By RYAN ARENA

METAIRIE — Penalties wiped out four touchdown-scoring plays for East St. John Saturday night.

No matter. They’d score four more — including one in dramatic fashion.

DeChris Strong’s 64-yard touchdown reception from Darion Monroe with less than a minute remaining provided the winning points as East St. John scored a thrilling victory over host Rummel, 29-21, at Joe Yenni Stadium.

“The last thing I told them when we got off the bus was, ‘If one, two, three bad things happen, don’t panic. We have the offense to overcome this,’” said East St. John coach Larry Dauterive, whose team hoisted him on their shoulders after the victory. “They never quit. That never say die attitude is what got us the win tonight.”

East St. John (4-0) and Rummel (3-1) each were the top vote getters in Class 5A among teams not currently ranked in the Louisiana Sports Writers Association Top 10.

It is only Rummel’s second loss in its last 19 games, the other coming in the 2009 Class 5A championship game.

Strong’s touchdown reception came on a third and 10 play with time winding down. The screen pass, according to Dauterive, was really just designed to go for a first down.

But Strong had other ideas.

“Once I hit the open field, my track instincts kicked in,” said Strong, who also stars on the Wildcats track and field team. “I just kept asking Coach for the ball. Get me the ball and get it done. It just feels great.”

Said Dauterive: “I was thinking overtime. We just wanted to get a first down. Then he takes it to the house.”

With a wry smile, he added, “So much for coaching.”

East St. John added a two-point conversion after the touchdown on a busted extra point attempt that ended up in the hands of Thaddeus Knight—Monroe, who was holding, threw a high arcing pass that fell into Knight’s arms.

Strong had had a 50-yard score called back earlier due to holding. East St. John had two scores called back in the first quarter, one in the third, and one in the fourth.

Rummel struck first on J.J. Brown’s 18-yard scoring run midway through the first quarter.

East St. John immediately answered on a 10-yard drive, overcoming some mistakes to do so. A holding penalty negated a 14-yard Williams scoring run, Rummel sacked Monroe to bring up a third-and-29. But Monroe bought time and fired a pass into the endzone for Williams, who hauled in the touchdown over two Rummel defenders to tie the game.

ESJ’s defense held Rummel to a three-and-out and took over at the Raider 42 after a short punt. A rumbling 29-yard Andrew Taylor run — he drug multiple defenders and actually broke loose from the pile briefly — to the Raider 2 set up a Monroe keeper touchdown to make it 14-7 in the second quarter.

But Taylor’s fumble at midfield on the Wildcats’ next possession opened the door for Rummel to tie things up before halftime, and that they did on Damian Williams’ 3-yard scoring pass to Justin Williams with nine seconds left in the first half.

Operating largely from the Wildcat, Rummel took the lead back behind the running of Brown, Terrance Jones and Damien Williams, the latter rushing for a 3-yard score at the 9:47 mark of the third quarter to cap a five-play drive. The drive began at the ESJ 35 after a long Cyril Grayson kickoff return.

But after ESJ’s next drive fizzled out after Strong’s negated scoring run, the Wildcats clawed back to tie the game, taking advantage of prime field position. After D’haquille Williams returned a Rummel punt to their 36, a personal foul penalty set ESJK up to begin on the Raider 21. Three plays later, Williams was in, scoring on a 6-yard run after lining up in the Wildcat formation with 1:40 left in the third.

Rummel had a chance to take the lead in the fourth, but a 17 play, 47-yard drive came up empty when Marc Musso’s kick sailed wide.

“They moved the ball, and that’s because that’s an excellent offensive team,” said Dauterive. “But we made plays and stops when we had to have them.”

Each defense came up with another stop.

Then Strong lived up to his name.

“I just kept telling everyone that we’re gonna win this game, even if we win it ugly. But it’s real pretty at the end,” said Strong.

Said Dauterive: “To win at their place, the state runner-up, with four touchdowns called back … it’s indescribable.”