Blue Gators’ defense posts fourth straight shutout win | High Schools

Seldom do high school football coaches have to worry about their teams being locked in and ready to go when the playoffs begin.

Under ordinary circumstances, coaches find their respective teams are normally excited to begin a run at a possible championship, facing opponents from all over the state in the process.

Friday night’s matchup between the Ascension Episcopal Blue Gators and the Central Catholic of Morgan City Eagles in Youngsville was a little different, however.

Not only are the two teams members of District 7-1A, but they squared off in the final week of the regular season just last week, with Ascension Episcopal defeating Central Catholic 42-0 at the same site.

This week, it was 54-0 in the bi-district round of the Select Division IV bracket.

For Ascension Episcopal, it was its fourth consecutive victory and seventh in the last eight games.

Defensively, it was the defense’s fourth straight shutout and fifth in the last six games.

“We had some concern coming into this game, but only because it was 14-0 at halftime the last time we played, and because they (Central Catholic) have a few talented guys, who are very talented, and do some things well,”  Ascension Episcopal coach Jay Domengeaux said. “But as for our guys being ready to play; we had a really good week of practice, and they approached this like you’re supposed to approach it, so I was proud of the way they practiced this week and played tonight.

“Our senior leadership has a lot to do with that, and our senior leadership has grown, along with entire team, from Week 1. I think there’s a certain maturity about them right now, I think they see what’s important, and I’m proud of the way they’re leading these guys.”

No. 5-seeded Ascension Episcopal got on the scoreboard first, late in the first quarter, when Eli Gros scored on a 1-yard plunge with :06 remaining in the the opening quarter, which gave them a 7-0 lead.

The Blue Gators extended their lead at the 10:55 mark of the second period when Rusty Trotter kicked through a 40-yard field goal, which made it 10-0.

Gros who had a huge first half for the Blue Gators, scored his second touchdown the contest at the 7:58 mark of the second quarter with a 32-yard run, which extended the lead to 17-0.

Gros continued his sparkling play with a 9-yard yard touchdown run at the 2:31 mark of the second quarter, giving Ascension Episcopal a 24-0 advantage.

The Blue Gators took complete control of the game at the :10 mark of the second quarter, when Gros ran in a 12-yard touchdown, his fourth score of the first half, making it 31-0 – an advantage they would take with them into the halftime break.

Ascension Episcopal ran wild, not only in the first half, but throughout the game, scoring six rushing touchdowns, including five by Gros, behind an offensive line playing its best football of the year.

“The offensive line is another area we’ve really grown at, as a unit,” Domengeaux said. “You’re not good at anything if you’re not good on the offensive line. They make everybody around them better, and make the machine go, and our guys are really playing well right now.”

As they did to start the game, the Blue Gators scored on their first possession of the second half, when Trotter converted on his second field goal of the game, this one from 27 yards out, which widened their lead to 34-0 at he 8:11 mark of the third quarter.

“That stays on the back burner; no one really talks about that” Domengeaux said of his defense’s scoreless streak, which has now reached 24-consecutive quarters. “Really and truly; our guys are focused on their reads, and reacting fast to the football, and this is the result.

“Just because someone may happen to score some points on us in the future doesn’t mean that everything is a failure, so we’re just trying to play the way we want to.”

Ascension Episcopal advanced to semifinals last year, before falling to Riverside Academy, 42-14, in semifinals, after winning the 2016 Division IV Select state title, something Domengeaux thinks helps this year’s squad.

“Back since 2014, 2015; Ascension has played really good football over the years, and have had a lot of success,” Domengeaux said. “The come in now with a good work ethic, they expect the structure they’re going to get, they respond to it, and I’m very proud of them for it.”

With the victory, the Blue Gators improved to 7-3 on the season, while the loss ended Central Catholic’s season with an overall record of 4-7.

Ascension Episcopal will next travel to Natchitoches next Friday, where they will take on the 5th-seeded St. Mary Tigers in the Regional round.

“I don’t know a whole lot about them right now,” Domengeaux said of St. Mary’s. “But I do know they play good football and have had a lot of success, and the word on the street is that they’re a big, physical football team. So, we’ll look at them on film, figure out what we might be able to do against them, and our kids are going to work hard over the next week to see how we can fare against them next week.”