By ROBERT B. ROAN

RESERVE – For the second consecutive week, Riverside Academy defeated a District 3-2A foe by the impressive score of 41-20.

Friday night’s victory over the Ferriday High School Trojans put the RA Rebels, who finished the regular season in fourth place in District 9-2A, a game away from the state title contest as one of four teams remaining in Class 2A. A playoffs semifinal date with the Port Barre High School Red Devils on Dec. 6 was sealed in the second quarter Friday by a devastating Rebels’ ground game and a punishing Riverside defensive unit.

Trailing 8-0 at the end of the first quarter, the Rebels, 8-5, began the second quarter on the Trojans’ 5-yard line and just three seconds into the period and senior fullback Jared St. Amant (78 yards rushing) dove over the middle for the first of his three-touchdown performance. By the time the halftime whistle blew, the Trojans remained at 8 points while the Rebels swelled the home team’s side of the ledger by 28 points.

The standing-room-only crowd cheered to the point of hoarseness as Rebels continued their scoring onslaught with St. Amant scoring again with 4:23 remaining in the half and, in a little more than two minutes, senior quarterback Scott Poirrier (105 yards passing, two touchdowns) connected with senior wide receiver Dexter Falgoust (79 receiving yards, two touchdowns) on a 45-yard scoring strike.

In between the scores, the Rebels’ stout defense, led by seniors Darryl Fortenberry, Johnathon Hendricks and Chris St. Pierre, harried and pummeled the Trojans’ elusive senior quarterback Tyrrence Taylor.

On the ensuing kickoff, Trojans’ senior wide receiver Efuntae Morales fumbled away the football and junior defensive lineman Josh Kinler recovered for the Rebels at the FHS 39-yard line. Poirrier calmly executed the two-minute offense and hooked up with senior tight end Trent Malbrough on a 22-yard strike with 1:40 remaining in the half. Following a 5-yard facemask penalty against FHS, Poirrier faked out the entire Trojans’ defensive squad on a bootleg to the right side and dashed into the endzone to end the first half’s scoring at Rebels 28, Trojans 8.

The second half began as the first stanza ended with the Riverside defense consistently bottling up Taylor as freshman defensive end Kevin Bourg, St. Pierre and Hendricks tallied several tackles behind the line of scrimmage. With 3:23 to go in the third quarter, the Rebels faced a fourth down and one yard to go from the FHS 35-yard line. Poirrier handed off to Cambre and he dashed around the left side for a 6-yard gain and Poirrier executed the option play for an 18-yard keeper on the next play.

St. Amant finished off the drive with a 5-yard dive and after the successful PAT the scoreboard read RA 35, FHS 8.

A Trojans’ fourth-quarter drive was snuffed out as Falgoust leapt in front of Arinn Long in the endzone for the interception but, following the Rebels’ next drive and first punt of the evening, Taylor fielded the kick and raced 56 yards untouched into the endzone to place the score at Riverside 35, Ferriday 14. The Trojans, who suited up only 33 players compared to more than 70 for Riverside, attempted an onside kick but the Rebels’ “hands” team recovered the ball and three plays later Poirrier again connected with Falgoust for a 15-yard score.

The final score of the night came with 40 seconds left.

Taylor dove over the goal line on a 1-yard keeper, but after several meaningless FHS timeouts, the Rebels succeeded in running out the clock on the Trojans’ 9-4 season.