BY DANIEL SCHMIDT
THE OBSERVER
BEAUREGARD — Explosive plays were the name of the game as Beauregard High School (0-2) allowed three 50-plus-yard touchdowns to LaFayette High School (1-1) during a 45-22 road defeat at Bulldog Stadium on Aug. 28.
Jeffery Holloway led the Hornets with two rushing TDs, while Jadontae Jones snagged an interception and Amari Philpot ran for a TD.
Demetrius Harrington finished 13-for-20 for 284 passing yards and four TDs, Jay Whitlow rushed 16 times for 111 yards and a TD and Zephi Madden totaled 12 total tackles and two tackles for loss for the Bulldogs.
Beauregard head coach Seneric McCurdy thanked the fans, band and cheerleaders for traveling well and sticking with the team the entire game, and said his players’ improved effort caught his eye.
“Last week, I didn’t think we gave great effort [in a 27-0 loss to Reeltown High School]. I think it was due to it being our first time competing,” McCurdy said. “I think the kids gave better effort tonight to play for all four quarters. Even though we were down, they never gave up. It’s a young group, so every game is going to be a learning process, and we can’t fix everything at one time.”
After a scoreless opening quarter that saw Jadontae Jones intercept a LaFayette pass deep in Beauregard territory, the Bulldogs turned the second quarter into a rout, piling up 25 points before halftime and riding a string of big plays.
LaFayette first broke through when Demetrius Harrington hit Madden for a 7-yard TD with 11:22 left in the second quarter. The extra point was good, and from there the Bulldogs’ defense and special teams took control.
Kemare Harrington’s interception at the LaFayette 45 set up the next score — a gorgeous over-the-shoulder 24-yard TD grab by Kentavious Cobb with 7:54 to go in the half.
Zaquarious Jackson then stretched the lead with a 63-yard TD reception at the 5:57 mark, though a penalty on the Bulldogs erased the two-point try, leaving it 19-0.
Special teams delivered the next blow when Kentravion Patten scooped up a blocked punt and returned it 18 yards for a TD with 3:19 remaining, pushing LaFayette’s margin to 25-0.
With the Hornets down in a sizable hole and racking up pre-snap penalties, McCurdy vowed to improve in-game communication.
“I’ve got to do a better job too with the organization, substitutes, that type of stuff,” McCurdy said. “What we did as far as the coaching, I wasn’t pleased with that tonight, and that starts with me. That’s not on the kids or the coaching staff. That’s on me.”
Beauregard finally answered right before the break as Holloway broke free on a 65-yard TD run and Shane Morrison ran in the two-point conversion, sending the Bulldogs into halftime up 25-8.
The third quarter belonged to LaFayette’s kicking game. An interception by Keyshawn Beard at the LaFayette 48 with 6:14 left set the tone, and Kemare Harrington hauled in a 52-yard TD catch moments later to make it 31-8.
Then, after another blocked punt and a 35-yard return by Kemare Harrington, Whitlow punched in a 5-yard TD run and added the two-point conversion catch to open a 39-8 lead.
Beauregard, to its credit, showed it could also make plays on special teams. Following Whitlow’s TD, Holloway rumbled down the Hornets’ sideline on a long kickoff return that set the Hornets up at the LaFayette 10 yard line. Holloway capped the drive with a 2-yard TD run and a two-point conversion run to trim the deficit to 39-16 with 1:21 left in the third.
By this point in the game, it became apparent Holloway would shoulder a significant amount of the load for the Hornets on offense, defense and special teams.
“He’s just a fighter, man. He could have easily not played this year or transferred out, but he stuck around,” McCurdy said. “He doesn’t come off the field, even when I try to take him off, because he doesn’t want to come out. And he ran extremely hard tonight and played hard on defense. He’s our leader, has a positive attitude and keeps the guys uplifted.”
LaFayette responded in the fourth quarter when Tomekeo Lockhart broke loose for a 67-yard touchdown reception with 2:28 to play, extending the lead to 45-16.
Philpot finally closed out the scoring for Beauregard, bouncing off right tackle for a 22-yard touchdown run with 52 seconds remaining to set the final margin at 45-22.
The Hornets host Greenville High School at Hornet Stadium on Friday, Sept. 4, at 7 p.m. to open Class 4A Region 4 play. The Tigers (1-1) are coming off a 23-20 loss to Alma Bryant High School.
