Leon’s OT TD lifts BB past NI Jackets

Junior quarterback Julian Leon scored a diving touchdown in overtime to help his Breaux Bridge Tigers pull out a 35-28 overtime win over Class 5A New Iberia in last Friday’s season opener.
The Bridge had jumped out to a 21-0 first quarter lead and led 28-21 going into the final stanza. But the Yellow Jackets knotted the score with 7:05 left in regulation on a 25-yard run by Eddie McZeal, sending the game into overtime.
The Tigers got off to a shaky start in the extra period, drawing a delay penalty. But after an incomplete pass Leon kept the ball and leaped into the end zone over the right pylon for a 15-yard touchdown and the Tiger defense was finally able to stop New Iberia’s OT effort.
Breaux Bridge got on the board early when Sa’Barian Alexander picked off a Jacket pass and raced 70 yards for the score.
The Bridge’s kickoff was short but stayed in bounds and the Tigers recovered the ball. Facing 4th-and-5, Leon hit Noah Fred for a 21-yard TD.
After New Iberia failed to pick up a first down, Breaux Bridge struck quickly with Dartravian Gregory taking a pass from Leon 57 yards for BB’s third score, putting the Tigers up 21-0 with almost five minutes still to play in the opening period.
But the Jackets got their bruising running game cranked up and scored twice in the second quarter to close the BB lead to 21-14 by intermission.
Breaux Bridge kept up the pressure in the third period, with Leon connecting again with Gregory, this time for a 40-yard TD.
But New Iberia’s Eddie McZeal, who would finish with 175 rushing yards, scored on a 22-yard run late in the third quarter and helped knot the score with a 57-yard TD scamper, setting up the overtime scenario.
Leon finished with 8 completions and one interception on 17 tosses for 152 yards and three scores as the Tigers’ passing game accounted for the bulk of BB’s offensive output.
Along with his two TD catches, Gregory also had another pair of receptions, finishing with 112 yards.
Although the Breaux Bridge defense gave up 225 yards to the New Iberia running game, it held firm in overtime to preserve a hard-earned victory.