MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / December 6, 2000

Sitting on the couch in the Riverside’s coach’s office Monday afternoon, Rebels head coach Mickey Roussel knew he was in for a hectic week. Therewas going to be media requests, pep rallies and practice preparations.

But Roussel also knew that if he was having to work this hard this week, it meant his Riverside team was playing for the Class 2A state championship come Friday night and that there were over a hundred other coaches in the state who would love to be in his place.

Friday’s game against Ouachita Christian will be the third time that Roussel has guided the Rebels into the Superdome for the Nokia Sugar Bowl Prep Classic. The Rebels have come up short the prior times, losingto Haynesville in 1993 and West St. John in 1998.But quarterback Damian Melancon, a sophomore on the 1998 team, said the Rebels are taking a different approach to the game this time.

“We’re all business,” Melancon said. “We’re taking it like it’s anothergame. Before, we were like ‘wow, we’re in the Dome.’ It’s not like thatthis time.”With over 20 seniors on the roster who went to that game as sophomores, Roussel said the experience has helped the team not only this week but all season long.

“They know what it’s like going 14-0 and losing,” Roussel said. “Theyknow all that. We can use it as a positive. I told the players we have agood football team. We know how to get there. Let’s use it. There is goingto be a lot of distractions this week. Being there two years ago, we knowwhat to do.”After the first quarter in the semifinal game against Farmerville last Friday, it appeared the Rebels were not going to be practicing this week.

Farmerville scored the first three times it had the ball, jumping out to a 21-0 lead. Heading into the second quarter, the Rebels had been out-gained, 213-51.

But the Rebels did not panic. They continued to do what got them to thatpoint, running the ball and mixing in passes. Riverside took advantage of ashort punt to drive 28 yards to cut the deficit to 21-6. Then with theclock showing less than two minutes left in the half and the Farmers driving, Ryan Bugay intercepted a pass at the Riverside 25, setting up a touchdown drive to cut the deficit to 21-14 heading into halftime.

“We hadn’t been in that position all year,” Roussel said of trailing by 21- 0. “You practice instilling discipline and character all year but until youget into that situation, you don’t know how you will react as players and coaches. But we didn’t panic. We knew in the second quarter if we got ascore to cut it to 21-7 we would give ourselves a chance. We scored twiceand went into the half with momentum and kept it in the second half. Itwas a perfect reaction to say the least.”Riverside tied the game at 21 on its first possession of the second half.

After the Farmers went back ahead, 28-21, Riverside scored early in the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to one.

Then with under six minutes to play, Melancon hit Jeff Roccaforte on a 60- yard pass play, setting up Britt Waguespack’s winning touchdown run.

“When we got down 21-0, we didn’t give up,” Melancon said. “We believedin the character of the team. No matter how far down we get, we keepcoming. We didn’t feel as if we were panicking. We just kept playing.” That consistency of the team keeping playing is what Roussel said got the Rebels to this point.

“We’ve been amazing consistent,” Roussel said. “In a one-game season likenow, you don’t want to ride the roller coaster. I told them through workinghard and playing hard, we would give ourselves a chance and we’ve given ourselves a chance.”

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