In another high-scoring matchup between two Ascension Parish District 5-5A foes, the Prairieville defense and special teams led the No. 19-seeded Hurricanes to a historical 43-29 Division I nonselect bi-district victory at No. 14-seeded St. Amant on Friday night.
Brycen Glover broke a fourth-quarter tie with his second interception, a turnover he returned 70 yards for a touchdown. Then Caleb Chauvin’s 41-yard punt return set up quarterback Skylar Kelly’s 2-yard touchdown run for the clinching score.
The Hurricanes (7-4), who beat the Gators (6-5) 42-35 on Oct. 23, claimed their first playoff win in the school’s three-year history.
Prairieville advances to play No. 3-seeded Northshore, which had a bye through the bi-district round.
“First playoff win ever, road win, winning at The Pit, there’s a lot to it that we’re pretty happy about,” Prairieville coach Mike Schmitt said. “Glory to God that the boys are healthy, and it was just a great night.”
Kelly’s fourth-quarter TD was his third scoring run of the night, including an 83-yarder late in the first quarter. He rushed for 144 yards and also threw two touchdown passes. Teammate Courtnei Payne added 90 yards rushing.
Jourden Hickerson rushed for 80 yards and three TDs for St. Amant, and it looked like the Gators might pull the game out in the fourth quarter.
Tied at 29-29 just seven seconds into the last quarter, St. Amant took over at its own 14 and drove to the Prairieville 32, aided by a fourth-down penalty and a successful fake punt. But Glover swung the game to the Hurricanes as he jumped an out route and raced to the end zone with 6:16 to go.
“I thought there were two huge plays in the fourth quarter that changed the game,” St. Amant coach David Oliver said. “Thought we had a decent day on special teams. We forced a fumble for a touchdown, had a nice punt return that put us on a short (field), and we faked a punt for a first down. After that fake punt, it all went south.”
The two teams traded momentum-swinging plays in a wild first half marked by big plays on special teams.
Dreyden Torbert’s 26-yard punt return set up Hickerson’s 5-yard run to pull St. Amant even at 7-7 with 11:10 to go in the second quarter.
Prairieville answered when Tucker Vadnais recovered a St. Amant punt return fumble at the Gators 35. Kelly scored on a 5-yard quarterback keeper to give Prairieville a 14-7 edge with 6:45 remaining in the first half.
Then St. Amant went from down seven to up by seven in the span of five seconds. Hickerson’s 7-yard run tied the game at 14-14 with 3:28 remaining in the first half. Prairieville then fielded the ensuing kickoff inside the 5, and after a hit jarred the ball loose, Daylin Tolliver recovered it in the end zone to put the Gators ahead 21-14.
Prairieville had the last word before halftime with an 81-yard drive, capped by Kelly’s 37-yard TD pass to Kale Daigle.
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