution, especially on the defensive side of the ball as the Cougars pressured Hartwell all game long. He said the Cougars \u201cplayed hard (and) are used to winning football games.\u201d The Bearcats failed to match their intensity.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Karr coach Brice Brown said he was proud of the performance of his young team, which replaced roughly 25 college signees, particularly on the defensive side of the ball.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought we tackled well,\u201d Brown said. \u201cThey have a lot of Division I players over there. Sometimes people get back at you. Last year, signing all of those guys, and then going against a team that has the same amount of talent that we always have is refreshing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Karr took the lead on Macklin\u2019s third touchdown of the game, a 3-yarder with 9:31 remaining in the game, and the Cougar defense made several defensive stops down the stretch.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ruston got one unexpected shot at winning the game in the final seconds. After one final defensive stop, Karr botched the snap over the punter\u2019s head to set up the Bearcats at the 16-yard line.<\/p>\n
But Hartwell bobbled the snap and took a sack, leaving just one second on the clock after the Bearcats hustled to spike the ball. His final heave fell harmlessly to the Superdome turf as the Cougars celebrated victory.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Powell rushed for 119 yards and two scores to lead a Bearcat offense that was limited to just 234 yards of offense in a game dominated by defense. Hartwell finished 12-of-27 for 104 yards, connecting four times each with Morgan (33 yards) and Hudson (29 yards).\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Bearcat defense, meanwhile, held Karr to 259 yards of total offense. Marlon Jones led the Cougars with 73 rushing yards, mostly in the second half, while Macklin added 58.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Despite Saturday\u2019s loss, Baugh reiterated that the Bearcats have big games remaining on the schedule, beginning with next week\u2019s game against Catholic of Baton Rouge at Hoss Garrett Stadium.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI want \u2018em to come back to work tomorrow afternoon,\u201d Baugh said. \u201cWe\u2019ve got video. We\u2019re gonna lift weights. We\u2019re gonna get after it. And after all of that is over, when they show up Monday, it\u2019s all about Catholic.\u201d<\/p>\n
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