By LEONARD GRAY

EDGARD – The capper to West St. John High School’s 2002 regular season was a walk in the park blowout of the visiting Buras Wildcats, 41-0. The Rams will host the first round of the playoffs this Friday.

The game also marked when sophomore running back Patrick Jackson topped 1,000 yards rushing for the season. “We have a thousand-yard passer and a thousand-yard rusher, and that’s damn good,” Coach Laury Dupont said after the game.

Still, despite the big win, Dupont said there is still room for improvement. “Stupid penalties” cost the Rams one touchdown midway in the second quarter and another late in the third quarter, he observed.

The Wildcats’ first possession after receiving the opening kickoff went badly and ended with their punter, L.J. Henry, faking the punt and running the ball, yet their possession only netted them three yards.

This was a golden opportunity for the Rams, and Randall Nicholson lobbed an easy one to Sandy Harris on first down for a 21-yard TD with 9:50 in the first quarter. The PAT faded left, and the Rams led 6-0.

Buras took the next kickoff at their own 12-yard line and managed to push as far as their own 35 before quarterback Christian Riley was dumped for a 10-yard loss. The punt set up the Rams near mid-field.

One pass reception by Thomas Augusta took West St. John to the Buras 29; Harris scrambled to the Buras six-yard line and junior running back Quinn Johnson nailed the TD. Marcus Isom hit the PAT, and the Rams were up 13-0, with 4:20 remaining in the opening period.

Next time, it was the same story. Buras took the kick at their own 28-yard line, pushed to their 34, was sacked and punted to Josh Lumar, who returned it to the West St. John 37-yard line.

Patrick Jackson went to work and picked up a 27-yard rush, then a 36-yard TD in as many plays. Again, Isom booted the PAT and West St. John sat on a 20-0 lead with 1:17 remaining in the first quarter.

Buras’ next possession carried them into the second quarter, as they drove from their own 21-yard line to gain but 12 yards. A pass which could have launched their offense was batted down by Quinn Johnson.

West St. John took over and three plays later, Nicholson nailed Augusta, who galloped for an 83-yard TD.

This, though, was called back on a holding call and the Rams took three more plays, including a 66-yard run by Patrick Jackson, before Jamarr Coleman bumped over on a two-yard TD.

The PAT missed, but West St. John sat high on a 26-0 lead with 6:18 remaining to the first half.

The second half kickoff to the Rams launched their next scoring drive and included Patrick Jackson nudging over the 1,000-yard mark for the season before Jackson rolled in for a two-yard touchdown with 7:23 left in the third quarter. The PAT kick by Isom gave West St. John a 33-0 lead.

Buras’ next possession stalled quickly and their punt to Josh Lumar came back at them on his runback to the Buras 39-yard line.

On the next play, Augusta rolled in for a touchdown, but it was called back on a holding call.

Two plays later, a fumble ended up recovered by Buras at their own 29-yard line. The turnover did Buras little good, though, and they soon punted back to mid-field, early in the fourth quarter.

Now with freshman Olajuwon Hall in at quarterback, it was bench-clearing time, and the up-and-comers boomed their way to a Josh Johnson touchdown with 5:33 left in the game. A two-point conversion pass to Victor Dupard connected for the 41-0 final score.

Buras powered their way in their best drive of the game from their own 16-yard line all the way to the West St. John six-yard line. Finally, an intended touchdown pass was instead intercepted by Dupard in the end zone, and the Rams were good to go again at their own 20.

On the next play, and the last of the game, Vernon Farnell scrambled and scooted 70 yards to the Buras 10-yard stripe.