By: TERRELL ROBINSON JR.

West St John’s defense was up to the task of stopping White Castle Friday night but their offense looked stuck in neutral. With less then a minute left in the game, the Rams’ final drive stalled inside their opponents 15 yard-line when they failed to convert on fourth-and-two, sealing a 12-6 win for the Bulldogs.

Making the loss harder to take is the fact that West St. John was statistically the superior team. The Rams rushed for over 200 yards, with 107 coming via the feet of 8th grader Jeremy Jackson. They likewise gained more first down (12) and committed only two penalties on the night.

The offensively challenged showdown made no attempt to disguise itself. Both offenses struggled to move the ball in the first half. The only early score came when Tyree Brackins (16 rushes, 119 yards) ran the ball in from 38 yards out, putting the visitors up 6-0. The West St. John defense hounded Bulldog quarterback Ronald Martin all night, allowing only one pass completion and sacking him six times.

Despite out-gaining their opponents by twice the yardage, West St. John stumbled when it mattered, coughing up three turnovers on the night. On their opening drive of the third quarter, a fumbled Rams ball found its way into the hand of Ronald Martin who returned it for a 31-yard touchdown, putting White Castle up 12-0 early in the third quarter.

West St. John would answer back minutes later, when Kylum Favorite (9 carries, 67 yards) broke off an 18 yard touchdown run for the Rams’ only score of the night. The opposing defense frustrated them thereafter, twice forcing the home team to turnover the ball on downs.

“Defense wins championships and the defense just put us in position to be district champions,” said White Castle head coach Ferrante Dominique. “We’re averaging 50 points a game and we come in here and win 12-6. I wouldn’t have predicted that.”

The loss drops West St. John to 3-5 on the season. Next week the Rams hit the road where they will look to get back on track against Ascension Catholic.