MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / October 17, 1999

RESERVE – Friday night’s Riverside-West St. John District 9-2A clash atRiverside was expected to come down to the end.

The Rebels and Rams did not disappoint.

Casey Remondet scored from 38 yards out with 1:10 remaining and Ryan Weber tipped away a last second Carl Gauthier pass in the end zone, giving the Rebels a 29-22 victory.

Riverside improved to 7-0 on the season and 3-0 in district play. West St.John fell to 5-2 overall and 2-2 in district.

Like the last time the two teams met, in the 1998 Class 2A state championship game, a team rallied in the second half. Only this time, itwas West St. John bouncing back from a 14-point halftime deficit to tiethe game at 22 on a 24-yard fade pass from Gauthier to Donriel Louis with 4:20 left.

Riverside took over its ensuing possession at its 17-yard line after a face-masking penalty on the Rams on the kickoff. Another face-maskingpenalty on the opening play of the drive gave the Rebels a first down at the 35. Two plays later, Damian Melancon hit Britt Waguespack right atthe sticks on third-and-10 from the 35 to keep the drive alive.

Remondet then took over, going up the middle for gains of 8 and 9 yards for a first down at the West St. John 38-yard line. On his third straightcarry, Remondet went up the middle, broke a tackle at the line and went down the right side for the score. Kaleb Mayes’ extra point made it 29-22with 1:10 left.

West St. John took over at its 39-yard line. Gauthier went right to work,hitting Brian Lumar for 13 yards and Marlon Jackson for gains of 5 and 25 yards, the latter giving the Rams a first down at the 18. Gauthier tried tostop the clock but was ruled to have fumbled at the 18. After stopping theclock, Gauthier threw incomplete over the middle with a second left.

Gauthier then lofted a pass to Louis in the right side of the end zone. Louiswent up for the pass, reminescent of his interception to preserve the Rams’ championship game win, but this time Weber was there to knock it away.

Gauthier finished with 326 yards and a touchdown on 23-of-40 passing. Healso ran 15 times for 41 yards and a score. Brian Lumar had ninereceptions for 103 yards. Jackson added six catches for 77 yards and Louisfive catches for 82 yards and a score.

Remondet finished with 168 yards on 18 carries. Brandon Delaneuvilleadded 60 yards and a score on nine attempts. Melancon completed 6-of-10passes for 46 yards.

Trailing 22-8 late in the fourth quarter, West St. John took over at its 30-yard line. Gauthier scrambled for 13 yards to the 43-yard on the second-to-last play of the quarter.

Three plays into the fourth, a 11-yard completion to Amone Lumar at the 32 kept the drive alive. Gauthier then found Louis for 16 yards, giving theRams a first down at the 5.

Two plays later, Devin Herbert bulled in off the right side from 3 yards out. Gauthier and Brian Lumar combined on the 2-point attempt, bringingthe Rams to within 22-16 with 9:12 left in the fourth.

West St. John stopped the Rebels and took over its next possession at its41-yard line with 7:21 left. A 7-yard pass from Gauthier to Jackson keptthe drive alive on fourth-and-3 from the 36. Two plays later, Gauthierfound Louis uncovered on the right sidelines from 24 yards out. The Ramswere penalized for excessive celebration and Gauthier was sacked by Richie Hymel on the 2-point attempt, leaving the score at 22 with 4:20 remaining.

Riverside went 67 yards in 15 plays to open the game, doing most of the damage on the ground. The Rebels converted two third-down conversions indriving to the West St. John 45-yard line. A roughing the passer call onthird-and-11 from the 45 kept the drive alive. Riverside moved to theWest St. John 11-yard line but an offsides call on fourth-and-2 pushed theRebels back to the 16 and Kaleb Mayes’ 33-yard field goal attempt sailed wide left.

West St. John took over at the 20 and moved to the Riverside 34-yard linebehind completions of 15 and 21 yards from Gauthier to Jeremy Lumar. Butan intentional grounding call moved the Rams back to their 48 and Brian Lumar was called in to punt.

Riverside took over its second drive at its 7 and went 93 yards in 14 plays. A 13-yard completion to Entremont kept the drive alive on third-and-8 from the 9. Remondet went up the middle for 17 yards to give theRebels a first down at the 50. Four plays into the second quarter,Delaneuville took a handoff on third-and-4 from the 32, swept right, cut in and took it up the middle for the score. Mayes added the extra point tomake it 7-0 with 10:12 left in the half.

Gauthier drove the Rams to the Riverside 12-yard line on their next possession. A 16-yard completion to Marlon Jackson gave the Rams a firstdown at the Rebels 38. Three plays later, Gauthier kept the drive alive onthird-and-10, scrambling 15 yards, breaking three tackles along the way.

Three plays later he did it again for 11 yards to the 12-yard line. But onthe ensuing play, Gauthier was sacked by Mark Fontenot and fumbled with John Champagne recovering for the Rebels at the 21-yard line.

After both teams held on their next possessions, Bradley Hodges took a Lumar punt at his 20, swept to his right and went down the right sidelines, outrunning his last pursuer at midfield. The 80-yard return wasthe third time in three games that Hodges has returned a punt for a touchdown. Mayes’ extra point made it 14-0 with 3:18 left in the half.West St. John quickly answered on its next possession after taking over atits 24-yard line. On the first play, Herbert went up the middle and cutleft, hurdling a defender on his way to a 34-yard run to the Riverside 42.

After a personal foul on the Rebels brought the ball to the Riverside 8- yard line two plays later, Gauthier went up the middle on a draw and spun into the endzone for the score. Gauthier then found Amone Lumar on the 2-point conversion, cutting the deficit to 14-8 with 2:01 left.

But the Rebels came right back on their next possession. Remondet gavethe Rebels a first down at the West St. John 40 with a 11-yard run. Twoplays later, Remondet capped the 6-play, 65-yard drive with a 34-yard run, sweeping right and diving into the endzone. Melancon then found JeffRoccaforte for the 2-point conversion, making it 22-8 with 21 seconds left in the half.

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