J. EDMUND BARNES

FT. WALTON BEACH, Fla. – The St. John Parish Louisiana Hurricanes improved to a 4-0 record with a victory against the Okaloosa Knights – beating them 48-6 on Saturday night. The first roadtrip for the team outside of Louisiana also brought national recognition, as the North American Football League recognized the Hurricanes as having the best defense in the league, allowing only an average of 2.6 points per game. The Hurricanes have allowed only nine points in four games, with all of the points coming from two scores in two different games. All the points allowed were from special team mistakes – three points from a field goal which resulted from a blocked kick, and six points from a kickoff returned for a touchdown. The Hurricanes got the game’s action under way with a 40-yard touchdown pass from Derrick Jones to Ernest Calloway in the first quarter. The extra point failed. The Hurricanes also scored on a 25-yard run by tailback Darren Jarreau and a 20-yard run by fullback Cedric Allen. The end of the first 15 minutes saw the Hurricanes having taken a 21-point lead. The second quarter had only one scoring drive – the Canes improved their lead to 27-0, as wide receiver David Johnson caught a one-yard Jones pass for the touchdown. The Hurricanes missed the extra point kick. The Knights got their only break in the third quarter as they managed to score on a kickoff return. In four games, the only time an opponent has managed to score on the Hurricanes has been when the special teams have made a mistake or been caught off guard. The Knights weren’t able to kick the extra point, nor were they able to capitolized on a possible momentium shift. The Canes also scored in the third quarter, as Allen got his second touchdown of the night on a 35 yard run. The two-point conversions succeeded. The fourth quarter saw the Canes even the special teams’ score, as they scored on a blocked punt. Jarreau got his second touchdown of the evening on a 17-yard run, though the extra point missed. While the game wasn’t the 71-0 whipping that the Hurricanes forced the South Arkansas Jaguars endured last week, it was enough to solidify their defensive reputation. “We’re really proud of our defense,” said line coach Paul Rando. “(The Hurricane’s defense) has yet to allow a touchdown against them in four games.” The Hurricanes also congratulated their defensive coaches: defensive coordinator Roland Rankins, and defensive backs coaches William Jelks and Norman Jefferson. The Hurricanes will face the Louisiana Voodoo Dogs Saturday at West St. John High School at 7 p.m.