Lutcher whips Donaldsonville, 35-0

By Wade McIntyre

Correspondent

Donaldsonville – Lutcher High School’s Bulldogs bested their upriver rivals from Donaldsonville 35-0 in a mud fest played under a non-stop blanket of rain Friday night.

Each team fumbled regularly in the downpour, but Donaldsonville’s Tiger’s coughed it up most – a total of 11 fumbles with eight lost. Lutcher fumbled four times, losing it twice.

Lutcher running backs Wayne Albert and Jeffery Johnson controlled the game’s tempo with power bursts of three, four and fives yards at a time. Albert finished with 100 yards on 19 carries for two touchdowns, and Johnson picked up a score while gaining 79 yards on 11 tries.

The game was never in much doubt after the opening kickoff. The Tigers quickly fumbled and the Dogs took over, driving 60 yards for the first score with 7:12 remaining in the quarter. Albert scored the TD on a two-yard burst, then went around the left side for a 2-pt. conversion, giving his team and 8-0 lead.

In the next series the Tigers made their most determined drive of the night. After a kickoff return to their own 36-yard line, Donaldsonville drove steadily and capitalized on a fourth down pass interference giving them first down at the Tiger 13-yard line. The Dogs snuffed the drive, sacking Tiger quarterback Roy Sam on fourth down at the 21-yard line as the quarter ended.

Lutcher quarterback Dustin Mitchell fumbled a quarterback keeper on the next series and Donaldsonville recovered. One play later the Tigers fumbled and the Dogs recovered at their own 47-yard line. The ensuing Tiger drive went to the Donaldsonville 4-yard before stalling on fourth down. After a pass interference call gave the Tigers a first down at the 23-yard line, the Dogs promptly recovered a fumble at the Tiger 14-yard line.

A 14-yard pass touchdown from Mitchell to Osmond Brown and a two-point conversion run by Johnson put the Dogs up 16-0 with 2:53 left in the half.

Albert scored Lutcher’s third TD with 5:55 left in the third quarter on a one-yard run. The score followed recovery of a Tiger fumble at the 18-yard line, leading to a short drive to pay dirt.

Lutcher scored again near the end of the quarter on Johnson’s 3-yard touchdown. The key play in the drive was a 20-yard pass from Mitchell to Brown to the 13-yard line. A PAT kick made the score 29-0.

Kenneth Williams scored Lutcher’s final TD with 7:10 left on a 1-yard run.

Lutcher had 278 rushing yards on 50 carries, and 43 yards on 4 of 9 passing. The Dogs racked up 17 first downs for the game.