News, Sports and Entertainment for St. Martin Parish, La.

Big plays, turnovers cost SM in 21-12 loss

Napoleonville – Assumption quarterback Daron Williams scored three touchdowns – including runs of 74 and 42 yards – and St. Martinville fumbled six times with three turnovers as the Fighting Mustangs handed the Tigers a 21-12 loss here last Friday.
Playing on a rain-soaked field, the Tigers had trouble holding on to the ball, with QB Dyllan Derousselle fumbling five times in the first half with one turnover along with an interception. He was replaced by Jared Davis in the second half but Davis also coughed up a fumble and was picked off.
But the Tiger defense managed to keep the game close until the final minute when the Mustangs were clinging to a 14-12 lead and Williams tried a quarterback sneak to run down the clock. Somehow he broke through a mob of bodies at the line of scrimmage, found nothing but grass between him and the end zone and raced 42 yards to slam the door on the Tigers.
Williams also scored on a 74-yard sweep midway through the third period that put Assumption up 14-6.
The Mustangs pretty much owned the first half as Tiger possessions kept misfiring due to the slippery ball.
SM’s biggest scoring opportunity came midway through the opening stanza when Reece Fredrick recovered a Mustang fumble at the Assumption 13. But two plays later Derouselle’s first pass attempt was picked off and returned to the SM 39.
It took the Mustangs just four plays to put the first points on the board with Zyshawn Richard ripping off a 29-yard gain to the two and Williams going in from one yard out.
The Tigers flubbed another scoring opportunity during the second quarter after taking over at the AHS 31 following a Mustang punt. Carries by Kain Pitre – who would finish with 93 yards on 21 totes – and Deantre James moved the ball to the 20, but two fumbles, one resulting in an 8-yard loss, killed the threat.
Later in the half a short Assumption punt and a 35-yard Derouselle-to-Wiltyree Marshall pass set the Tigers up at the Wildcat 17. But Derousselle fumbled the snap and Assumption recovered.
The Tigers threatened one more time just before intermission when a pass interference penalty against the Mustangs moved SM to the 26. But the Tigers lost 19 yards on a fumble and three sacks as the half ended with the Mustangs still up by 7.

The ’Villle’s first possession of the second half ended when the Mustangs intercepted Jared Davis’s first pass attempt and ran it back for an apparent touchdown. But the Mustangs were guilty of an illegal block on the return and the score was nullified.
SM got the ball right back three plays later when Jean Paul LeBlanc picked off a Williams pass at the AHS 38.
This time the Tigers were not to be denied as Pitre hammered the Mustang defense and moved the ball to the AHS 2. Davis snuck in for the TD just before the third period ended, but Zachary Theriot’s PAT kick was wide and SM trailed by one.
With field conditions deteriorating, SM stuffed the Mustangs on their next possession and Pitre delivered three nice runs, mixed with a 12-yard Davis-to-Wilytree Marshall pass to move the ball to the AHS 7. But the Mustang defense stiffened and a 23-yard field goal attempt by Theriot missed the mark.
Three plays later Williams broke loose for his 74-yard touchdown and the Assumption lead stretched to 14-6.
But SM coach Vincent Derouen reached into his bag of tricks for a halfback pass and Deantre James found Dylan Doucet streaking behind the Mustang secondary for a 67-yard TD bomb. The Tigers went for two but Pitre was stopped short and Assumption clung to a 14-12 lead with three minutes remaining.
Assumption added the late TD by Williams to pull away to the 21-12 victory.
Williams would finish with 127 yards on 10 carries to keep the SM defense off balance.

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